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but a painted window-pane, a flourish on an old monument, a family 

 name, that was what deeply interested, engaged, and delighted 

 him ; and for such frippery R. was the very man he wanted. 

 The same was the case with Bunsen, with whom the King cor- 

 responded on theological and patristic curiosities. He has encou- 

 raged him to write against the Bishop of Mayence.* Bunsen, on 

 the other hand, made it a condition that he should he allowed to 

 refer in his articles to the King's orders, as otherwise all that he 

 could say would be wanting in authority and eifect. Humboldt is 

 of opinion that Bunsen, after all, would not be able to resist the 

 allurement of being summoned here, even if it were not to an official 

 position, but only to a personal one about the King. 



" The Duke of Coburg-Gotha aims at aggrandisement of territory, 

 and accession to a higher title ; that of ' King of Eastphalia' has been 

 proposed, and the King, in joke, speaks of him as if he already were 

 crowned such !f France and England are counted upon in this plan ; 

 flattery and compliance are readily offered to Bonaparte, who would 

 then be gladly acknowledged a protector of a new Confederation of the 

 Rhine. Thus fares German unity ! It is most eagerly betrayed by 



* Baron Wilhelm von Ketteler. Mayence belonging to the Arch-diocese 

 of the Upper Khine, the head of which is the Archbishop of Freiburg, the 

 Bishop took an active part in the quarrel of that prelate with the Govern- 

 ment of the Grand Duke of Baden. TE. 



f Humboldt himself repeatedly mentions in his letters that there were things 

 at Court about which he was never spoken to. Owing to this imperfect know- 

 ledge of the facts, he mistakes in this instance a mere joke between the King 

 and the Duke for a serious affair of state. We are the more happy to be en- 

 abled to give from authentic sources the true version of the case, as Humboldt's 

 severe remarks were directed against a prince who, instead of entertaining any 

 selfish dynastic ambition, has on the contrary gone so far in his generous rea- 

 diness to make any sacrifice for the cause of German Union, as to offer to serve 

 as a Prussian- German Minister under the Prince Regent of Prussia, " As to 

 the Kingdom of Eastphalia, this is a joke which often passed between the King 

 of Prussia and the Duke. It refers to a memoir of Chevalier Bunsen's, at that 

 time (the commenceir.enf: of the Crimean war), Ambassador at the English Court, 

 who laid down in his despatch, that the Kingdom of Poland ought to be re- 

 stored under the Eoyal house of Saxony, and that the Thuringian countries 

 ought then to be united into a Kingdom of " Eastphalia " under the rule of 

 the Duke of Coburg. The King and the Duke had at the time many a good 

 laugh at this memoir and its eccentric schemes." Extract from, a Letter from 

 Germany. TR. 



R 



