"Le soussigne, charge d'affaires des Etats Unis de l'Amerique, saisit avec empressement cette occasion d'offrir a votre Majeste l'expression de sa consideration la plus haute et la plus distinguee.

"R.P. FLENIKEN.

"A Sa Majeste FREDERIC VII., Roi de Danemark, Duc de Slesvig et de Holstein."

* * * * *

TRANSLATION.

"Legation of the United States of America,} City of Copenhagen, September 4th, 1848. }

"SIRE: The undersigned has the honor, through your Majesty's minister of state and chief of the department of foreign affairs, to communicate to you a letter from a very distinguished citizen of the United States, together with copies of a correspondence relating to a subject in which your Majesty, alike distinguished for generous liberality in social and political affairs as a sovereign, as well as an ardent admirer of science and of literature, will doubtless feel a lively interest.

"The undersigned is happy to be the medium through which those papers reach the eye of your Majesty, feeling sensible that their perusal will furnish occasion to your Majesty to recur with much national pleasure to the act of one of your illustrious predecessors as a distinguished patron of science; and this recurrence to the eminent position that Denmark has attained in the arts and the sciences may perhaps not be the less pleasurable from the fact that the trophy of science to which the papers allude was achieved on the very coast where, as far back as the tenth century, the intrepidity and enterprise of your Majesty's Scandinavian ancestors first discovered and planted a colony upon the great western continent.

"The undersigned therefore hopes that, after a careful examination of the accompanying papers, from which it would seem to be admitted that Miss Mitchell, of the United States, is entitled to the honor of first discovering the telescopic comet bearing her name, your Majesty will not be able to perceive in that commendable delicacy which forbade her hastily seeking public notoriety a sufficient motive for withholding from her the reward of her eminent discovery; but, on the contrary, will direct the medal to be awarded to her, not only as a suitable encouragement to her distinguished scientific attainments, but also as evincing your Majesty's appreciation of that beautiful virtue which withheld her from rushing into public and scientific renown merely to comply with a purely technical condition.

"The undersigned, American charge d'affaires, gladly improves this very pleasant occasion to tender to your Majesty the expression of his high and most distinguished consideration.

[Signed] "R. P. FLENIKEN.

"To his Majesty FREDERIC VII., King of Denmark, Duke of Schleswig and Holstein."

* * * * *

THE COUNT DE KNUTH TO MR. FLENIKEN.

"Copenhague, ce 6 Octobre, 1848.

"MONSIEUR: J'ai eu l'honneur de recevoir votre office du 6 du passe, par lequel vous avez exprime le desir que la medaille instituee par feu le Roi Frederic VI., en recompense de la decouverte de cometes telescopiques, fut accordee a Mlle. Maria Mitchell, de Nantucket dans les Etats Unis d'Amerique.

"Apres avoir examine les pieces justificatives que vous avez bien voulu me communiquer relativement a cette reclamation, je ne saurais que partager votre avis, Monsieur, qu'il parait hors de doute que la decouverte de la comete en question est effectivement due aux savantes recherches de Mlle. Mitchell; et que ce n'est que faute de n'avoir pas observe les formalites prescrites, qu'elle n'a point jusqu'ici recu une marque de distinction a laquelle elle parait avoir de si justes titres.

"Le savant astronome, le Professeur Schumacher, ayant egalement recommande Mlle. Mitchell a la faveur qu'elle sollicite maintenant, je me suis empresse de referer cette question au roi, mon auguste maitre, en mettant en meme temps sous les yeux de sa Majeste la lettre que vous lui avez adressee a ce sujet; et c'est avec bien du plaisir que je me vois aujourd'hui a meme de vous faire part, Monsieur, que sa Majeste n'a point hesite a satisfaire a votre demande, en accordant a Mlle. Mitchell la medaille qu'elle ambitionne.

"Aussitot que cette medaille sera frappee, je m'empresserai de vous la faire parvenir.

"En attendant je saisis avec bien du plaisir cette occasion pour vous renouveler, Monsieur, les assurances de ma consideration tres distinguee.

"F.W. KNUTH.

"A MONSIEUR FLENIKEN, Charge d'Affaires des Etats Unis d'Amerique."

* * * * *

TRANSLATION.

"Copenhagen, 6th October, 1848.

"SIR: I have had the honor to receive your communication of the 6th ultimo, in which you express the desire that the medal instituted by his late Majesty, Frederic VI., as a reward for the discovery of telescopic comets, should be granted to Miss Maria Mitchell, of Nantucket, in the United States of America.

