Humboldt's Letters. 351 



wife, who enjoyed good health for forty years in a 

 very happy marriage. I live to bury all my kith 

 and kin. 



Yours, A. v. H. 



WEDNESDAY EVENING. 



104. 



CHARLES ALEXANDER, GRAND DUKE OF SAXE-WEIMAR, 

 TO HUMBOLDT. 



WEIMAR, December 16^, 1856. 



LIKE unto Nature, eternally invoked, eternally giving, 

 because eternally bountiful, you respond with ever 

 returning goodness to every repeated solicitation. The 

 proposal of your Excellency in regard to the young man 

 of science, as suggested by the plan of M. de Yarnhagen, 

 is so excellent, that I can only beg for its speedy execu- 

 tion. For that purpose, it would seem desirable that 

 M. de Varnhagen should instil the idea into the young 

 men that our plentiful archives would repay a thorough 

 search, if I could be induced to sanction it. I would do 

 so at once, permitting the material part to follow here- 

 after. The period beginning with February of next 

 year would seem to me best adapted for the literary 

 investigation. The real object of the journey should 



