OF BARON HUMBOLDT. 129 



enjoyed for a brief period the society of the 

 most noted men of the capital, and returned 

 soon again to Paris, in order to accelerate the 

 publication of his great work. It had long 

 been the wish of Wilhelm von Humboldt to 

 see his brother Alexander permanently esta- 

 blished in Berlin. Now he received a formal 

 invitation from the King of Prussia, who was 

 anxious to secure his society and scientific 

 counsel. It is, however, certain that it was 

 not the favour of this accomplished prince that 

 determined Baron Humboldt' s choice. It was 

 his brother Wilhelm, for whose society he 

 yearned, with whom he was united by more 

 than one tie, and from whom he had been so 

 long and constantly separated. After the ne- 

 cessary arrangements in Paris, he arrived in 

 Berlin, and his brother Wilhelm said already, in 

 a letter addressed to Gentz,* May 21st, 1827, 

 " Alexander is now permanently established 

 here; he is very active and cheerful, and we often 

 speak about you." Henceforth he lived in the 

 immediate society of the King, whom he ac- 

 companied on his varied journeys, and only for 



* The celebrated " Scliriftsteller - Staatsmann," this 

 writer-statesman -justly and happily so termed by Varn- 

 hagen von Ense. (See Edinburgh Review, January, 1863, 

 P- 44.) 



K 



