Humboldt's Letters. 281 



154. 



HTTMBOLDT TO YARNHAGEN. 



BERLIN, September Id, 1853. 



A THOUSAND pardons for troubling you in suffer- 

 ing! I have adopted every suggestion, taken every 

 hint. But I should like also to insert the reflection you 

 made in regard to p. 6. Would you approve of the 

 following interpolation : " A long sojourn at Rome, and 

 perhaps a lively interest in certain epochs of Italian 

 poetry, appear to have imbued my brother with a par- 

 ticular preference for a little lyric form, which, if melody 

 is not to be sacrificed, closely fetters the thought, but 

 which he handled with a freedom, the result of intention 

 and confidence." Or would you have it, "which he 

 freely handled with the confidence of a clear intention," 

 or, " which he handled with a freedom of which he was 

 perfectly conscious ?" " When the poet, urged by his 

 realistic and individual peculiarity, felt most keenly the 

 desire of welding ideas into the flood of sentiment." 



Be good enough to return me your MS., which is a 

 treasure of critical research. 



Very thankfully, yours, HUMBOLDT. 





