Humboldt's Letters. 205 



did not talk to me about it. Send back the little sheet. 

 I am at work, not without success, I believe, at the 

 Kosmos, but in a sad mood respecting the public cause. 

 Your news from England is very interesting. 

 With the most cordial friendship, 



Yours, 

 SUNDAY. A. v. HUMBOLDT. 



109. 



HUMBOLDT TO VAENHAGEN. 



BERLIN, March 30 to, 1846. 



I SEND you again some autographs of little import, 

 ten in number, of Villemain, Bessel, Victor Hugo, 

 Rueckert (of whom you have plenty of autographs), 

 Manzoni (full of praise for me, but in bad style), 

 Thiers, Widow of Lucien Bonaparte, three billets de 

 matin of the Duchesse d'Orleans. I add to these fugi- 

 tive sheets a letter from me to the King, which I beseech 

 and implore you not to show to any one, and to send 

 back to-morrow, because I might have use for it. You 

 shall have the letter afterwards. It sometimes happens 

 that the King, instead of a billet de matin, writes his 

 answer on my letter. This happened yesterday. The 



