132 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



of matter," was the greatest comfort to the dying 

 astronomer. 



During all these busy twenty years he had honors 

 heaped upon him. He was offered the position of 

 Ambassador to Vienna, but declined. He accom- 

 panied the King of Prussia to England in 1814, 

 and was with him at the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle 

 and at the Congress of Verona. 



Busy as he was, he seemed to find time to be- 

 friend everybody, especially young men. Liebig 

 says in the preface of his work dedicated to Hum- 

 boldt: "During my residence in Paris, I gave a 

 course of lectures at the Academy in the winter of 

 1823-4, upon an analytic investigation of Howard's 

 fulminating mercury and silver my first effort 

 in the field of science. 



"At the close of the sitting of March 22, 1824, 

 while busy packing up my apparatus, a gentleman 

 came up to me from among a group of academi- 

 cians, and entered into conversation. In the most 

 winning manner, he made inquiry as to the objects 

 of my study, my present occupations, and the 

 plans I had laid for the future. We separated 

 without my knowing to whom I was indebted for 

 this kind expression of interest, for my shyness 

 and inexperience had not allowed me to make the 

 inquiry. 



"This conversation laid the foundation of my 

 future career, for I thus acquired a kind friend 

 and a powerful patron in my scientific undertak- 

 ings. . . . 



