278 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



of intellectual progress, were to be contended with and con- 

 quered, either by force or cunning. As far as Eichhorn was 

 concerned, his complaints were fully justified. In writing to 

 Bunsen 1 on September 17, 1844, he remarks: 'Communica- 

 tion between men of science is a matter of such importance that 

 it is much to be deplored that the Minister of Public Instruc- 

 tion has deceived all our hopes. Passion and imprudence, such 

 as were scarcely to be looked for in a versed diplomatist, and 

 an entire absence of appreciation for science, have enabled him 

 to solve the difficult problem of making himself disagreeable in 

 the shortest possible time to all the Universities, and to all the 

 men of European reputation of whom he happens to be in 

 ignorance.' In reference to the attitude maintained by the 

 Minister of Public Instruction towards science, Humboldt was 

 accustomed to employ such expressions as 6 economic de chaleur, 

 glacial temperature, icy stupidity;' in times of reaction under 

 Haumer's administration, he was, however, reduced to admit 

 that ' in contrast with such an iceberg, even Eichhorn's mini- 

 mum appeared a temperate climate.' 



6 When those,' he once exclaimed to Bockh in genuine distress, 

 but with a total disregard of grammar, ' who, like yourself, are 

 possessed, not only of extensive erudition, but of an unusual 

 talent for statesmanship, one cannot but feel aggravated that 

 such are not at the head of affairs in the place of the sterile ice- 

 berg that now reigns there ! ' Of Thile, the Minister of Finance, 

 Eichhorn's colleague, Humboldt sarcastically remarked that he 

 * viewed mathematics, philosophy, and poetry as mere articles 

 of luxury ; ' he was annoyed that the king should have sent one 

 of his petitions in favour of Jacobi pro forma to Thile, instead 

 of ' granting, brevi manu, the small sum of money required.' 

 In 1847, when urging a suit with great persistency, he very 

 characteristically points out the hope, that by the fall of the 

 two celebrated houses (Tieck and himself) there would soon 

 be effected a yearly saving to the country of 10,000 thalers.' 



Under these difficult circumstances there remained to Hum- 

 boldt but three ways by which to attain his object. To make 

 direct application to the obdurate ministers, to influence them 

 indirectly through their fellow-counsellors, or to enlist against 

 1 ( Briefe an Bunsen/ p. 63. 



