Humboldt's Letters. 269 



philological learning, but very moderate in his love of 

 liberty. What he says of his first impression, is a 

 pretty impudent expression of this moderation. He 

 also was seized with a marvellous dread of coming 

 events. My opinion has always been that the wildest 

 republic cannot do so much and such enduring harm to 

 the intellectual progress of mankind, and to their con- 

 sciousness of right and honor, as le regime de mon 

 oncle, le despotisme eclaire^ dogmatique, mitteux, which 

 applies all the arts of civilization to subject a people to 

 the caprices of an individual. Read, to increase your 

 abhorrence of such degradation, which threatens to 

 spread like a pestilence, in the " Journal des Debats" of 

 this morning (February 3d), the reasons for drawing up 

 a list of recommendations of those who might be elected 

 (according to the " Constitutional)." The " Spenersche 

 Zeitung " of yesterday did not fail to follow suit with a 

 communication in favor of a similar set of proposals for 

 our second chamber ! 



I hope soon to procure for you the Histoire de 1'Aca- 

 demie (by Bartholmess). I have made many vain efforts 

 to advance the interests of Professor F.'s widow. 



Your most attached, 



A. HUMBOLDT. 



