Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-06-01
POSITIVE
Humbolaes Appenranee aud charaeter.

Bayard Taylor, the Traveller, who has en-
joyed the society of the great Humboldt, has
furnished to the press the following interesting
sketch of. the personal appearance and char
acter Of the word-famous German
In person, Humboldt was short, strongly
built, yet without any approach to corpuency.
During the last years of his life he carried his
head bent, with STOPPING shoulders as ii his
! body had not vigOr enough to hold up the
weight of the knowledge contained in his mas
sive brain. Yet in the prime of lie, when per-
lecIly erect, his hight could not have been more
than five feet, six inches. His head was large
and marked by beautiful symmetry, his fore
head smooth and unwrinkled, and the blue eyes
as soft, steady, and clear those of child
Ills SIGHT was perfect enabling him to read
the hnest print without spectacles
His nose and mouth were Of the heavy Teu.
I99Ia type, and the expression of his face fuzzy
nifty oi his character No person cs5uId dfRies
seen him without being inspired with an i'm
mediate personal regard for him. In the cas-
tie at Tegel, the patrimony of the Humboldt
family hangs picture representing him in his
Both year, on tue side of ChimbOrazo. He there
appears r rlther slender, but with the same mas
sive head and clear blue eyes, and with thick
brown locks. In another portrait, at the age
OF 80, his hair is already snow.white His coun.
tenanco changed very little after that period,
the skin still remaining smooth, aud with
fresh, healthy tint.
He died through the gradual decay of his
physical faculties, retaining his mental pow
ers to the last. AS late as 1858, he was ac-
customed to labor frequently for siIteen hours at
time, and the last published volume OF Coos
mos" exhibits no signs OF an enieCbed intel
lect The first shock his constitution received
was given to 1t by successive attacks of in.
fiuenza, disorder very prevalent in Berlin -
He had noticed the slower and more difficult
action of his physical functions, had perceived
the gradual dmnution of his vital powers,
and IN the summer of 1858 made a calculation
that if they continued to give way steadily in
the same ratio, his death must take place this
year
Probably no distinguished man of this CEN
tury, with the exception of Beranger surpas-
sed Humboldt in sim plcity, honesty and native
dignity Of character Though a born noble
man, the confidential friend of his king, and
the accepted equal Of the monarchs OF Europe
his sympathies were with the liberal party and
he never hesitated to express them. While his
summers were passed 10 the Royal Palace at
Potsdam, he occupied apartments in the house
of his own servant in Berlin, during the winter.
So we'll were his political predictions known,
that at the Congress of Vienna, of which he
was member when he had proposed some tenn
Porary measure which had an arbitrary eharac.
ter, the Emperor Alexander l. exclaimed -
"And it is you arch republican as you are,
who propose such despotic measure"
Like Washington's, Humboldt's mind was so
beautifully symmetrical, that it would be easy
to point out many men who went beyond him
IN particular departments of science He was
too great in all TO be specially distinuuisbpd
and in the extent of his abors, as well az the
amount Of his sacrifices in the acquisition of
OF knowledge, he has never been surpassed by
any man His life has been splendid success.
lie has enjoyed the unbouned respect and ad
mratlon of three generations, and now the
world mourns in him the loss of her greatest
man.