286 



with reality, and therefore without odious vul- 

 garities. 



Your Excellency has kindly promised me a couple 

 of lines on Franz Baader ; may I modestly remind 

 you of this, by the remark that literally a couple 

 of lines will answer the purpose ? 



With truest admiration and grateful devotion, 

 unchangeably, your Excellency's most obedient, 



VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. 



com. 



VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. 



Berlin, Wth April, 1857. 



I have the gratification of being able to apprise 

 your Excellency that * * * will leave j" f for 

 Weimar on the 14th instant. Strong as his wish was 

 to make the detour via Berlin, if only for the purpose 

 of laying at your Excellency's feet the sincere expres- 

 sion of his unbounded gratitude for your many gra- 

 cious and kindly exertions on his behalf, the short period 

 allowed him by the Grand Duke has obliged him to 

 renounce the fulfilment of it. I venture, therefore, to 

 ask you for the letter of recommendation to the Grand 

 Duke which you so kindly promised. In fact, it need 

 only be a couple of lines to introduce him. I will send 

 it without delay to Weimar, so that M. * * * 

 may find it there on his arrival. The young man 

 knows very well that the journey thither does not 

 imply any decision, and that he must be prepared 

 for a refusal ; but he is happy that, after such a long 

 and doubtful pause, this progress in the plan has 

 taken place, and that the road is open. Your Excel- 



