79 



revolutionary France, but it appears to me that Prussia is in a pretty 

 state of commotion too!' In a letter from Guizot to Humboldt 

 much was said in praise of the King. Humboldt showed it to him. 

 When they came to the word succes the King cried, ' Good 

 God! things look but poorly in that quarter. The less we say 

 about that the better !' Humboldt finds in fact that the tone of 

 public feeling here has become alarmingly low. The King has ene- 

 mies even in the highest circles. Minister Eichhorn is universally 

 hated, and cuts a wretched figure at Court. There seems no longer 

 to be any doubt about Bunsen's going to England as our Ambassador. 

 Count Stolberg is about the only one who openly depreciates Bun- 

 sen. Humboldt makes merry with Bunsen's sanctimonious little tract, 

 'Passion Week."' 



On December 3rd, 1841, Yarnhagen remarks: "I have just re- 

 ceived a note from Humboldt. He sends me a pamphlet of President 

 von Seckendorf, in which ' a Constitution is demanded, to wit, the 

 re puro, the incarnation of the people.' He adds : ' It must be 

 popular ; indeed, but for a shrewd suspicion on his part that it would 

 be so he would never have had it printed.' At the end he says, in 

 deep melancholy, ' How murky and oppressive is the atmosphere in 

 this the evening of my life !' Hard to be Humboldt, and yet obliged 

 to speak thus, on the pinnacle of honour and in the fullness of 

 fame. There is in truth little that can be a source of pleasure to 

 him, and nothing but his satirical vivacity makes life at this place 

 in any degree tolerable to him." 



LXL 



HUMBOLDT TO VAKNHAGEN. 



Berlin, Monday night, Dec. 7th, 1841. 



I have no time, my dear friend, for writing to thank 

 you for your talented representation of Schwerin's* life 

 a work of solid historical worth. A thoroughly ap- 



* " Loben des Feldmarschalls Grafen von Schwerin." 8vo. Berlin. 1841. 



