Alexander von Humboldt
When Humboldt was made honorary citizen of Berlin, he made the customary visits of thanks to all the city fathers. In his round he came to the house of an elderly councilman, who hurried down-stairs in his lounging robe and received his distinguished guest at the carriage door, with the explanation that he would never permit the venerable gentleman to climb the stairs in his behalf. At the same time, he was not going to deny himself the honor of a conversation. So he climbed into the carriage, exchanged with Humboldt for a quarter of an hour the usual courtesies, and ended his visit by slipping back into his house, calling to the coachman “to go on.”