THE LAST TEN YEARS. 401 



as we are assured by his daughter, ' the friendship of Humboldt 

 was regarded as his choicest possession ; ' with no less fervency 

 does she speak of Humboldt as ' the truest and most unseldsh 

 friend of her departed father,' as one who had ever shown the 

 warmest interest in all his affairs, whether in art or in house- 

 hold matters. Not only was Humboldt unwearied in bringing 

 distinguished foreigners to the studio of the aged sculptor, and 

 procuring him commissions for which he vainly urged that he 

 should ask higher remuneration, but he supplied him with books 

 and newspapers, and was ever at pains to show him kind atten- 

 tions. Eauch was accustomed to look up to him with the same 

 child-like veneration for ' the benevolence of his generous 

 kindness ' as for the comprehensive grasp of his giant intellect. 

 From Carlsbad he sent him descriptions of the country, in which 

 he likens Annaberg to Perugia, but fears to weary Humboldt 

 with these ' minute disquisitions on the picturesque, since you,' 

 he continues in his clumsy Grerman, ' would not endure a com- 

 parison between delightful Saatwinkel and Amalfi.' Upon 

 another occasion he mentions with great glee that < three miles 

 from New York a quarry of fine white statuary marble had 

 been found. I have seen a specimen, and a block is already 

 on its way here : I have some hope now that something may be 

 made of America ! ' Such an old and tried friend Humboldt 

 was glad to welcome on his birthday, although the celebration 

 of the day was to him so distasteful, that in 1850, to escape all 

 notice of it, he took flight to Magdeburg. 1 On May 8, 1857, 

 Rietschel sent to Humboldt from Dresden a cast of his bust of 

 Rauch, in the belief ' that your Excellency will like to possess 

 a characteristic likeness of your old and valued friend.' 



Side by side with the great sculptor may be mentioned a 

 young Italian artist, Madame Emma Graggiotti-Richards, who 

 resided for some years in Berlin during the closing period of 

 Humboldt's life, and attracted the notice among others of the 

 great philosopher by her talents, beauty, and amiability. He 

 sat to her for a spirited likeness in oils, which ranks as one 

 of the best portraits that have been taken of him. On her re- 

 moval to Paris, he continued to the last to manifest his fatherly 

 interest in her in an affectionate correspondence ; her letters to 



1 ' Briefe an Bunsen,' p. 120. 

 YOL. II. D D 



