Footnote 29:
Allusion to the battle of Mollwitz, 1741, which was won by Schwerin
alone, who, indignant at the blunders of the King, ordered him to ride
off, and assumed the command himself, which Frederick the Great never
forgave.—_Tr._
Footnote 30:
Bettina von Arnim.
Footnote 31:
A celebrated work on the Christian Dogma by Friedrich David
Strauss.—_Tr._
Footnote 32:
Humboldt refers here to _Schelling_, the philosopher, who had just
received from the King of Prussia a call to Berlin, and who, in a
penitent spirit, endeavored to reconcile Christianity and philosophy,
thus recanting his former views. Humboldt was quite exasperated at his
conduct.—_Tr._
Footnote 33:
The Stercoranists are those who believe that the Host is subject to
digestion.—_Tr._
Footnote 34:
King Ernest August of Hanover.
Footnote 35:
Allusion to the new order—pour le mérite.
Footnote 36:
The usual festivities in family circles on New Year’s night in
Germany.—_Tr._
Footnote 37:
The work of Marc Fournier: Russie, Allemagne et France. Paris, 1844.
Footnote 38:
Arago uses _thou_ and _thee_ in his letter to Humboldt—the evidence of
great friendship and intimacy.
Footnote 39:
Humboldt had supplicated for a politically-prosecuted young man, who
is alluded to under that designation.—_Tr._
Footnote 40:
Humboldt refers here to a patriotic drama of Robert Prutz, “Moritz von
Sachsen,” the representation of which was forbidden by the Berlin
police.—_Tr._
Footnote 41:
Of the King, at the inauguration of the Provincial States.
Footnote 42:
Voltaire at Francfort-on-the-Main in 1753, by K. A. Varnhagen von
Ense.
Footnote 43:
Die “Politische” Wochenstube by Robert Prutz, a satire on Schelling
and his philosophy.—_Tr._
Footnote 44:
The cousin referred to is Margrave Albrecht, of Brandenburg, who, in
Prutz’s drama, “Moritz von Sachsen,” is represented as a “Robber
Knight.”—_Tr._
Footnote 45: