Huraboldt's Letters. 195 



rimental science is therefore to ascend to the existence 

 of the laws, and progressively to generalise the same. 

 Whatever lies beyond is no object for physical demon- 

 stration, it belongs to another order of more elevated 

 speculations. Imraanuel Kant, one of the few philoso- 

 phers whom no one has yet accused of impiety, has, with 

 rare sagacity, indicated the limits of physical explana- 

 tion in his renowned Essai sur la Theorie et la Construc- 

 tion des Cieux. Koenigsberg, 1755. 



The conduct of the aldermen is very praiseworthy. 

 It is a pleasure, and a miracle at the same time, to 

 encounter such a degree of public spirit among men 

 differing so much in intellect and culture of mind. It 

 is hatred concentrated against the same object, but it 

 only appears so on the outside. 



I confess that I am wrong to have not yet answered 

 so excellent a man as the author of "The Religious 

 Poetry of the Jews in Spain.'' I first wanted to read the 

 book, and the terror of having reached the age of 

 seventy-six years on the 14th of September, has plunged 

 me so deeply in my " Kosmos," that duties otherwise 

 sacred to me have been neglected. I shall call person- 

 ally on Mr. Sachs, and beg you to excuse me to him in 

 advance; as to justifying myself, that is out of the 

 question. 



Most respectfully, yours, 



A. v. HUMROLDT. 



