convey, not only a graphic description, but an imaginative

conception of the physical world-which should support generalization by details, and digmfy details by generalization, had floated before his mind for upwards of half a century. It first took definite shape in a set of lectures delivered by him before the university of Berlin in the winter of 1827-1828. These lectures formed, as his latest biographer expresses it, “ the cartoon lor the great fresco of the Kosmos.” The scope of this remarkable work may be briefly described as the representation of the unity amid the complexity of nature. In it the large and vague ideals of the 18th are sought to be combined with the exact scientific requirements of the 19th century. And, in spite of inevitable shortcomings, the attempt was in an eminent degree successful Nevertheless, the general effect of the book is rendered to some extent unsatisfactory by its tendency to substitute the indefinite for the infinite, and thus to ignore, while it does not deny, the existence of a power outside and beyond nature A certain heaviness of style, too, and laborious picturesqueness of treatment make it more imposing than attractive to the general reader. But its supreme and abiding value consists in its faithful reflection of the mind of a great man. No higher eulogium can be passed on Alexander von Humboldt than that, in attempting, and not unworthily attempting, to portray the universe, he succeeded still more perfectly in portraying his own comprehensive intelligence.

The last decade of his long life-his “improbable ” years, as he was accustomed to call them—was devoted to the continuation of this work, of which the third and fourth volumes were published in 18 5o-18 58, while a fragment of a fifth appeared posthumously in 1862. In these he sought to fill up what was wanting of detail as to individual branches of science in the sweeping survey contained in the first volume. Notwithstanding their hign separate value, it must be admitted that, from an artistic point of view, these additions were deformities. The characteristic idea of the work, so far as such a gigantic idea admitted of literary incorporation, was completely developed in its opening portions, and the attempt to convert it into a scientific encyclopedia was in truth to nullify its generating motive Hun1boldt's remarkable industry and accuracy were never more conspicuous than in the erection of this latest trophy to his genius. Nor d1d he rely entirely on his own labours. He owed much of what he accomplished to his rare power of assimilating the thoughts and availing himself of the co-operation of others He was not more ready to incur than to acknowledge obligations. The notes to Kosmos overflow with laudatory citations, the current coin in which he discharged his intellectual debts

0n the 24th of February 1857 Humboldt was attacked with a slight apoplectic stroke, which passed away without leaving any perceptible trace. It was not until the winter of 18 58-18 SQ that his strength began to decline, and on the ensuing 6th of May he tranquilly expired, wanting but six months of completing his ninetieth year. The honours which had been showered on him during life followed him after death. His remains, previously to being interred in the family resting-place at Tegel, were conveyed in state through the streets of Berlin, and received by the prince regent with uncovered head at the door of the cathedral The first centenary of his birth was celebrated on the 14th of September 1869, with equal enthusiasm in the New and Old Worlds; and the numerous monuments erected in his honour, and newly explored regions called by his name, bear witness to the universal diffusion of his fame and popularity. Humboldt never married, and seems to have been at all times more social than domestic in his tastes. To his brother's family he was, however, much attached; and in his later years the somewhat arbitrary sway of an old and faithful servant held him in more than matrunonial bondage. By a singular example of weakness, he executed, four years before his death, a deed of gift transferring to this man Seifert the absolute possession of his entire property It is right to add that no undue advantage appears to have been taken of this extraordinary concession. Of the qualities of his heart it is less easy to speak than of those of his head. The clue to his inner life might probably be found in a certain egotism of self-culture scarcely separable from the promptings of genius. Yet his attachments, once formed, were sincere and lasting. He made innumerable friends; and it does not stand on record that he ever lost one. His benevolence was throughout his life active and disinterested. His early zeal for the improvement of the condition of the miners in Galicia and Franconia, his consistent detestation of slavery, his earnest patronage of rising men of science, bear witness to the large humanity which formed the ground-work of his character. The faults of his old age have been brought into undue prominence by the injudicious publication of his letters to Varnhagen von Ense. The chief of these was his habit of smooth speaking, almost amounting to fiattery, which formed a painful contrast with the caustic sarcasm of his confidential utterances. His vanity, at all times conspicuous, was tempered by his sense of humour, and was so frankly avowed as to invite sympathy rather than provoke ridicule. After every deduction has been made, he yet stands before us as a colossal figure, not unworthy to take his place beside Goethe as the representative of the scientific s1de of the culture of his country.

