300 Humboldt's Letters. 



163. 



HUMBOLDT TO BETTINA YON ARNIM. 

 (Copied by Varnhagen.) 



BERLIN, July 8th, 1854. 



To what purpose, most gracious baroness, did the 

 Eternal shower down upon you, from the horn of plenty 

 that he so sparingly opens upon this miserable, sinful 

 earth, the bountiful gift of genius and the more precious 

 adornment of a noble heart, if you believe the absurd 

 gossip uttered " about those from whom I am separating 

 myself!" What you call your prophetic vision could 

 not alarm me, because the same double sight has fallen 

 to my lot ! Not a syllable of your book has the King 

 read or desired to have read to him, as I hear from 

 others ; I rarely attend in the evening, and have not 

 read to him for years. But how, my honored friend, 

 am I to gain his ear in this matter, when I never pro- 

 nounce the words Cathedral, Orchestra, Theatre, or 

 Concert Room, and never have heard of the existence 

 of a Central University Cathedral Building Association 

 at Bonn, or of a Board of Managers of the Berlin Asso- 

 ciation ? Such things are undoubtedly desirable ; but 

 even if those who are now called influential would advo- 



