298 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



a summary of his works, and though the task was accomplished 

 with an incredible amount of assumption, his kind interest in 

 the young man remained undiminished. ' Your letter,' he 

 writes in a tone of fatherly rebuke, ' concludes with an expres- 

 sion which would exceedingly displease me, did I not believe 

 that you meant it in jest : " From the qualities of mind ex- 

 hibited in these formuloe I expect to become a second Newton ! ! " 

 No one should speak thus of himself. Fortunately, the expres- 

 sion occurs in a letter to me. I shall write to-morrow to 

 Carlsruhe, and shall certainly not speak of you as a Newton, 

 since that would entirely destroy the effect of my letter.' 

 While the negotiations for the professorship in the duchy of 

 Baden were pending, it was thought imprudent to seek any in- 

 crease of the royal pension. On August 12, he writes to Eisen- 

 stein : ' Early in April next, I shall forward to you fifty thalers 

 from my own purse. Pray do not refuse me. Should you be 

 fortunate enough to improve your position by an appointment 

 in a foreign country, you will be immediately subjected to severe 

 animadversion on account of the pension you now enjoy. It 

 will be as well just now not to give fresh cause for censure. 

 For this small amount trust to my assistance, and do not ven- 

 ture upon any step with the ministry.' In the meantime he 

 was unsuccessful in his attempts to procure for his young friend 

 a professorship at Heidelberg. 



The following lines, dated March 10, 1848, give evidence 

 that this - promise was duly fulfilled by Humboldt, who, not 

 content with using his powerful interest in endeavouring to 

 secure employment in a foreign country for his necessitous 

 friend, furnished him in the most delicate manner with pecu- 

 niary assistance out of his comparatively limited means : 

 6 The last interview I had with you, my dear Eisenstein, was 

 so brief that I did not think it a suitable opportunity to ex- 

 press my fears that you might possibly be in a position of 

 pecuniary embarrassment. One would gladly secure a man of 

 your talent from cares of this nature. It is not in my power 

 to offer you more than a trifling assistance, but this I do witli 

 sincere pleasure. Should you be at home when this is delivered, 

 please acknowledge the safe arrival of the remittance, but if 

 not send me a line to-morrow by post.' 