The best biography of Humboldt is that of Professor Karl Bruhns (3 vols., 8vo, Leipzig, 1872), translated into English by the Misses Lasseil in 1873. Brief accounts of his career are 1ven b A. Dove in Allgemezne deutsche Bro raphze, and by S. Guntlier in /lllexander von Humboldt (Berlin, 19003. The Voyage aux régions équznoxzales du Nouveau Conttnent, fart en 1799-1804, par Alexandre de Humboldt et Atmé Bonpland (Paris, 1807, &c.), consisted of thirt folio and quarto volumes, and comprised a considerable number ofy subordinate but important works. Among these may be enumerated Vue des Cordzlléres et monuments des peuples zndtgenes de l'Amérz§ ue (2 vols. folio, 1810); Examen crztzque de l'hzstozre de la géographte u Nouveau Contznent (1814-1834); Atlas géographzque et physzque du royaume de la Nouvelle Espagne (1811); Essaz foltttgue sur le roiyaume de la Nouvelle Espa ne (1811); Essai sur a géographze des p antes (1805, now very rareg; and Relation htstorique (1811-1825), an unfinished narrative of his travels, including the Essaz lpn ztzgue sur l 'ite de Cuba. The Nova genera et speczes plant arum (7 vo s. follo, 1815-1825), containing descriptions of above 4500 species of plants collected by Humboldt and Bon land, was mainly compiled by C. S. Kunth; j. Oltmanns assisted in preparing the Recuezl d'observations astronomtgues (1808); Cuvier, Latrellle, Valenciennes and Gay-Lussac cooperated in the Recuezl d'observations de zoologte et d'anatomte comparée (1805-183). Humboldt's Ansichten der Natur (Stuttgart and Tubingen, 1808) went through three editions in his lifetime, and was translated into nearly ever? European language. The results of his Asiatic journey were pub lshed in Fragments de géologze et de clzmatologze aszattgues (2 vols. 8vo, 1831), and in Asze centrale (3 vols. 8vo, 1843)-an enlargement of the earlier work. The memoirs and papers read by him before scientific societies, or contributed by him to scientific periodicals, are too numerous for specification. Since his death considerable portions of his correspondence have been made public. The first of these, in order both of time and of importance, is his Brzcfe an Varnhagen von Ense (Leipzig, 1860). This was followed in ralpid succession by Briefwechsel mrt eznem jungen Freunde (Frledrlc Althaus, Berlin, 1861); Brrefwechsel mtt Hetnrtch Berghaus (3 vols., jena, 1863); Correspondance sctentzjigue et lzttératre (2 vols., Paris, 1865-1869); “ Lettresa Marc-Aug. Pictet, " published in Le Globe, tome vii. (Geneva, 1868); Briefe an Bunsen (Leipzig, 1869); Brtefe zwischen Humboldt und Gauss (1877); Brzefe an setnen Bruder Wzlhelm (Stuttgart, 1880); Jugendbrzefe an W. G. Wegencr (Leipzig, 1896); besides some other collections of less note. An OCKHVIO edition of Humboldt's principal works was %ubl1shed in Paris by Th. Morgand (1864-1866). See also Karl von aer, Bullettn de l'acad. des sczences de St-Pétersbourg, xvii. 529 (1859); R. Murchison, Proceedrngs, Geog. Soczety of London, vi. (1859); L. Agasslz, Amcrzcan Jour. of Sczence, xxviii. 96 (1859); Proc. Roy Soctety, X. xxxix.; A. Quetelet, Annuatre de l'acad. des scrcnces (Brussels, 1860), p. 97; j. Madler, Geschtchte der Hzmmelskunde, ii. 113; ]. C. Houzeau, Btbl. astronomrgue, ii. 168. (A. M. C.)

HUMBOLDT, KARL WILHELM VON (1767-1835), German philologist and man of letters, the elder brother of the more celebrated Alexander von Humboldt, was born at Potsdam, on the 22nd of June 1767. After being educated at Berlin, Gottingen and Jena, in the last of which places he formed a close and lifelong friendship with Schiller, he married Friiulein von Dacherode, a lady of birth and fortune, and in 1802 was appointed by the Prussian government first resident and then minister plenipotentiary at Rome. While there he published a poem entitled Rom, which was reprinted in 1824. This was not, however, the first of his literary productions; his critical essay on Goethe's