39<5 University of Bonn. [Arttit, 



each ; and with education for two thousand, out of a population of six 

 millions, the Netherlands are not much better off than England, which 

 reckons about five thousand at Oxford and Cambridge, out of twelve 

 millions of inhabitants. The central situation of Bonn obtains for it 

 many young men from the Netherlands and Switzerland, and a few 

 English and Scotch. Its cheapness is also no small recommendation. I 

 speak under the mark when I say, that for 20/. a year to the University 

 and professors' fees, and 40/. more for lodging and necessaries of all 

 kinds, one may have here a first-rate education. The students live like 

 independent men, and are in no way under the control of the rector, 

 except whilst they attend the lectures. The characteristics of Bonn, as 

 distinguished from Oxford, are 1st. Its limited expense ; 2d. The 

 earnestness shewn by the students in the prosecution of their studies ; 

 and, 3dly. That it is unconnected with any particular form of religion. 

 In fact, the plan is entirely the same as that proposed for the new esta- 

 blishment in London ; and I am happy in hoping that the care of the 

 council in selecting the London professors, will probably raise its fame, 

 as has been done at Bonn. 



Of this establishment, Professor Niebuhr, the Roman historian, holds 

 the first rank in the estimation of the Germans, and, indeed, of all 

 Europe. He is a Dane by birth, and is the son of the famous traveller 

 in Arabia and the East. He held for many years the office of Prussian 

 minister at the court of Rome, and has subsequently resided altogether 

 in Bonn. The two volumes of his great work, which he was led to pro- 

 duce by the topographical researches he had made in Rome, is now too 

 well known to require any comment. It is only to be regretted that the 

 first edition has been translated into English since the publication of the 

 second edition : it was contrary to the express wishes of the author and 

 his friends, who look forward with more confidence to the promised 

 translation by Messrs. Hare and Thelwall. When the remaining volumes 

 appear, and when our countryman, Mr. Arnold (who is much spoken of 

 here), brings forth his promised work on the same subject, a bright 

 light will indeed be thrown on Roman history. Niebuhr is in the mean 

 time lecturing on the geography and ethnography of the ancients, and 

 on those branches of political economy which comprise finance, currency, 

 and banking. He resides in Kolnstrasse, was married not long ago, 

 and has several children. He is thin and slight in his person, and is 

 somewhat of an invalid. His house contains several choice Italian pic- 

 tures : and the professor is now become quite a lion to travellers, I sus- 

 pect somewhat to his annoyance, though his civility and kindness always 

 ensure a hospitable reception. 



Professor A. G. Schlegel is also well known in England for the extent 

 of his historical researches, particularly into the ancient history of India 

 and the Eastern nations. He is remarkably neat in his appearance, and 

 gave me more the idea of an English man of fashion than a German his- 

 torian. He is lecturing for the ensuing year on Herodotus's description 

 of Egypt, which he illustrates in Latin, historically and geographically ; 

 and on general history, up to the overthrow of the Western Empire. He 

 also gives, privatissime, to a select few, an interpretation of the jRa- 

 meidos, an Indian heroic poem, of which there are few, indeed, who 

 know even the name. 



I have obtained a programme of the lectures for the year 1827-1828, 



