56 



Crown Prince, in his absence of mind, seemed never to have reflected 

 that the illness of the King might bring about an important change 

 in affairs, the Minister, Yon Rochow, replied : ' You may depend 

 upon it he has thought of it, and has had a good many things ready 

 to bring forward, more particularly several regulations in respect of 

 Church matters, to which I shall feel myself obliged to offer the 

 strongest opposition.' " 



XLVI. 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



13th of April, 1840. 



The Crown Prince has expressly commissioned me, 

 my dear friend, to present you his thanks for so inter- 

 esting a communication. Count Alvensleben was pre- 

 sent. All considered the letter to reflect great honour 

 upon you and your description of the Congress,* and also 

 to be remarkable for its noble simplicity in the relation 

 of a memorable occurrence. f ' Et tout cela prouve que ma 

 fille est muette" and that one lets a talent like yours 

 (talent of advice, description, and well-tried worldly 

 wisdom) lie fallow, in order that one day, at your 

 death, as at my brother's, men may wonder and 

 lament that they had not earlier thought of employ- 

 ing you. " Cosi va il mondo." 



A. HT. 



I am thoroughly Quakerised. Mrs. Fry and William 

 Allen ; little sermons in gaols (the most horrible the 

 Quakeress, perhaps, had ever seen), and little tracts 

 against dram drinking. 



* The Congress of Vienna. TR. 



