Humboldt's Letters. 1 27 



the preface, and then I should become responsible for 

 a great many things which I dread. 



Pardon the stercoran-like* loquacity. A. HT. 



NOTE BY YARXHAGEN. He probably had just read of the Ster- 

 coranists in Strauss's " Glaubenslehre." Hence this allusion. 



G5. 



HUMBOLDT TO YARNHAGEN. 



THUESDAY, 31st March, 1842. 



On my return from Potsdam with the King I received 

 the " Loa-Tseu," a work with a peculiar flavor of ante- 

 Herodotian antiquity. Your note accompanying the 

 Chinese philosopher impresses me painfully. I find that 

 you have not yet received the courage arising from a 

 consciousness of restored physical strength. That the 

 vigor of your intellect never suffered is shown in each 

 of your letters. I think I have not lost any of them. 

 About a week ago I wrote you a long one of four pages 

 about that " Christianly-dogmatising philosopher," and 

 my reply to the inquiries of the " Biographer," who 

 pestered me with his pietistic curiosity. Did that letter 

 come to hand safely ? It contained also much chit-chat 



* The Sterooranists axe those who believe that the Host is subject 

 to digestion. Tr. 



