132 



interrupted the King ; ' this was not the work of the Minister of 

 Instruction, but of the Minister of Enlightenment. That's quite 

 another person from the Minister of Instruction.' Humboldt, with- 

 out being put out, accepted the correction by hastily adding, ' Not 

 the Minister of Instruction then, but of the contrary ;' and then 

 continued in his usual way." 



The following piece is still finer : " General Leopold von Gerlach, 

 who cannot leave off teasing, lately ventured to make an attack on 

 Humboldt by saying to him, ' I suppose your Excellency often goes 

 to church now ;' he hoped thereby to put him in a dilemma. But 

 Humboldt answered at once, ' That now of yours is very kindly put 

 in : you mean to point out to me how to make my way in the world.' 

 The canting jester was regularly dumbfounded !" 



A subsequent passage of the 26th December, 1 845, depicts still more 

 vividly the attacks to which Humboldt was exposed. Yarnhagen 

 writes : " Humboldt paid me a visit, and remained more than an hour. 

 He made a remarkable communication to me. He assures me that but 

 for his connection with the Court he should not be able to live here. 

 So much was he hated by the Ultras and the Pietists that he would 

 be exiled. The pains they took daily to prejudice the King against 

 him were incredible ; and he would be as little tolerated in other 

 German States were he once to be deprived of the protection 

 afforded him by the prestige of his office." 



XCIII. 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, Sept. 19th, 1844. 



Are you in spirits just now, my dear friend, for a 

 few minutes' conversation on the present state of 

 Trench literature ? I venture to recommend to your 

 notice a young French novelist, M. Jousserandot, from 

 the Franche-Comte, with a large amount of beard, and 

 kindly and innocent vivacity, son of a rich physician, 



