234 Humboldt's Letters. 



Philip IT." has interested you and obtained approval so 

 distinguished as that of your King. The applause of a 

 Prince, of so great genius and learning, who ranks 

 among the most acute and most infallible of literary 

 critics, could not be otherwise than of the greatest value 

 to me. To make the book which was honored with 

 this august approbation worthier of it, may I ask you, my 

 dear and most illustrious colleague, to offer the work in 

 the new form, more complefe and more elaborate, which 

 I have just given to it, to your sovereign ? This is a 

 respectful act of homage, which the King of Prussia, by 

 the expression of his kind satisfaction, has encouraged 

 me to render, and for which your goodness to me will 

 obtain, I am very sure, a gracious reception. 



I take also the liberty of sending to you, for your own 

 library, a copy of this new edition. Documents, hitherto 

 unknown and very curious, which have enabled me to 

 exhibit the designs of Don John of Austria, the murder 

 of Escovedo, and the disgrace of Perez, in their true 

 light, make the first edition imperfect. 



But I must hasten to speak of the first volume of 

 Kosmos, which you sent me, and in which you have so 

 admirably shown, if I may use one of your beautiful 

 sentences, " the order of the universe and the magnifi- 

 cence of the order." I read the book with the greatest 

 pleasure and advantage. It is an exposition, full of the 

 most absorbing grandeur, of the phenomena and laws 



