248 



CLXXIII. 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, Thursday, 1th February, 1856. 

 As it is just possible, my dear friend, that you 

 may not have seen the work of Montalembert (the 

 quondam friend of Lamennais whom he accompanied 

 to Rome), I shall, I hope, be affording you some 

 little pleasure in offering you for a few (say five or 

 six) days, the loan of the King's copy of it. The 

 only hit in it at the France of the present day is at 

 the end, p. 284 298. I wish only the whole of 

 it could be translated and published in Germany 

 entire. Most gratefully yours, 



A. v. HUMBOLDT. 



How fares good old Dora ? I played the Patri- 

 arch yesterday till seven o'clock at Potsdam, at a 

 christening at the house of a very well educated and 

 handsome daughter of my Siberian valet, Seiffert. 

 She is the wife of the traveller Mollhausen, who, at 

 the recommendation of Ambassador Gerolt and my- 

 self, accompanied, in the capacity of topographer 

 and draftsman for the American Government, the 

 exploring expedition of St. Louis, San Francisco, 

 and Panama (the expedition of Captain Whipple). 

 A year ago the King made young Mollhausen 

 Keeper of the Eoyal Libraries at Potsdam. There 

 was yesterday, in the " Journal des Debats " (I think 

 Feb. 5), an excellent article by Laboulaye, on the 

 " Domestic Institution," and Pierce's infamous exten- 

 sion of slavery into parts where it had never been 

 before ! ! 



Keep the very mediocre verses, " On gentle Ilm." 



