263 

 CLXXXVIL 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, 21 st November, 1856. 



I begged you yesterday, my dear friend, to glad- 

 den me with a visit on Saturday. To-day I beg 

 you not to come. I hear with regret that you are 

 suffering. The great picture of Hildebrandt will 

 remain some time longer at my house. Any later 

 day will do for me as well. I only beg that you 

 will kindly send me word, the day before, when 

 I may expect you. Pray make the hour twelve, 

 because then I am sure to be at leisure. As to my- 

 self, I feel always as if I should like to jump out of my 

 skin. I am pestered in my old age as if by mosquito 

 stings ; and, to crown all, I have the honour of being 

 consulted from time to time by an extra-super- 

 Christian Mr. Foster (resident at Brussels), as to 

 whether I believe the souls of the lower order of 

 animals come within the scope of redemption whether, 

 in fact, bugs and gnats are to be partakers of hea- 

 venly bliss. If they are, I am threatened with 

 them hereafter, and therefore shall find those well- 

 known u animal spirits' 7 with which I have made 

 such close acquaintance on the Orinoco, hymning 

 their songs of praise. 



Your old and attached friend, 



A. v. HUMBOLDT. 



Friday. 



Thus the infamous party, which sells negro chil- 

 dren of fifty pounds weight, and gives away canes of 

 honour,* (as the Kussian Emperor does swords of 



* Allusion to the Sumner- Brooks difficulty in the House of Eepresen- 

 tatives at Washington. TR. 



