Humboldt's Letters. 63 



or to alter anything in this fine essay of yours, would 

 rob it both of its charm and vigor. You have written the 

 whole in the noblest mood; but there are points 

 (Reineke Fuehs, the relation to Frau von Humboldt), 

 which it is not pleasant to allude to just now. Since 

 you only demand of me to enumerate individual impres- 

 sions, I will give you these. Often they are merely 

 doubts. P. 5 : " Foreign to abstract thinking." The 

 term " Conservative philosophy" points, I believe, to 

 Kant, to whom he adhered most. He just believed that 

 metaphysics, ante-Hegelian, had been the chief study of 

 his youth. I only wished a more decided expression. 

 P. 6 : " In the proper sense not productive." Philosophy 

 of language according to entirely new views, genius of 

 antiquity, treating of history, deep understanding of 

 poetry in all these branches he produced nothing that 

 was not of importance. P. 8 : u Style all ice ;" make it 

 somewhat milder. You do it yourself (p. 30), where 

 the word "warms." P. 13 : "Thus the call is soon 

 decided, and the name is Mephistopheles or Reineke." 

 One would wish the two significant names left out, since 

 all is said before in the happiest, liveliest style. " Me- 

 phistopheles" reminds one of Duke Charles. 



P. 14. The question about tender feeling, and the 

 saying of Talleyrand, which I did not know before, and 

 which can have a sense only by secondary relations of 

 political irresolution, are not agreeable. "C'etait un 



