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
3. A very interesting letter of Count Bresson, the ambassador of France,
dated Feb. 6, 1839.
4. A very amiable letter from Arago, when I had dedicated him the
“Examen de l’histoire de la géographie du 15 Siècle.” I don’t recollect
having given you anything else of Arago.
5. A note written by the King, at a time when he assisted me in
obtaining the pardon of young “demagogues.” The note refers to the
prosecution of young Hoeninghaus, for whom my efforts were successful.
The letter of the Crown-Prince shows a noble indignation against Kamptz
and his accomplices.
6. A letter of the Duchess of Orleans.
7. A letter of the King of Denmark. Simultaneously with Arago I had
recommended Hansen, the great lunar calculator at Gotha, to the King.
Our petition was granted. Arago received also a very amiable autograph
from “Christianus Rex,” once constitutional King in Norway.
8. Another note of the Crown-Prince, good-humored and witty. He wished
very much to have Metternich accept the Presidency, _pour mettre la
société en bonne odeur à Rome ou elle passe pour Bunsohérétique_.
9. A letter of the Duchess de Dino, now Duchesse de Talleyrand. She has
been created Duchess of Sagan lately.
10, 11. Two good-humored letters more of the King. Le _Seehund_, the
recommendation of a rather rough Danish sea captain, who declared his
willingness to take two naturalists around the globe at the rate of 2500
rixthalers a head (a little high). The plan was a failure. _Le Seigneur
Cados, ministre Sécretaire d’Etat_ of the watchmaking _Duc de
Normandie_, who addressed to the Crown-Prince a complaint about the
indecent manner in which he was treated by the Staats Zeitung.
12. From Brunel, the hero of the tunnel.
13. A letter of Sir John Herschel, full of flattering expressions.
14. Mr. de Balzac.
15. Sir Robert Peel. Somebody had written me, from Oxford, that Robert
Brown, the first botanist of Europe, had got suddenly into money
difficulties, and that Peel, on my intercession, would grant him one of
the four only pensions accorded to savans by Parliament. I recommended
him and was successful.
16. Mad. Récamier. I am sure you have already several letters from her.
17. A letter from Prince Metternich, to be added to the number of those
which you have already from him.
18. The illustrious American historian, Prescott. In your hands all will
be safe, even what I myself would destroy from wantonness. I entreat
you, dear friend, not to tell anybody that I gave you the King’s notes,
however insignificant they are. It would injure me.
With old veneration, yours,
A. VON HUMBOLDT.
MONDAY EVENING.
77.
J. W. T. TO HUMBOLDT.
HÖFGEN, NEAR SOLINGEN, _March 12th, 1844_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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