Letters of Alexander von Humboldt to Varnhagen von Ense.: From 1827 to 1858. With extracts from Varnhagen's diaries, and letters of Varnhagen and others to HumboldtHumboldt, Alexander von
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Letters of Alexander von Humboldt to Varnhagen von Ense.: From 1827 to 1858. With extracts from Varnhagen's diaries, and letters of Varnhagen and others to Humboldt
Humboldt, Alexander von
Humboldt, Alexander von, 1769-1859 -- Correspondence
Yours,
A. HT.
TUESDAY, late at night.
The enclosed letter from August. Grau, of Montgomery County, Ohio, dated
February 6, 1852, contains the following: “A gentleman who has travelled
over a large portion of the earth, who, by the publication of so many
excellent writings, has erected for himself so durable and so
resplendent a monument on the field of literature and science, is not to
be named by any German without the greatest esteem. When the names of
great warriors who have spilt the blood of their fellow-men upon the
battle-field shall be forgotten, your name will blaze for hundreds and
thousands of years in the annals of history. But it is singular, at the
same time, that the greatest naturalists, philosophers, and astronomers
who have occupied the principal portion of their lives with new
inventions, and with investigations into the elementary powers of
nature, are often totally indifferent to their salvation or perdition in
the world to come. Goethe, Schiller, Wieland, and Kant, were all
distinguished characters and brilliant ideals, and in their walk and
conversation were more or less observant of what are called the laws of
morality, so as probably to abstain from cards, nine-pins, playhouses,
and dancing, but their sphere of operations did not reach into eternity,
and the fate of their fellow-men in the other world—their salvation—was
of little interest to them.” After launching into further sanctified
regrets at the scarcity of true godliness, and its absence even in
princes and royal chaplains, the writer continues: “The last King of
Prussia, and his truly royal Louise, had some knowledge of a state of
regeneration, as well as the last King of Sweden, the former French
Marshal Bernadotte, Prince of Ponte Corvo. A poor peasant was better
able to enlighten him on the means of salvation than one of the first
bishops of the Lutheran church. O, Sir Privy Councillor, while I do full
justice to your unblemished life, your high character as a statesman,
and your acquirements as a man of science; and while I rejoice that
Berlin—ay, that Prussia may boast of such a man as your Excellency, yet
my joy would turn into holy exultation if I should have the honor of
seeing you a warm disciple of Him who died upon Golgotha. Without Him,
Lord Chamberlain, with all our acquirements, with all our boasted
knowledge, we are singularly unhappy.” Further on, the letter reads:
“Goethe says, on a certain occasion, that during the whole course of his
long life he had not spent four happy weeks. These are the words of a
great man of science. If Christ has not taken up his residence in our
hearts, who else can be there but Satan? One of them, surely, must be
there—one must wield the baton of command. It is manifestly impossible
at one and the same time to serve two masters! Worthy sir, my gracious
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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