OF BARON HUMBOLDT. 45 



knowledge ; this first perception of nature, 

 with isolated objects, and the presentiment of 

 the internal combination of phenomena, as a 

 whole- a cosmos. Only in a more advanced 

 stage in the development of the mental life of 

 mankind, this mere presentiment of the abso- 

 lute unity of all things and all phenomena 

 became a recognised fact. The intelligent 

 imagination of a Plato, a Columbus, and a 

 Kepler pointed to the goal which exact science 

 subsequently reached in different ways. This 

 gradual consciousness of humanity has been 

 the means by which the ideas of the unity of 

 all phenomena in the universe became pos- 

 sible and more extended. This result is due, 

 according to Humboldt, first, " to the indepen- 

 dent efforts of the human mind to perceive and 

 comprehend the laws of nature, to the contem- 

 plation of the phenomena of nature; secondly, 

 to the historical events, which suddenly ex- 

 panded the horizon of observations; and, 

 lastly, to the invention of telescopes, micro- 

 scopes, and instruments for scientific observa- 

 tions in general. These new and improved 

 organs brought mankind not only in closer 

 connection with various objects of the earth, 

 but with the remotest space, and perfected 

 and multiplied our physical perceptions." 



