Esteemed Sir,

He who has the pleasure of delivering this letter to you is the son of one of the finest men serving Frederick the Great. His worthy father, who knows you, thought that to this significant recommendation my own recommendation would make an additional contribution. Since this opinion of how you estimate my worth is so flattering to me, I would like in any case to be able to preserve it among good people, and you, dearest Herr Professor, you love me really too well to impute this to my vanity. In any case, every young person who strives after wisdom is recommended like a son to you and this one has authenticated witnesses testifying that he is worthy of your guidance.

I don't know what persons from Königsberg assured me several months ago that you were going to visit us this summer, traveling beyond here to Pyrmont or Spa. Can your friends hope for this? Such a journey would on the whole be good for you, even without bath and springs, and I should think that you were obligated to sacrifice to Aesculapius your convenience and the whole army of scruples which a clever hypochondria can bring up to oppose the journey. You would find many open arms in Berlin, but also many an open heart, among them one that belongs to a man who voices his admiration for you even if he cannot follow you.