147 



of the present time, personalities who can compare 

 with Zinzendorf, Lavater, and Stilling . . . 



Most gratefully yours, 

 Saturday nigU. A. V. HuMBOLDT. 



I have to-day expressed to Banke my horror at his 

 conduct at a sitting at which I was not present, with 

 respect to Preuss* a much loftier and nobler nature 

 than his own. You have probably not yet received 

 the papers in which I am immoderately praised and 

 blamed. (" North British Keview," and " Quarterly 

 Beview.") In Germany my prose is often found fault 

 with as too poetical. In the " Quarterly Eeview " it is 

 called heavy, devoid of all life, not a vivid description.^ 

 How different are national sentiments ! 



CYI. 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, February 1th, 1846. 



The release of poor Biilow took place yesterday at 

 noon. Thursday night at 11, as he was retiring to 

 rest, he fell, as if dead, into the arms of his valet. A 

 fit of apoplexy ! He closed his eyes, and never opened 

 them again. Towards morning his pulse was 140 : 

 bleeding had no effect. For some time before his 

 death he had lost all consciousness. His family is 

 sadly shocked. But the event is fortunate; his 

 excellent wife would otherwise have sunk under the 

 duties imposed upon her. We shall carry him on 

 Tuesday quite privately to the Column in Tegel, that 



* Johann David Erdmann Preuss, the biographer of Friedrich the Great 

 and editor of his works. TR. 

 t Sic in original. TR. 



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