148 



supports the statue of Hope. In the midst of sorrows 

 caused by his death, and letters to be written to 

 Guizot, Metternich, and Aberdeen, I can only answer 

 by a few words the beautiful and genial letter of 

 Baroness Arnim. I have little hope that the old 

 regents in Weimar will appoint Prutz or Fallersleben.* 

 I had thought at first of Guhrauer,f whom I am sure 

 you, too, would prefer. You know well how glad I 

 should be at Prutz's appointment (I do not know 

 Fallersleben personally) ; but the whole passage refer- 

 ring to the lady's sick-room, the King, and myself, 

 must be altered ; it rests on a false report. I never 

 showed the book to the King, nor did I manage the 

 withdrawal of the lawsuit with the King himself who, 

 on account of his old Kulmbacher \ cousin, was, ever 

 since the publication of the play, angry with its author, 

 Dr. Prutz 1 but through Minister Bodelschwingh. On 

 him Prutz had left an agreeable impression, which 

 it was not difficult for me to improve. Prutz had 

 petitioned to have the suit dismissed. (He had not, 

 by the way, lost all his chances in it.) It was consi- 

 dered advisable, as he had offered to meet the Govern- 

 ment half-way, not to oppose him. The passage, 

 " Our King should first be asked," must by all means 

 be omitted. It would offend the Grand Duchess, 

 who, on all occasions, insists on her independence of 

 Prussia. She had even lately to defend Chancellor 



* Hoffmann von Fallersleben, the poet. TR. 



f G. E. Guhrauer, the biographer of Leibnitz and of Lessing. TR. 



J The '^Kulmbacher" cousin alluded to in Dr. Prutz's play, is the Margrave 

 of Anhalt-Baireuth ; of one of the collateral branches of the Royal House of 

 Brandenburg. TR. 



Ernst von Bodelschwingh, Cabinet Minister from 1844 to 1848, a 

 gentleman of doubtful politics. Tp / 



