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letting in upon us the light which, down to the present 

 moment has been dreaded like a spectre. Bruno 

 [Bauer]* has found me pre-adamitically converted. 

 When I was young the Court Clergy held opinions much 

 the same. The one who confirmed me said, that the 

 Evangelists had made a variety of notes, from which 

 in later times biographies had been romanced (gedich- 

 tet). Many years ago I wrote: "Toutes les religions 

 positives offrent trois parties distinctes ; un traite de 

 moeurs partout le meme et tres pur, un reve geolo- 

 gique, et un my the ou petit roman historique, 

 le dernier element obtient le plus d'importance." 

 I send Baron Seckendorf's book. He is also in favour 

 of a Constitution, to wit the " re puro," in whom the 

 people are - incarnate in a philosophical sense, of 

 course. It must be popular ; indeed, but for a shrewd 

 suspicion on his part that it would, he would never 

 have printed it. We should never allow such persons 

 to be in any doubt as to our own sentiments. I have 

 replied to him in his capacity of Yice-President, that I 

 should read his book with attention, widely as our views 

 differed with respect to popular representation. How 

 murky and oppressive is the atmosphere in this the 

 evening of my life. 



With unaltered attachment, your 



A. v. HUMBOLDT. 



The day before the date of the above letter (December 2nd, 1841), 

 Yarnhagen wrote in his Diary: " Humboldt with me yesterday. 

 Accounts from Paris. "What he thinks of aifairs here. He thinks 

 seriously of retiring. He knows very well that it is his name only 

 that weighs with the King, that his influence is far exceeded by 

 others. Thiers said to him. in Paris, ' People talk so much about 



* Bruno Bauer, one of the most daring Biblical exegetists of the day. TR. 