"On examination of the justificatory pieces which you have been good enough to forward me, relating to her claim, I cannot do otherwise than participate in your opinion, sir, that it would appear to admit of no doubt that the discovery of the comet in question was really due to Miss Mitchell's learned researches; and that her not having as yet received a mark of distinction to which she seems to have such a just claim was entirely owing to her not having observed the prescribed forms.

"The learned astronomer, Professor Schumacher, having likewise recommended Miss Mitchell to the favor which she now solicits, I hasten to refer this question to the king, my august master, at the same time laying before His Majesty the letter which you have addressed to him on this subject; and I have much pleasure in being now enabled to inform you, sir, that His Majesty has not hesitated to grant your request by awarding to Miss Mitchell the medal which she desires.

"As soon as this medal is struck, I will have it forwarded to you, and meanwhile have much pleasure in availing myself of this occasion to renew to you, sir, the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.

[Signed] "F.W. KNUTH.

"To MR. FLENIKEN, Charge d'Affaires of the United States of America."

* * * * *

MR. FLENIKEN TO THE COUNT DE KNUTH.

"Legation des Etats Unis d'Amerique, a Copenhague, le 7 Octobre, 1848.

"MONSIEUR: Le soussigne a eu l'honneur de recevoir l'office que votre Excellence lui a addresse en date d'hier pour lui faire part de la nouvelle heureuse que sa Majeste, apres avoir examine les documents que vous avez bien voulu lui soumettre, ayant pour objet d'etablir le fait que Mlle. Mitchell ait la premiere decouvert la comete telescopique d'Octobre de l'an dernier, a bien voulu trouver ces preuves suffisantes, et a ordonne qu'on frappe une medaille, afin de la lui faire presenter comme une marque de distinction que sa Majeste croit qu'elle merite en effet, quoiqu'elle n'ait pas rigoureusement observe les formalites prescrites par le Roi Frederic VI., fondateur de ce don.

"Le soussigne s'empresse donc d'assurer votre Excellence et en meme temps de vous prier, Monsieur, de vouloir bien faire parvenir cette assurance a sa Majeste, que cet acte signale de liberalite ne peut manquer d'etre dignement et hautement apprecie par les institutions scientifiques des Etats Unis, par Mlle. Mitchell qui est l'objet de cette distinction genereuse, et par les nombreux amis scientifiques de cette dame; enfin, par tous ceux qui prennent de l'interet a la reussite heureuse des recherches astronomiques.

"Le soussigne ne peut terminer cette communication sans exprimer a votre Excellence (en la priant de porter aussi ses sentiments a la connaissance de sa Majeste) sa vive appreciation de ce noble et eclatant acte de justice, si promptement et si genereusement rendu a sa jeune compatriote par le roi de Danemark, et il saisit avec empressement cette occasion de renouveler a votre Excellence les assurances de sa consideration tres distinguee.

"R.P. FLENIKEN.

"A Son Excellence M. LE COMTE DE KNUTH, Ministre d'Etat et Chef du Departement des Affaires Etrangeres."

* * * * *

TRANSLATION.

"Legation of the United States,} Copenhagen, October 7th, 1848. }

"SIR: The undersigned has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's communication of yesterday's date, conveying to him the gratifying intelligence that His Majesty, from an examination of the evidence which you obligingly laid before him, tending to establish the fact of Miss Mitchell's having discovered the telescopic comet of October, last, has been pleased to consider it quite satisfactory, and has ordered a medal to be struck for her as a mark of distinction to which his Majesty deems her entitled, notwithstanding her omission to comply with the prescribed conditions of Frederic VI., who instituted the donation.

"The undersigned, therefore, begs to express to you, sir, and through you to His Majesty, the assurance that this eminent act of liberality cannot fail to be duly and highly appreciated by the scientific institutions of his own country, by Miss Mitchell herself, who is the object of this generous distinction, and by her numerous scientific friends, as well as by all who feel an interest in successful astronomical achievements.

"The undersigned cannot close this communication without expressing to you and to the king his own unaffected appreciation of this noble and distinguished act of justice, so promptly and so generously bestowed upon his unobtrusive countrywoman by the king of Denmark, and avails himself of the occasion to renew to your Excellency the assurance of his most distinguished consideration.

[Signed] "R.P. FLENIKEN.

"To His Excellency THE COUNT DE KNUTH, Minister of State, etc., etc., etc."

THE END