On the 30th of January, 1852, Varnhagen adds: “Humboldt takes a lively interest in the widow of the philologist F.; her husband has done much work for him. At Humboldt’s urgent advice, she has petitioned the King for a pension, and Humboldt and Boekh were to support the petition by their signatures. But F. was a democrat, not an active, but an avowed one, and the King might have heard of it. To neutralize this, Humboldt proposed to request Stahl to join in countersigning the petition. His own name can now accomplish nothing with the King! On what days have we fallen, when Humboldt asks Stahl to give him countenance!” 147. HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. BERLIN, _Feb. 5th, 1852_. I believe, my dear friend, that the letter I have just received, will greatly confirm your ideas about Paris. Galuski, the translator of the second volume of Kosmos, is a man of noble instincts, great talents, and much philological learning, but very moderate in his love of liberty. What he says of his first impression, is a pretty impudent expression of this moderation. He also was seized with a marvellous dread of coming events. My opinion has always been that the wildest republic cannot do so much and such enduring harm to the intellectual progress of mankind, and to their consciousness of right and honor, as _le régime de mon oncle, le despotisme éclairé, dogmatique, milieux_, which applies all the arts of civilization to subject a people to the caprices of an individual. Read, to increase your abhorrence of such degradation, which threatens to spread like a pestilence, in the “Journal des Debats” of this morning (February 3d), the reasons for drawing up a list of recommendations of those who might be elected (according to the “Constitutionnel).” The “Spenersche Zeitung” of yesterday did not fail to follow suit with a communication in favor of a similar set of proposals for our second chamber! I hope soon to procure for you the Histoire de l’Académie (by Bartholmess). I have made many vain efforts to advance the interests of Professor F.’s widow. Your most attached, A. HUMBOLDT. SUPPLEMENT.