THE LAST TEN YEARS. 407 



Finally, on November 25, 1858, a legal document was drawn 

 up by Humboldt, in which, by deed of gift, he made over the 

 whole of his possessions to Seifert, only reserving to himself the 

 use of everything until his death, with the express arrangement 

 that he should hold the goods thus made over only in the name 

 of Seifert. From reverential feelings, the following articles 

 were excepted in the deed of gift : the royal orders in council, 

 the portrait of Frederick William IV. by Kriiger, a large vase, 

 with views of Sanssouci and Charlottenburg, the freedoms of 

 the cities of Berlin and Potsdam, the Copley medal, his note- 

 books, and the portfolios containing material collected for 

 ' Cosmos.' 



We certainly do not feel called upon to pass any judgment 

 upon the manner in which Humboldt disposed of the remnant 

 of his days ; we have only touched upon this disagreeable sub- 

 ject in order to show the reader, by incontrovertible documents, 

 the nature of the relationship in which Humboldt stood to his 

 attendant and his family during the closing ten years of his 

 life. Upon Humboldt's side there is undoubtedly the kind ex- 

 pression of a patriarchal feeling : would that there had been 

 an appearance of less interested motives on the other! In 

 proof of the former, we have but to adduce a letter addressed 

 by Humboldt to General Hedemann, requesting that a piece of 

 ground near Kunth's resting-place in the park at Tegel might 

 be apportioned for the use of Seifert and his family ; while in 

 proof of the latter, there is only too much implied in the fol- 

 lowing note, written by Humboldt to the wife of his servant, on 

 April 5, 1859, about a month before his death: 1 'My dear 

 and very attentive Frair Seifert, I am sorry I can only offer 

 you so small a gift in acknowledgment of the extreme care with 

 which, amid failing health, you have never ceased to attend on 

 me. I hope soon to be able to offer you 500 thalers, which I 

 shall have earned by renewed exertions. With feelings of 

 grateful attachment and sincere esteem, yours, &c., A. HUM- 

 BOLDT.' In answer to the complaints that were every now and 

 then brought to Humboldt of the caprice evinced by Seifert in 

 admitting visitors, he was accustomed to remark, with a sigh, 

 upon the 6 tyranny ' under which he was held, but invariably 

 1 Communicated by the Seii'ert family, 



