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to do full justice to your good moral life, to your high character as 

 a statesman, and to your information as a scholar ; highly gratified 

 as I must feel that Berlin, nay that Prussia, has to boast of such a 

 man as your Excellency is, my joy would burst out into a shout 

 of holy triumph if I should have the honour of seeing you as a 

 zealous follower of Him who died on Golgotha. Alas ! without 

 Him, my Lord Chamberlain,* we are most miserable notwithstand- 

 ing all our knowledge notwithstanding all our much vaunted 

 learning." Further on, the letter states : " Goethe said, on 

 a certain occasion, that during the whole of his life he had 

 not had four happy weeks. This was the speech of a great and 

 learned man. If Christ has not taken up his residence and dwelling 

 in our hearts, who else can be there but Satan ? One certainly 

 must be there ; one must wield the sceptre of command ! It is im- 

 possible to serve two masters at the same time. Noble sir, gracious 

 my Lord Chamberlain, I am penetrated with great respect for you 

 and your exalted merits ; I love and venerate you ; I am not worthy 

 to unloose the latchet of your shoes, which is the true language of 

 my heart although I have been engaged in learning the rudiments of 

 seventeen different languages, and am still able to read the writings 

 of the New Testament in seven. Yet of the truth of the Christian 

 religion I have not only been firmly convinced for the last thirty-one 

 years, but I also feel daily, and almost hourly, the influence of the 

 Holy Spirit." The letter is signed : " Your Lordship's most de- 

 voted servant and brother in Christ, AUGUSTUS GEAU." Humboldt 

 appended to it this remark : " An attempt at conversion from the 

 State of Ohio." 



CL. 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, 13th March, 1853. 



In the confusion caused by the perplexities of my 

 desolate life, and the morally disgraceful condition 



* M. Gran, in his enthusiasm, addresses Humboldt, successively, by all 

 his various titles. TR. 



