137 



I inclose, for preservation, a beautiful letter from 

 Prince Metternich, to whom I paid a visit at Johan- 

 nisberg ; a letter from Lord Stanley,* the Minister, and 

 two letters from Jules Janin and Spontini. 



With a book for the Countess of Stolberg. 



XCVIII. 



METTERNICH TO HUMBOLDT. 



Vienna, June 21st, 1845. 



My dear Baron, Inclosed you receive my voting- 

 paper for our future colleague. I hope that you will not 

 look for the cause of my ready acquiescence beyond the 

 sphere of my conviction. As regards the latter, a 

 recommendation from you ranks so high, that the wish 

 is immediately followed by its fulfilment. 



Your " Kosmos" I have read, and I treated the book 

 in the same way as I am accustomed to deal with rich 

 collections. 



I cannot better describe the impression which the 

 work makes upon me, than by confessing that it aroused 

 in me two sentiments antagonistic to, or rather, neutra- 

 lizing, each other one of satisfaction at the things 

 which I knew, the other of regret at the many things 

 which I did not know. These sentiments sink into 

 nothing, compared to the admiration at the range of 

 your knowledge, which alone could make the success of 

 so gigantic an undertaking possible. With knowledge 

 alone, however, the end which you proposed to yourself 

 would not have been attainable. And here I come to 



which Humboldt refers in the above letter. Since 1850, Itzstein has resided 

 upon his property of Hallgarten, in the Rhine Province, without taking any 

 active part in politics. TR. 



* The present Earl of Derby. TR. 



