HIS EXCELLENCE

BARON

VON

THULEMEIER,

MINISTER OF STATE TO HIS PRUS-

SIAN MAJESTY IN THE DEPART-

MENT OF FOREIGN AF-

FAIRS, ETC. ETC.

Decorative woodcut initial M featuring ornate floral and leaf patterns.SIR,

I have the honor of dedicating my work to YOUR EXCELLENCE, not only to testify to the high esteem I hold for you, but because you are most capable of judging its merit. YOUR EXCELLENCE devotes to the Sciences and to Fine Literature original: "Belles-Lettres"; a 18th-century term for humanities and literature studied for their aesthetic and intellectual value. those moments which