“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.