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habitual and supererogatory, I would say the Address 

 evinces as much sterling value in its subject-matter, 

 as it does intellectual greatness in its treatment. To 

 my mind, however, its finest aspect is the shall I say 

 happy or masterly ? way in which you make mention 

 of the King, as dignified as it is delicate, as hearty 

 as it is graceful ; in fine, it must be the unanimous judg- 

 ment of every fine-feeling person that this mention of 

 him is at once appropriate and delightful. In your 

 Excellency's last letter the expression, " Madame de 

 Quitzow," puzzled me a good deal at first, but I 

 think I can boast of having solved the riddle by the 

 strength of my head, as the Jews say when we speak 

 of racking our brains, and I cannot help recognising, 

 in this little piece of malice, not only a merry conceit, 

 but also, all the circumstances of the case considered, 

 a mild form of punishment. The Grand Duke of Saxe 

 Weimar desired to speak to me here, but I was forced 

 to stay at home with my rheumatic sufferings ! 



In truest admiration and grateful devotion, un- 

 changeably your Excellency's most obedient, 



VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. 



CLXXII. 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, the 28th January, 1856. 



My ever wakeful ambition has met with an ample 

 reward in that the Master of Diction (I avoid the 

 term " word-builder") accords me such pleasing praise 

 in respect of my mode of mentioning the King, and 

 my relation to him. To praise in another qualities 

 in which that other does not abound, is to lead him 



