84 



LXIII. 



HUMBOLDT TO YARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, 16th March, 1842. 



Pray make yourself quite easy about the mishap. 

 The King buys Italian pictures, but never French 

 ones. Cherubim's portrait is certainly very fine, and, 

 as far as I can remember, I saw it at Cherubini's own 

 house. As he is still alive, and Ingres * is very rich, 

 I do not comprehend how the portrait can be for sale. 

 Tell the intelligent " Child "f you gave me the 

 feuilleton. 



In the last number of the " Journal des Debats " 

 that has reached us, is a severe very good article about 

 the abominable Jew-law with which we are threatened, 

 and about which I have already expressed some very 

 strong language. 



Most gratefully yours, 

 Wednesday. A. HT. 



It was intended in the preamble of the law to speak 

 of that "miracle of God in preserving the Jewish 

 people amongst other nations, and of the will of Grod 

 in keeping that people in isolation/' To that I made 

 answer, "The law was opposed to all principles of 

 State policy, which aimed at the union of all classes ; 

 that it was a dangerous presumption in weak humanity 



* The distinguished painter, for many years Director of the French 

 Academy in Rome. He may be known to many persons in this country by 

 Calamatta's beautiful engraving of his Vceu de Louis XIII. Tn. 



f Bettina von Arnim. " Kind " is a Weimar coterie term, which was in 

 use among Goethe's set. It does not exactly mean "child," but rather " pet." 

 Bettina von Arnim, who was not exactly the most unaffected of ladies, 

 appropriated the word in publishing " Goethe's Correspondence with a 

 Child "meaning herself. TR. 



