2O Humboldt's Letters. 



a. 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



BERLIN, April 15th, 1828. 

 yon allow me to disturb you for some moments 

 between 2 and 3 o'clock this afternoon, that I may ask 

 your literary opinion? My book shall bear the title: 

 " Sketch of a Physical Description of the World." 



I should like to embody in the title itself the occasion 

 of these lectures, so as to make it understood at onoe 

 that the book contains more and something else than 

 the lectures. " From reminiscences of lectures in the 

 years 1827 and 1828, by A. v.Humboldt," is considered, 

 I am told, ridiculous and pretending. I do not insist on 

 it ; but " Souvenirs d'un cours de Physique du monde,'' 

 or, " Souvenirs d'un voyage en Perse," seemed simple 

 enough. How shall I arrange the title of the book ? 

 " Sketch of the Physical World, elaborated from lec- 

 tures by A. v. H. ; or, " Partly treated from Lectures ? 

 All that seems rather awkward. Adverbs will not do 

 for titles. What if I add in small type : " A part of 

 this work has been the subject of lectures in the years 

 1827 and 1828?" This is, however, rather long and 



