296 



Hungarian honorary friar* and the Princess alone 

 remain a problem to me. Your truest, 



A. HUMBOLDT. 



The Emperor Napoleon has skilfully repaired all 

 that formerly may have been mysterious by sending 

 me some amiable letters, rich in delicacy of expres- 

 sion, from Prince Napoleon (Plon Plon), and from 

 Walewski. As Niebuhr, in his capacity of Privy Coun- 

 cillor of Prussia, is publishing a work on the Noric 

 language, you ought not to be surprised at anything, 

 not even at the movement for free election in free 

 France. I think a couple of weeks at Branitz would 

 do you good. 



CCXIIL 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Berlin, 30th June, 1857. 



I have no words, my dear friend, to express to 

 you and the amiable and highly-gifted artist and 

 author Miss Ludmilla Assing, what a treat you 

 have given me in my solitude, by " Elisa von Ahle- 

 feldt !" What a treat is in store for all those who will 

 snatch it away from me for days to come ! Who 

 can read of such a fate, so tenderly, so simply, and so 

 nobly told as this is, by Miss Ludmilla, and not be 

 moved, not led to reflect upon those feelings of agony 

 which the most noble and cultivated minds know to 

 take upon themselves on account of partly imaginary 

 passions, to gratify which, the perilous Institution 

 of lawful Matrimony furnishes no adequate means ? 



* Liszt. Humboldt calls him so on account of his having been received 

 into the order of the Franciscan friars. TR. 



