364 Humboldt's Letters. 



yourself named. According to understanding, both of 

 us, I and the traveller, would consider ourselves entirely 

 free yet, and therefore observe due discretion on the 

 proper cause of this journey. 



Dante would have spoken still more truly if he had 

 said : " Yiver ch' e un correr a 1'eterna gioventu." You 

 prove it, for eternally your immortal spirit rejuvenates, 

 its excellence is also a proof of this. 



In grateful reverence and love, your faithfully most 

 submissive 



KARL ALEXANDER. 



VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. 



BERLIN, April *lth, 185t. 



TOUR Excellency's kind and very much desired com- 

 munications I forwarded in haste to that is to 



say, the substance of it. It is to be hoped that 



will start immediately, but I expect first to receive an 

 answer from him, and as I do not believe that in the 

 short time the Grand Duke has left him, he can make 

 the detour by way of Berlin, it will be best for him to 

 receive the letter of introduction in Weimar. 



The Grand Duke insists upon discretion, and justly so ! 





