i o Humboldt's Letters. 



King. When he met Bunsen here he expressed himself 

 in the same way, arguing in forcible but fruitless lan- 

 guage. Bunsen, who talked with him with great interest 

 on Egypt for two hours, did not answer a word, but rose 

 and went away. Humboldt believes him vain enough to 

 accept a ministry. It seems to me that Humboldt is 

 much too familiar with Bunsen, and shows him too 

 much friendship. The Queen, says Humboldt, has no 

 Catholic tendencies ; on the contrary, she is an arch- 

 Protestant, and even more of a fanatic than the King 

 himself, whom she is constantly urging in this direction. 

 She would have more influence if she better understood 

 the management of matters. 



In the evening Humboldt sent me the work : l Russie, 

 Allemagne et France,' par M. Fournier, Paris, 1844, 

 with a very amiable letter, inclosing eighteen precious 

 autographs by Arago, Metternich, Peel, Stanley, Reca- 

 mier, Balzac, Prescott, Brunei, Herschel, Bresson, 

 Helene d' Orleans, Duchesse de Dino, and four confi- 

 dential good-humored notes of the King. A brilliant 

 present !" 



