224 LOUIS AG AS SI z. 



Here is the beginning of a list. I think 

 the Department of the Mines de Province will 

 take three or four more copies. We have not 

 their answer yet. Do not be frightened at the 

 brevity of the list. ... I am, however, the 

 least apt of all men in collecting subscriptions, 

 seeing no one but the court, and forced to be 

 out of town three or four days in the week. 

 On account of this same inaptitude, I beg you 

 to send me, through the publisher, only my 

 own three copies, and to address the others, 

 through the publisher also, to the individuals 

 named on the list, merely writing on each copy 

 that the person has subscribed on the list of 

 M. de Humboldt. 



With all my affection for you, my dear 

 friend, it would be impossible for me to take 

 charge of the distribution of your numbers 

 or the returns. The publishing houses of 

 Dummler or of Humblot and Dunker would 

 be useful to you at Berlin. I find it difficult 

 to believe that you will navigate successfully 

 among these literary corsairs 1 I have had a 

 short eulogium of your work inserted in the 

 Berliner Staats-Zeitung. You see that I do 

 not neglect your interests, and that, for love 

 of you, I even turn journalist. You have 

 omitted to state in your prospectus whether 



