194 Humboldt's Letters. 



to arrange the manner of Buelow's discharge from 

 calling on you, I have thought best to send you, dear 

 friend, the little sheet, under envelope. My reason 

 for quoting this prophecy is, the general state of public 

 affairs, which provokes my highest indignation. Every 

 day discloses something worse. The future looks 

 gloomy and menacing, the greatest carelessness pre- 

 vails. 



I have just returned from Tegel, where the Buelows 

 would be very happy to see you. They beg especially 

 that you will gratify them next winter by frequent calls 

 at their town residence. 



In the " Westminster Review" a certain Dr. Cross says, 

 the style of Kosmos is lengthened, and very indifferent ; 

 the frequent reflection on sentiment was deemed very 

 superfluous by English savnns such a book did not con- 

 tain any thing new. Then follows the denunciation of 

 Atheism, although " creation" and the " created world" 

 are never lost sight of in the book. And did I not, only 

 eight months ago, in the French translation, say, in the 

 plainest terms : It is this necessity of things, this occult 

 but permanent connexion, this periodical return in the 

 progress, development of formation, phenomena, and 

 events, which constitute Nature submissive to a control- 

 ling power. Physics, as the name itself implies, can 

 only deduce the phenomena of the physical world 

 from the properties of matter ; the highest aim of expe- 



