FROM ACCESSION OF FREDERICK WILLIAM IV. TO 1848. 265 



on the great question of a constitutional government, and 

 in the endeavour to excite liberal views in the king ; but 

 though far from being insensible to the suavity of his dispo- 

 sition, he had no comprehension for the distinctive feature of 

 his character, a gentle and, at the same time, enthusiastic piety. 

 It was not merely towards Varnhagen, who was, no doubt, some- 

 what envious of Bunsen, that he indulged in satire against this 

 display of religious sentiment ; no one familiar with Hum- 

 boldt's epistolary style could fail to perceive that there was a 

 marked want of confidence in his communications to Bunsen. 1 

 As for the pitiful middle course adopted by the cringing crea- 

 tures of the court, Humboldt knew well, when occasion served, 

 how to express his contempt in a bitter sarcasm, beneath which 

 they were silenced ' as by a death-blow.' 2 This naturally caused 

 them to hate him the more, and incited them to injure him in 

 secret to the utmost of their power. As a result of this, and 

 as a necessary reaction of the failure of the extravagant hopes 

 formed of Humboldt's influence upon the king in leading to a 

 liberal policy, the ' disgrace ' under which Humboldt was sup- 

 posed to have fallen was for a long time, as it had formerly 

 been under Frederick William III., the constantly recurring 

 'theme' of political gossip; 3 it was represented that he was 

 exceedingly obnoxious to the king, a continual torment, and a 

 perpetual reproach ; that the king was anxious to dismiss 

 him, but could not afford to do so, as he had become necessary 

 to him, and the lustre of his presence could ill be spared : till 

 death cancel the obligation, Humboldt therefore must continue 

 a recipient of royal favour, and his presence at court be en- 

 dured. Nothing of this, so far as Frederick William IV. is 

 concerned, bears the impress of historic truth ; a direct appeal 

 to the noble generosity of the king, as evinced in the beautiful 

 letter respecting Massmann, sufficed to render impotent the 

 machinations of his political enemies. Humboldt, moreover, 

 was possessed of too much tact and prudence to exercise his in- 

 fluence in a manner to make him a torment to his sovereign ; 



1 This affords some modification of the ' Postscript ' to the ' Briefe von 

 Alexander von Humboldt an Bunsen/ pp. 211, 212. 



2 < Briefe an Varnhagen,' p. 170. 



3 Varnhagen's ' Tagebiicher/ vol. ii. pp. 247-50, 267, 274. 



