Humboldt's Letters. 99 



boldt, whether the minister has given no intimation 

 of it." 



On the 30th April, 1841, Varnhagen says: " Humboldt 

 has a great many enemies, as well amongst the savans 

 as at court, who are constantly seeking an opportunity 

 to malign him, but the moment he is praised all vitupera- 

 tion ceases for it is all vituperation. It is seldom that 

 anybody is able to maintain it. Some time ago a gentle- 

 man said to me, that he did not know what to think of 

 Humboldt, and that he could not come to a conclusion 

 concerning him. I answered : ' Think always the best 

 of him, believe him always capable of the best action, 

 and you always will be nearest the truth.' Another 

 said, same day, sneeringly: 'Humboldt was a great 

 man before he came to Berlin, where he became an 

 ordinary one.' Moritz Robert remarked that Rahel 

 had already said several times : c Nothing holds its 

 ground in Berlin, everything has a downward tendency ; 

 indeed, if the Pope himself came to Berlin, he would not 

 continue long to be Pope, he would sink into the ' com- 

 monplace,' down perhaps to the standard of a groom.' 

 What Rahel said is true, and I remember that she said 

 so, but had made no note of it. This peculiarity of 

 Berlin ought to be examined closer ; it indicates a strong 

 stratum of undeveloped greatness, and may, when posi- 

 tively brought forth to a point, bring the highest 

 honor on Berlin; but if allowed to act negatively, it 



