Humboldt's Letters. 341 



which was able to direct one of its eyes upwards, and 

 at the same time the other downwards ; that our 

 parsons only were able to do the same, with one eye 

 directed to heaven and the other to the good things of 

 this world. We talked of Neufchatel too ; he said that 

 the King was full of good hopes, and counted upon 

 Louis Bonaparte ; that Manteuffel did not see things in 

 such a favorable light, but made merry of them. The 

 Russian Chancellor, Graf von ISTesselrode, said to Hum- 

 boldt on his last visit, that the present constitution and 

 position of Switzerland made the best impression on 

 him, and were such as to win esteem and favor for the 

 republic. 



188. 

 HUMBOLDT TO VAENHAGEN. 



BERLIN, November 30$, 1856. 

 ESTEEMED FKIEXD: 



AT this moment I receive a letter from a pupil, 

 deserving of moderate praise for clearness of thought 

 and diction. I shall not write before having first come 

 to see you, my dear friend. The last fifteen lines of the 

 letter are utterly illegible and unintelligible to me. I had 

 written to him about the laying of the telegraph cable 

 between Ireland and Newfoundland, but had not made 

 him any offer. I cannot read what is underscored! 



