278 



CXCVII. 



VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. 



Berlin, 20th February, 1857. 



Will your Excellency pardon me, if I claim for a 

 moment your precious time? Not for myself, but 

 in a literary matter from which I cannot withdraw 

 my personal interest, if only for old acquaintance- 

 sake. Professor Franz Hoffmann, in Wiirzburg, who, 

 with self-denying perseverance one might almost 

 say, in spite of wind and weather is occupied in 

 editing Franz von Baader's works, has now, as a 

 conclusion to his task, commenced a biographical 

 sketch of his author, and is anxious that the fact 

 should not remain unmentioned of Baader's having 

 been a contemporary of your Excellency at the Min- 

 ing Academy at Freiberg. It would be invaluable to 

 him to obtain a word of explanation from you on this 

 point a hint only as to whether some nearer rela- 

 tions existed between you and Baader at that time, 

 whether he made any particular impression on you ? 

 I should not dare to trouble your Excellency with 

 this, without premising that a simple "No" would dis- 

 pose of the matter in the event of his not having 

 been so fortunate, and a single line in case he was. 

 The throng of visitors, and your Excellency's abrupt 

 departure, cost me the pleasure I should have had in 

 offering respectful homage to you at the Artists' Fes- 

 tival. It is twenty years and more since I ventured 

 on such a troubled sea. 



We hear singular reports. I hope that it is only 

 a hoax which names M. Niebuhr, Minister of Finance, 

 and M. Wagener, Privy-Councillor. 



