Humboldt's Letters. 259 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



POTSDAM, November 4fh, 1849. 



WHAT pleasure you have given me, dear friend, by so 

 agreeable a communication from England! But on 

 account of my brother's memory, and in order to reply 

 to those who calumniate me for remaining at this court, 

 I am very anxious to see my response to the deputies of 

 Potsdam correctly printed in a liberal journal. I would 

 like to send it to the " Constitutionelle Zeitung," which 

 has not yet mentioned the subject. I have no copy, 

 however nothing but the bit of paper I sent you. 

 Have the goodness to send it back to me soon. 



How important is the news from Paris ! The forward 

 one may attain the consulate for life (to which the 

 words duree et stdbilite. seem to refer) ; but he will fall, 

 nevertheless, and awake the sleeping lion. Liberty 

 will lose nothing by it, and the German statesmen (are 

 there any such besides Herr von Gagern ?) will then 

 understand, that in the centre of Europe is the France of 

 1789, the same, about the nullity of which so many sar- 

 casms have been uttered. The centres of gravity change. 



With cordial friendship, yours, A. HT. 



SUNDAY. 



