104 



That "St. Simonism" was the invention of a 

 Prussian man of business tickles me immensely. As 

 it touches the honour of Kb'nigsberg, I pass it over 

 here in silence. 



LXXIV. 



HUMBOLDT TO THE PRINCE OF PRUSSIA. 



Berlin, December 2dth, 1843. 



Your Koyal Highness, I hasten humbly to inform 

 you that the box containing the Universal Astrometer, 

 the joint invention of Lieut. D. and H. v. A , to- 

 gether with your gracious commands, have reached me 

 safely. I shall of course do everything with reference 

 to this matter that your Eoyal Highness may desire. 

 Both gallant officers have already, in a letter dated 

 Temesvar, 13th December of this year, reported the 

 arrival of the instrument, with this very naive ad- 

 dition, "that I might procure for both inventors a 

 military decoration from His Majesty the King, the 

 Universal Physician of all Arts and Sciences." 



But that the Universal Doctor should prescribe just 

 this universal physic, will require a few lines to be 

 written to His Majesty by these gentlemen themselves. 

 The so-called Universal Astrometers were in great 

 repute in the Middle Ages, but, in the present state of 

 astronomy, they are not used in any observatory, 

 the observer making his own calculations. Self- 

 registering instruments of this sort are therefore only 

 likely to be recommended for reward in case of their 

 inventors being brought into immediate contact with 

 the monarch. The King adheres to this rule even in 

 the case of books, no written acknowledgment of 



