St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-04-15
mistsIIanp.
INTERVIEW WITH HUMBOLDT

ttECSl.
/ was glad when the clock struck
IL at last, and | could leave the rat
Ting streets for that quiet corner of the
palace in which Humboldt lives. The
door was opened, as before, by Seifert,
who recognized me at once. "Wel-
come back" he cried; eve know
where you have beehive have read
all your letters His Exccllcncy has
been quite sick, and you will not find
him so strong as he was last year,
but he is in tolcrable health again.
thank God Come in, come in he is
waiting" Opening the doors as he
spoke, he ushercd me into little IL
brary, on the Threshold of which
Humboldt, who had risen, received me.
He was slightly paler, than before,
little thinner perhaps, and ! could see
that his step was not so firm but the
pale-blue eye beamed as clear an in
telligence as ever, and the voice had
as steady and CHEEKY a tone. He
shook hands with the cordiality of
friend, and after the first greetings
were over, questioned me infinitely
concerning my travels in the North.
But one topic soon suggests an
hundred others, and he was ere long
roaming at large over the whole field
of geography and climatology, touch
ing the larthcrest and darkest regions
of the earth with the light Of his stu
pendous knowledge. The sheets Of
the new volumes of Cosmos lay upon
the table. "Hcre is what have been
doing since you were here before"
said he, taking it up the work will
be published in two or three weeks"
You find yourself, then, still capable
of such labor p vcntured to ask.
"Work is now part of my life" said
he ; 81 sleep 50 little, and much rest
would be irksomc. Day before ycster-
day, l worked for sixteen hours, re-
viewing these sheets: Are you not
greatly fatigued,' l asked, Latter
such an excrtion 7" "On the. contra
ry," he replied, Il feel refreshed, but
the performance of it depends greatly
on my bodily health. l am uncon-
scions of any mental fatigue" As |
saw in the face, and heard in the voice
of the splendid old man, all the signs
of sound, unfailing intellect, | could
well believe it. had prided myself
a little on having worked with the
brain fifteen hours a day for six
months, yet here was Humboldt, in
his seth year, capable Of an equal ex-
crtion.
The manner in which he spoke Of
his bodily health was exceedingly in
tcresting to me. His mind full of
vigor and overlooking with active life,
seemed to consider the body as some |
thing independent of itself, and to
watch, with curious eye, its gradual
decay, as he might have watched that
of tree in his younger days. al
have been unwell through the sum-
mer," said he, but you must not be-
lieve all you may have seen in the
newspapers concerning my illness. !
They stated that | was attacked with
apoplexy, but it was only q vertigo,
which soon left me, and has not been
followed by any of the usual effects of
apoplexy. One result, however, shows
that my body is beginning to give
way. have not the same power Of
controlling my limbs as formerly; the
will does not seem to act upon the
muscles ; there is link broken some
where, which it is probably too late to
restore. For instance, very often
when | attempt to walk straight for
ward, ] do not feel certain that my
legs will carry me in straight line !; |
they may go either to one side or the !
other, and, though cannot notice any
real want Of strength, feel uncertain
and mistrustful. For this reason |
must have assistance when | go up or
down stairs. After all, it is not singu-
lar that some parts Of the machinery
Should get rusty, at my age" Soon
afterward, while speaking of Thibet,
he referred TO very fine copperplate
map, and | noticed that he saw the
most minute names distinctly, without
The aid Of spectacles. But then he
has the eyes Of youth of twenty
years. Age may palsy his limbs, but
it has never looked out Of those win
dows.
After had been sitting an hour,
ceitert came to the door and said:
" The two gentlemen have come-shall
admit them ~ rose to leave, but
Humboldt said "No, no-remain.
They are from Hong-E ong; perhaps
YOU know them" | looked at the
ards, and recognized an acquaintance
in the name OF an editor Of q Hong
Kong paper The other was gov
crnment official. After they entered,
the conversation took more generals
lone but ] was not sorry for this af-
icrward, as it gave Humboldt occasion
10 recall some scenes Of his carly life.
One of the visitors spoke of Frederick
The Great II remember him we'll"
said humboldt 81 was sixteen years
id when he died, and ! can see his
face still as plainly as | can see yours.
was but eighteen when | visited
England for The first time. 1t was
during the trial Of Warren Hastings,
which | frequently attended. | re-
that ! heard Edmund Burke,
Pitt and Sheridan all speak ON the
same night
| shall not repeat his account of the
Congress Of Verona, or his anecdotes
If Alexander |. Of Russia, whom he !
Knew Intimately, as am not certain
have a right to do so at
After the visitors left, | re-
named with him until it was time for
lIm to prepare for the dinner given
10 which he was hidden. You will
pass through Berlin on your way to
Moscow w said he. "Yes." "Well
i must be polite enough to live until
then. You must bring your wife with
you. oh, | know all about it, and
you must not think, because ! have
never been married myself, that | do
ilt Fl