go Humboldt's Letters. 



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The man, whom I never knew personally, was raised by 

 the great events of his time and not by himself. Strange 

 enough that the government attached to him in these 

 latter days, in the evening of his life, an importance not 

 arising merely from a simple love of justice. 



Since you like everything individual, I shall answer 

 your kindness with another very small one. I make 

 you a present of a letter of Guizot, which he wrote to 

 me to Koenigsberg, not without design. The under- 

 lining belongs to me, as you would guess yourself. I 

 showed the letter to the King. It was written when 

 the Belgian (the King of Belgium), Bulow, and Guizot 

 had been in Windsor, and when his affairs looked pro- 

 mising, as they do now again, as Thiers at once shows 

 himself so weak and yielding, and Palmerston so dog- 

 matical and defying. But do not let the letter out of 

 your hands. 



For the news about the brothers Grimm I thank you 

 most cordially. It is very important to me to keep 

 " au courant" with the course of passing events. In the 

 months during which I lived on the " historical hill,"* 

 I moved uncontrolled in the same direction, though 

 surrounded by conflicting elements. 



Respecting the brothers Grimm, the King had given 

 orders to others, not to me ; but up to the return from 



* Sans Souci, the King's residence near Potsdam. Translator. 



