In regard to the said letter, Varnhagen says in his diary, under date of
April 2d, 1840: “When returning home, found a letter from Prince
Metternich—a long one, under his own hand. He declares my picture of the
Congress of Vienna to be a perfectly faithful one, a few points
excepted, which ought to be corrected. He himself corrects, in detail,
the description of the effect of the news at Vienna, that Napoleon had
left Elba. It is a letter of historical value.”
Under date of the 5th of the same month, Varnhagen mentions again the
Metternich letter. “In the afternoon,” he says, “Humboldt called. He had
heard of the letter from Wittgenstein, who had spoken of it to Count
Orloff and others, as a most remarkable production. Humboldt also was
astonished and delighted. He showed me a letter which Prince Metternich
had addressed him, as to the position of several naturalists at Vienna,
and the presidency of the Archæological Society at Rome. Humboldt tells
me of dark tendencies of the Westphalian nobility, which the
Crown-Prince favors. They think of establishing a great Catholic
seminary for young noblemen—a proper nursery for Jesuits.” On Humboldt’s
remarking that the Crown-Prince, perhaps, out of absence of mind, had
not reflected on the important consequence of the King’s illness,
Minister von Rochow made the following reply: “Oh, certainly he has
thought of it! And he has prepared various things, which he means then
to propose. But to his views and commands in ecclesiastical matters I
should be highly opposed.”
46.
_April 13th, 1840._
The Crown-Prince has expressly charged me to offer you, dear friend, his
thanks for such an interesting communication. Count Alvensleben was
present. Every one considered the letter a gratifying testimonial to you
and to your description of the Congress, and praised it for the noble
simplicity in which one of the most remarkable events is recited. “Et
tout cela prouve que ma fille est muette,” and that a talent like yours
(in advising, in describing, and in knowledge of mankind) is allowed to
be idle, so that after your death, as after my brother’s, people will
express their astonishment at your not having been employed in time.