314 ALEXANDEK VON HUMBOLDT. 



lay in the concentration of their efforts ; to them the ideal 

 principle of comprehensive unity could appear but of little 

 value. That such was not the opinion of all is proved, how- 

 ever, by many noted exceptions. On this point it is interesting 

 to notice the expressions made use of so recently as 1854 by a 

 man like Schelling, in whom the tone of mind characteristic of 

 the eighteenth century had been preserved intact : it is of no 

 importance for this purpose that the subject of his remarks is 

 not ' Cosmos,' but the ' Examen critique,' in which Humboldt 

 had asked his opinion on some passages relating to Columbus. 

 ' After reading the first few pages of vol. iii.,' writes Schelling, 

 on June 10, 'my interest became too excited to lay aside the 

 book, and, abandoning all my usual occupations, I devoted 

 myself, for a couple of days, to the irresistible attractions of 

 your work. Were I to describe the impression produced upon 

 me by its perusal, I should remark how much I have been 

 struck by the thought of one who, ^after witnessing all that is 

 most beautiful and wonderful in Nature, and seeing more of our 

 globe than is privileged to many even in the present day, yet 

 possesses so keen an appreciation of the value of truth, in its 

 most insignificant form, as to take pleasure in the verification 

 of facts of the most trifling description, such as bibliographical 

 details or incidents in provincial history. Powers of this order 

 appear so colossal to a mind of ordinary grasp, that it scarcely 

 knows how far to retreat in order to gain a view of an intellect 

 so comprehensive.' 



A clear conception of the twofold nature of the plan con- 

 templated in 'Cosmos' will greatly assist the reader in 

 comprehending the magnitude of the work and tracing the 

 history of its growth. The American journey must naturally be 

 regarded as one of the most important preparatory events, the 

 full significance of which lay in the combination of accurate 

 individual observation with views of an extensive and compre- 

 hensive character. It is clear, therefore, that in the course of 

 the succeeding sixty years, the centre of gravity, so to speak, of 

 the growing work gradually shifted from the eighteenth into 

 the nineteenth century. We have seen l the ' View of Nature 



1 See above, p. 112. 



