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you in person from my inmost heart. Everything 

 around us excites a feeling of shame. 



With warmest friendship, your most faithful 



A. v. HUMBOLDT. 



Yarnhagen writes, on the 19th March, 1857, in his Diary; 

 " Unexpectedly a letter from Humboldt ; I had made a postscript to 

 my congratulation that these lines were not so presumptuous as to 

 expect any answer. Yet he answers, and in the most obliging, 

 most kindly manner. He gives a singular report of his illness. 

 The bad rumours were all false, at least exaggerated ; he has never 

 lost consciousness nor speech, his pulse has remained as usual, yet 

 he has not concealed to himself that it might draw to a close. ' I 

 have had grave thoughts of death : comme un homme qui part, ay ant 

 encore leaucoup de lettres a ecrire? Grandly and beautifully he adds, 

 ' Other interests that will ever remain alive in me fix my thoughts 

 on the recollections of yesterday!! (The 18th March). I believe 

 myself in fall recovery, but having had to rest much on my bed 

 unoccupied, sadness and discontent with the world have increased 

 in me. This I say only to you." 



CO. 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, 6th April, 1857. 



If you, dear friend, understand the Grand Duke's 

 letter as I do, * * * must start on his journey. 

 I had proposed, you must know, that he should come 

 to Weimar under pretext of studying the records ; 

 that he should bring a letter from you or me ; that 

 he should be invited, and in case he was not approved 

 of, merely be asked if he was returning to f f . 

 This was the Shibboleth of the inopportune conclusion 

 of the drama, quod Dens avertat. I had proposed also to 

 pay in advance the sum agreed on. On this point the 



