Humboldt's Letters. 1 47 



much the charming gift. It is a group full of grace and 

 sweetness of composition ; it is heaven reflected in 

 earthly love. The King instantly guessed it to be the 

 work of those young fairies, Bettina's cygnets, and would 

 like to offer his thanks. 



A. v. HT. 



Privatissime. I expressed some doubts about that 

 hieroglyph distinguishing the male swan from the fe- 

 male. The King thinks me, however, quite " arriere" as 

 to the changes which art-life has made in modern educa- 

 tion. 



NOTE BY YARNHAGEN. Bettina von Arnim had given me a deli- 

 cate and beautifully executed drawing, representing a naked girl and 

 a naked lad standing under a tree, in the foliage of which a nightin- 

 gale is singing, which she requested me to send anonymously to Mr. 

 v. Humboldt, asking him to present it also anonymously to the King as 

 a New Year's present. The nakedness of the male figure might in- 

 deed appear rather shocking, although it would have been pardonable 

 in one like Bettina, but that the King could suppose it the work of her 

 daughters is rather too strong, unless by this pretence he meant to 

 convey a rallying correction to Bettina. 



On the 1st of April, 1844, Varuhagen wrote in his 

 diary: "After a long interruption, a visit from Hum- 

 boldt at last. He told me all that occupies his mind. 

 He is striving to do what he can, but this is not much, 



