re unwell,
and wondered why you did not write. Happily, that point is as
good as settled now, even by your silence about it. I have, half
an hour ago, received your Concord Letter of the 19th of March.
The Letter you speak of there as "written last Saturday" has not
yet made its appearance, but may be looked for now shortly: as
there is no mention here of any mischance, except the shortcoming
of Printers' copy, I infer that all else is in a tolerably
correct state; I wait patiently for the "last Saturday" tidings,
and will answer as to the matters of copy, in good heart, without
loss of a moment.

There is nothing of the manuscript sort in Teufelsdrockh's
repositories that would suit you well; nothing at all in a
completed state, except a long rigmarole dissertation (in a
crabbed sardonic vein) about the early history of the Teutonic
Kindred, wriggling itself along not in the best style through
Proverb lore, and I know not what, till it end (if my memory
serve) in a kind of Essay on the _Minnesingers._ It was written
almost ten years ago, and never contented me well. It formed
part of a lucklessly projected _History of German Literature,_
subsequent portions of which, the _Nibelungen_ and _Reinecke
Fox,_ you have already printed. The unfortunate "_Cabinet
Library_ Editor," or whatever his title was, broke down; and I
let him off,--without paying me; and this alone remains of the
misventure; a thing not fit for you, nor indeed at bottom for
anybody, though I have never burnt it yet. My other Manuscripts
are scratchings and scrawlings;--children's _infant_ souls
weeping because they never could be born, but were left there
whimpering _in limine primo!_

On this side, therefore, is no help. Nevertheless, it seems to
me, otherwise there is. _Varnhagen_ may be printed I think
without offence, since there is need of it: if that will make up
your fourth volume to a due size, why not? It is the last faint
murmur one gives in Periodical Literature, and may indicate the
approach of silence and slumber. I know no errors of the Press
in _Varnhagen:_ there is one thing about Jean Paul F. Richter's
_want_ of humor in his _speech,_ which somehow I could like to
have the opportunity of uttering a word on, though _what_ word I
see not very well. My notion is partly that V. overstates the
thing, taking a Berlin _propos de salon_ for a scientifically
accurate record; and partly farther that the defect (if any) was