Humboldt's Letters. 401 



part of the " dear youth in age," of the " worthy Nestor 

 of all living men of Science," Vecchio della montagna, 

 becomes extremely irksome, though there be in the 

 neighborhood of the Netze, a maiden whom the Nestor 

 is to establish for life at Tegel, because the place is so 

 near to Berlin, that on the slightest hint she can hasten 

 to the city to close my eyes. 



With the most faithful friendly esteem, 

 Tours, 



A. v. HUMBOLDT. 



My wicked friend Lasalle Heraclitus the Obscure 

 has been expelled by the Prince of Prussia and Illaire,* 

 in spite of all my intercession, and in spite of the pro- 

 mises made to me. They led me to hope that after a 

 few weeks (the election being over) the Obscure would 

 return to Pythagoras, the more obscure. What a dis- 

 pensation of justice ! 



NOTE BY YARNHAGEN. Iwan Golowin had asked Humboldt's per- 

 mission to dedicate to him a Russian drama entitled Rovira, and 

 when Humboldt assented in a hasty French note, he inserted a fac- 

 simile of the note into the book. 



* Not quite exact, in so far as M. Westphalen, the minister, carried 

 this point in the absence of the parties named, and, as afterwards 

 appeared, without their knowledge. 



