262 



to the domain of history. That they have never de- 

 prived me of the Royal confidence, either in the case 

 of the father or the son, fills me with pride ; that is 

 to say, with a feeling which is better designated by 

 the term of soul's and heart's content than by the 

 word of doubtful virtue which has escaped my pen. 



You, my senior by three years, have just celebrated 

 your eighty-seventh birthday. We may both confess 

 that we have understood the " art of living." That 

 we shall do well to cultivate this art still longer, I 

 hope no one will dispute. 



With true friendship and esteem, 



METTERNICH. 



CLXXXVI. 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, 20A November, 1856. 



I want your literary assistance, my dear friend. 

 Our great landscape painter, Hildebrandt, who has 

 travelled in Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Palestine, Greece, 

 and lately made a voyage to the North Cape, has 

 finished a beautiful sketch in water colours of my 

 " Interior household," to replace a smaller one, many 

 hundred copies of which have been exported for 

 sale in America. La renommee, fruit d'une longue 

 patience de vivre, augmente avec 1'imbecillite. I am 

 obliged to make an inscription with my own hand to 

 this portrait of mine. 



This is not easy. I entreat you to come and see 

 me on Saturday, at one o'clock if you can. You shall 

 guide me. Yours most gratefully, 



Thursday. A. V. HUMBOLDT. 



