187 



On 3rd May, 1847, Varnhagen noted down the following plea- 

 santry of Humboldt's : " Humboldt said, in jest, that a certain 

 Baron von Hassow* had said in the Parliament, that the holding of 

 liberal opinions was in itself disreputable ; if that were so, he, 

 Humboldt, must be doubly disreputable, because Minister von 

 Bodelschwingh looks upon an author in much the same light." 



On llth July, 1847, Yarnhagen remarks: " This morning 

 Humboldt called quite unexpectedly, hale and active. He insists 

 that he has not been really ill. He says, the King is, just now, 

 living in a whirl of pleasure, often merry beyond all bounds, giving 

 no thought to the Parliament unless reminded of it. Then, indeed, 

 he turns grave and gloomy. The Ministers are highly incensed, 

 especially Savigny and Eichhorn ; Bodelschwingh, perhaps, most of 

 all, as he even now incites the King to take sharp measures. Canitz, 

 on the contrary, is now soothing and conciliatory. Bodelschwingh 

 can never forgive the Parliament for having snatched from him 

 the victory, the Premiership, which he had so long dreamed of. 

 Humboldt is now arrived at the last sheets of his second volume ;f 

 he will go to Paris in September." 



CXXXIV. 



HUMBOLDT TO YARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, 1 8th January, 1849. 



That I have not thanked you sooner, my dear Yarn- 

 hagen (for your kind presents, letter, and congratula- 

 tions), and that I do so to-day so laconically, you will not 

 attribute to any decrease in my true esteem and friend- 

 ship. I enjoy, indeed, now, for the first time, what 



* Baron von Massow, Intendant of the Royal Gardens, and High Chamber- 

 lain, died 1859. Tn. 

 t Of " Kosmos." TR. 



