Humboldt's Letters. 273 



pied the principal portion of their lives with new 

 inventions, and with investigations into the elementary 

 powers of nature, are often totally indifferent to their 

 salvation or perdition in the world to come. Goethe, 

 Schiller, Wieland, and Kant, were all distinguished 

 characters and brilliant ideals, and in their walk and 

 conversation were more or less observant of what are 

 called the laws of morality, so as probably to abstain 

 from cards, nine-pins, playhouses, and dancing, but their 

 sphere of operations did not reach into eternity, and 

 the fate of their fellow-men in the other world their 

 salvation was of little interest to them." After launch- 

 ing into further sanctified regrets at the scarcity of true 

 godliness, and its absence even in princes and royal 

 chaplains, the writer continues : " The last King of 

 Prussia, and his truly royal Louise, had some know- 

 ledge of a state of regeneration, as well as the last 

 King of Sweden, the former French Marshal Bernadotte, 

 Prince of Ponte Corvo. A poor peasant was better 

 able to enlighten him on the means of salvation than 

 one of the first bishops of the Lutheran church. O, Sir 

 Privy Councillor, while I do full justice to your unble- 

 mished life, your high character as a statesman, and 

 your acquirements as a man of science; and while I 

 rejoice that Berlin ay, that Prussia may boast of such 

 a man as your Excellency, yet my joy would turn into 

 holy exultation if I should have the honor of seeing 

 12* 



