Humboldt's Letters. 339 



pray today that you will not come ; I hear with sorrow 

 that you suffer much. The great picture of Hildebrandt 

 remains yet a long time in my house. Every later day 

 will also be useful to me. I only beg of you that you 

 will kindly announce to me the day, beforehand, on 

 which I may expect you. Choose the twelfth hour, 

 under any circumstances, because I am sure to be free 

 then. I also am in a condition in which I desire to run 

 out of my skin.* As an old man, I suffer as from 

 musquito bites ; and moreover, a hyper-christian, Mr. 

 Foster (living at Brussels), consults me from time to 

 time, whether I believe that the souls of the lower ani- 

 mals, such as bed-bugs and musquitoes, are included in 

 the scheme of salvation, and destined to go to heaven. 

 So they threaten me up there too, where I shall find the 

 animal souls, well known to me from the Orinoco, 

 chanting a hymn of praise. 



In old friendship, yours, 



A. v. HUMBOLDT. 



FRIDAY. 



And the disgraceful party which sells negro children, 

 and distributes canes of honor, as the Russian Emperor 

 does swords of honor, and Graefe's noses of honor, who 

 prove that all white workmen should rather be slaves 

 than free have succeeded. What a crime ! 



* A German proverbial expression for feeling very uncomfortable. 

 Tr. 



