53 



chronometers, and as he died of a comet (the night 

 Galli discovered his), it came to pass that the Danish 

 astronomers feared for their heavenly trade under an 

 earthly (subterranean) king. I was asked to take ad- 

 vantage of the favour which of old was evinced for 

 me. I therefore sought for a pretext which I never did 

 before, of offering my congratulations on his accession. 

 This is the occasion of the black drama. The letter 

 is simple and intelligent. 



A. HT. 



Eead M. Quinet* (the passage on Goethe and Bet- 

 tina), and return me the poison. 



XLIV. 



KING CHRISTIAN VIII. OF DENMARK TO HUMBOLDT. 



Copenhague, ce 13 Janvier, 1840. 



Monsieur le Baron de Humboldt ! Parmi les lettres 

 particulieres qui me sont parvenues depuis mon avene- 

 ment au trone, aucune ne m'a fait un plus sensible 

 plaisir que celle que vous m'avez adressee sous la date 

 du 17 Decembre. Votre souvenir a le plus grand 

 prix pour moi, et je me rappelle avec un bien grand 

 interet les entretiens que j'ai eus avec vous, Monsieur 

 le Baron, a Paris, il y a deja nombre d'annees, mais 

 depuis vous avez enrichi les sciences de nouvelles 

 recherches et la Siberie exploitee par vous, comme 



head quarters in the campaign of 1815, and afterwards, during the occupa- 

 tion of the Allies, for five months Governor of Paris ; in 1841, President of 

 the Privy Council. TR. 



* Edgard Quinet, a French poet, published, in 1839, a work under the 

 title of " Allemagne et Italic," betraying, in some passages, a great hostility 

 to Germany. TR. 



