Humboldt's Letters. 113 



and thirdly, a myth or historical novellette ; which last 

 becomes the most important of all. I enclose the pam- 

 phlet of Baron Seckendorf. He also calls for a " repre- 

 sentation," namely the " re puro," the incarnation of the 

 people, all explained in philosophical terms. It. must be 

 acceptable, for without being assured of this he would 

 not have dared to publish it. Such people must not be 

 left in doubt about our real opinions. I told him (he is 

 vice-president) that I would read his essay attentively, 

 although our political principles on popular constitutions 

 differed very much. 



The political atmosphere is to me thick, dark, and 

 foreboding. 



With the same old attachment, yours, 



A. v. HUMBOLDT. 



On the 2d of December, the day before the above 

 letter, Varnhagen wrote in his diary : " Humboldt 

 called yesterday. Talked about Paris. How he finds 

 things here. He thinks seriously of retiring. He 

 knows that his name alone is of any value to the King, 

 and that his active usefulness has long been superseded 

 by that of others. Thiers told him, in Paris, that 

 France is much talked about as being revolutionary ; 

 but he thought Prussia was pretty well agitated, too. 

 A letter from Guizot to Humboldt spoke much in praise 

 of the King ; and when Humboldt read it to him, and 



