234 



merely a counterpart of those ingenious Berlin dog- 

 muzzles, ^hich are to prevent us literary men from 

 biting, although not from barking, and which ought 

 to have a place assigned to them in the Munich Crystal 

 Palace. How these muzzles have been botched again 

 and again! The third cry, " Viva la libertad /" has 

 forced its way through the Peninsula, notwithstanding 

 all the supercilious denials. 



Yours faithfully, 



At night. A. V. HUMBOLDT. 



CLXY. 



. HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, 31 st July, 1854. 



Alas, no ! I was mistaken in the belief that the pur- 

 chase of the monument for Weimar* had been accom- 

 plished, and that the enlargement of the monument, 

 such as our fair excellent friend had wished, was the 

 only thing given up. In the spheres where I am 

 familiar no active support is to be thought of for the 

 present. The expression, " Art in itself is a garment," 

 is of great ingenuity and beauty. Most gratefully, 



Yours, 

 A. v. HUMBOLDT. 



Monday. In haste for the railway. 



In the United States a great deal of good feeling 

 has certainly sprung up for me, but the general aspect 

 of affairs there leaves me under the sad impression that 



* This passage appears to refer to the design, by Ranch, of a Goethe- Schil- 

 ler monument for Weimar, rejected on account of the poets being represented 

 in classical costume. The design ultimately adopted was that of Eietschel. 

 Bettina von Arnim seems to have interested herself very warmly in favour of 

 Rauch. TR, 



