I 



XIV PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. 



after his death ; nay, tliat he not only sanctioned 

 it, but that he felt greatly interested and desirous 

 himself that their instructive contents should be 

 brought to the cognizance of the public amongst 

 whom he had lived, soon after his death. 



Ample proof of this intention occurs all through 

 the book. I will content myself with quoting a few 

 passages only. In the letter of 28th January, 1856, 

 (p. 246), it is said: "I hand over to you, my dear 

 friend, as your own, Madame de Quitzow," (nick- 

 name for Princess Lieven, see letters CLXIX. and 

 CLXXIL). 



When Humboldt says in the protest, " I contest the 

 alleged right, even of those who by chance or pur- 

 chase have got possession of confidential letters," and 

 on the other hand declares, in the passage quoted just 

 now, that he was depositing the letter in Varnhagen's 

 hands, " as his own" just as he says in the letter of 

 December 7th, 1841, " you may deal as you please 

 with such property" there is ample and irresistible 

 proof of how little that protest applies to the letters 

 sent to Varnhagen, as it could never have occurred 

 to Humboldt to speak of an alleged right, where he 

 had granted the right of property himself, and in 

 explicit terms. 



On the 1st April, 1844, Humboldt writes to 

 Varnhagen, (p. 110): " What I in my Careless conceit 

 destroy is saved in your hands." Humboldt, we may 

 gather from this, wished himself that these instruc- 

 tive documents should be preserved for the benefit of 



