298 



A little present for Fraulein Ludmilla Assing, the 

 noble and gifted author of " Elisa von Ahlefeldt," 

 an autograph of my dear young friend Friesen. With 

 feelings of heartfelt gratitude, 



A. VON HUMBOLDT. 



SQtkJune, 1857. 



Yarnhagen wrote on the 4th July, 1854, in his Diary : " Hum- 

 boldt was telling us yesterday of the times when he lived in a side- 

 wing of George's country house, where he was so engaged in his 

 Magnetic Observations, that, on one occasion, for seven consecutive 

 days and nights, neglecting his proper rest, he visited the magnet- 

 house every half hour to see for himself how matters stood. He 

 subsequently took turns with others, who relieved him. This was 

 in 1807, just fifty years ago. I have often seen the little magnet- 

 house at that time when I used to visit Johannes von Miiller, who 

 also lived in a part of the house, and Pichte, who inhabited a summer- 

 house in the middle of the garden. When old George a rich dis- 

 tiller showed his garden to strangers, Humboldt went on to tell 

 us, he did not neglect to boast of 'his savants:' 'Here I have 

 the celebrated Miiller, here Humboldt, and Fichte also, who, by 

 the by, they say, is only a philosopher.' " 



CCXIV. 



HUMBOLDT TO VAKNHAGEN. 



Berlin, 6th July, 1857. 



Ignorant on the subject of modern German poetry, 

 to the extent of not having even heard of the fame 

 of M. * * (*) of the terribly dull (he calls it so him- 

 self) state of Mecklenburg, I wish, my dear friend, 



* The Mecklenburg poet mentioned in this letter, is Herr Friedrich Wil- 

 helm Rogge, whose collected lyrical and dramatic works appeared in 1857, at 

 Decker's, Berlin. TR. 



