208 ALEXANDER VOX HUMBOLDT. 



conduct with regard to the affair at Gottingen, it is important 

 not to overlook the degree of political enlightenment then 

 prevalent. The immense excitement caused by the courageous 

 deed of the seven proves that it was regarded as an instance 

 of extraordinary manly courage, although in the present day 

 it would probably have elicited no more attention than was 

 accorded in those days to the magnanimous conduct of Jacob 

 Grimm. In discussing the question Humboldt showed no lack 

 of power or deviation from his known liberal sentiments ; he 

 even recognised with keen insight the important bearing of 

 the event in awakening a spirit of freedom in the c slumbering ' 

 nation. Can we forbear expressing the wish that he had made 

 a public avowal of his opinions ? What a powerful effect a 

 fearless word from him might have produced ! And, as far as 

 we can see, no evil would havei resulted to himself ; in the posi- 

 tion he occupied in the eyes of all Europe, none would have 

 dared to threaten him either with imprisonment or banishment. 

 To him a momentary disgrace could only have tended to a more 

 enduring fame. But he ever eschewed interference in public 

 affairs ; at no time of his life could he be called a politician in 

 the modern acceptation of the word. As he was ever the friend 

 of the oppressed, he was willing to lend his assistance to the 

 seven ejected professors of Gottingen ; but in rendering help 

 confined himself to his usual weapons the arts of diplomacy. 

 Even on this occasion, his noble intentions were burdened by 

 a thousand considerations, to which, much as he felt their pres- 

 sure, he had, through court life, become almost habituated. 

 Instead of acting, he was content to negotiate. 



Another point which ought not to be overlooked, is that he 

 was throughout life essentially the man of science. It was with 

 nim as with Archimedes, and nothing was so repugnant to him 

 as brute force ignorantly trampling upon the cause of science. 

 Had it been possible, he would much have preferred that the 

 Gottingen professors had submitted in silence. What after 

 all were a couple of years of political suffering compared with 

 the undying interests of science? We cannot acquiesce in 

 the artificial distinction he made between individual men of 

 science and scientific institutions. For though he may be jus- 

 tified in regarding the latter, as such, to be far removed 



