86 Humboldt's Letters. 



Count Orloff and others, as a most remarkable produc- 

 tion. Humboldt also was astonished and delighted. 

 He showed me a letter which Prince Metternich 

 had addressed him, as to the position of several natu- 

 ralists at Vienna, and the presidency of the Archaeolo- 

 gical Society at Rome. Humboldt tells me of dark 

 tendencies of the Westphalian nobility, which the 

 Crown-Prince favors. They think of establishing a 

 great Catholic seminary for young noblemen a proper 

 nursery for Jesuits. On Humboldt's remarking that the 

 Crown-Prince, perhaps, out of absence of mind, had 

 not reflected on the important consequence of the 

 King's illness, Minister von Rochow made the follow- 

 ing reply : " Oh, certainly he has thought of it ! And 

 he has prepared various things, which he means then to 

 propose. But to his views and commands in ecclesias- 

 tical matters I should be highly opposed." 



40. 



April 13th, 1840. 



THE Crown-Prince has expressly charged me to offer 

 you, dear friend, his thanks for such an interesting com- 

 munication. Count Alvensleben was present. Every 

 one considered the letter a gratifying testimonial to 



