IIUMI3OLDT, KAHL BARON VON, on of Hp most distinguished linguists of his time, was bore at Potsdam, near Berlie, on the 22nd of June 1767, and after having received a careful edu cation, together with his celebrated younger brother, the Baron Alexander von Humboldt, the subject of the preceding articia,studied law in the universities of GOttingen and Jena. At Jena he formed an intimftte and lasting friendship with the poet Schiller, who Led great influence over him, and early turned his attention towards those studies in which he afterwards rose to great eminence,—philology, philosophy, and aesthetics. Humboldt wrote at an early age several essays and memoirs, and made translations from the Greek philo sophers and poets, which appeared in different reviews in Germany ; but though he was distinguished by his talents from most of his equals in age, he examined himself carefully before he entered upon any subject with a view to publish his ideas. He was thirty-three when he published his first great production, a eritical essay on GUthe's poem 'Hermann and Dorothea:' but this work at once established his fame, and is in its way a model of resthetical criticism. After Humboldt had left Jena (1793) he carried on a correspoudauco with Schiller, which was published at Stuttgart in 1830, and which is one of the most remarkable collections of private letters that have ever been printed. They exchanged their ideas on various topics, especially on metaphysics, poetry, and history ; the letters aro extremely clear and well written, and those of Humboldt are quite as interesting as those of Schiller. It is pleasant to see that these two eminent men were just towards each other with regard to their respective accomplishments and deficiencies, as will be seen from Sehiller's judgment of Humboldt in another part of this article. In 1802 Humboldt was appointed resident, and a few years afterwards minister plenipotentiary at the Holy See. After his return front Rome, in 1808, he was made chief of the departments of religion and public instruction in the home ministry, but tendered his rosignstion two years afterwards, and for some time retired to his seat at Tegol, near Berlin, where he devoted his time exclusively to literature, till, in 1812, he was sent as ambassador to Vienna. In this capacity he
took part at the Conferences of Prague in the summer of 1813, where, after long negociations, Austria gave up her neutral position and espoused the cause of Prussia and Russia. During the campaigns of 1813 and 1814 he was in the head-quarters of the King of Prussia, Frederick William III.; assisted at the confereuces of ChAtillou ; signed with Hardanberg the .Treaty of Paris ; and after the peace returned to Vienna, where he discharged the functions of minister plenipotentiary of Prussia, together with Hardenberg, at the Congress of Vienna. The treaty of 1815, through which the King of Saxony lost one-half of his kingdom, which was given to Prussia, was con trived and signed by Humboldt. He continued his diplomatic career at Frankfurt, where he made himself conspicuous through his con ciliatory eloquence iu the delicate business of dividing Germany among its princes, and afterwards as ambassador at the court of St. James's, which he left during a short time in order to assist at the Cougress of Aix-la-Chapelle. In 1819 he was appointed minister and a privy councillor at Berlin. The retrograde policy of the King of Prussia was supported by the state-chancellor, Prince Hardauberg ; but Humboldt and the ministers Von Beyme and Von Boyen tried to persuade the king to be faithful to those liberal principles which he had proclaimed in 1818, and especially advised him to keep the solemn promise he had given to introduce a general national representation. Unable to oppose a barrier to the king's policy, Humboldt, Beyme, and Boyce tendered their resignation, and Humboldt again retired to Tegel, where he henceforth devoted all his time to literature. He died ou the 8th of April 1835.