FROM ACCESSION OF FREDERICK WILLIAM IV. TO 1848. 305 



was never fully restored, and from whose necessitous family, who 

 lose in him the sixth son of great promise, there is now a wish 

 to withhold the miserable sum destined for the proposed journey. 

 Such a ministry in the centre of intellectual life fills me with 

 shame and disgust.' Notwithstanding three importunate letters 

 and two visits from Humboldt, and the intercession of Costenoble 

 and Olfers, Bodelschwingh could not be induced to accord more 

 than 300 thalers, but ' the king, being anxious to do honour to 

 the memory of the man who, though of distinguished fame, had 

 been in life the object of no friendly treatment by the Minister 

 for Public Instruction,' gave orders for the payment of the 

 entire sum. On December 4, Humboldt wrote to the father of 

 his poor friend: 'With these glad tidings pray receive the 

 warmest assurance of the sincere esteem which you and your 

 dear family have inspired in all who have had the privilege of 

 your acquaintance.' To Grauss he writes thanking him 4 in the 

 name of humanity' one thinks one hears Sarastro speak 

 for his beautiful letter of condolence, in which he exhibits the 

 noble example of grand intellectual powers united to the ten- 

 derest and most affectionate feeling. 



Truly a sad history, but one in every way honourable to 

 Humboldt. As Grauss remarks in his touching letter of consola- 

 tion to the father of Eisenstein : * One of the most beautiful 

 jewels in Humboldt's crown is the zeal with which he lends his 

 assistance and encouragement to genius.' The self-denial and 

 devotion he displayed in the fulfilment of this sacred duty are 

 vividly portrayed in this narrative, which we have thought it 

 desirable on this account to give in detail. The grandest 

 feature to be remarked, however, is that the history of Eisenstein 

 is only one out of many instances that might be adduced, 

 commencing even from the time of his settlement at Paris. In 

 the year 1809 he made the following generous offer to Voigt, 

 a botanist in very straitened circumstances : J ' As you will 

 have to procure many things here, which it may not be con- 

 venient to you to pay for at once, I send you enclosed 

 1 ,000 francs, which you can return to me five or ten years hence, 



1 Ein Englander iiber deutsches Geistesleben im ersten Drittel dieses 

 Jahrhunderts. H. C. Kobinson ' (Weimar, 1871), pp. 273 365. 

 VOL. II. X 



