332 Humboldt's Letters. 



not find me yesterday, although he drove up and down 

 the Maurenstrasse, and made several inquiries, would 

 be incomprehensible if the servants of a Court were not 

 a very peculiar fraternity. It is nearly thirty years that 

 I have resided in the largest house in the street, which 

 the Grand Duke himself has entered in visiting Prince 

 Wilhelm of Baden. To-day, however, he arrived punc- 

 tually at eight o'clock, was very pleasant and aifable, 

 spoke with a good deal of frankness and much cordiality, 

 and mentioned your Excellency with great esteem and 

 gratitude. His real errand did not appear until his 

 visit came to a close ; in referring him to me, your 

 Excellency has done me great honor, but you have also 

 involved me in no inconsiderable perplexity. The affair 

 is of great importance, and may lay the foundation for 

 the happiness of a worthy man ; the wish itself is credi- 

 table to the Grand Duke, and it will give me great 

 pleasure in any way to subserve his noble purpose. I 

 shall take it into consideration, and, if a result is attain- 

 able, shall respectfully submit it to your Excellency. 

 At the first blush, I named young H., which, however, 

 led to nothing, the Grand Duke doubting the extent 

 of his acquaintance with the French language. The 

 visit lasted nearly an hour, and much that was said 

 was remarkable; my share in the conversation must 

 have been unpleasant, at least the physical part of it, 

 which is entirely ruined and quite unintelligible from 



