Sketch of the Life of' Professor Heeren. 105 



filed was an argumentation of two hours every other day, and 

 in that he excelled. When out of school, and left to himself 

 in consequence of his father's occupations, he frequented the 

 best society in the city. The spirit which prevailed in a free 

 and commercial town could not but influence his manner of 

 thinking. It was then the time of the American war, during 

 which the limited commerce of Bremen began to assume great 

 activity. Nothing was spoken of but enterprises in the East 

 and West Indies. Without imagining that he was one day to 

 write on commerce, he formed a high idea of it, and acquired 

 some knowledge of its nature. The citizens of this town pos- 

 sessed that degree of liberty and equality which is consistent 

 with a well organised and happy community. This public 

 spirit, and these impressions of youth, could not but influence 

 the historical studies to which he subsequently devoted himself; 

 and if in his works he has rightly apprehended the spirit of 

 institutions, he could say that he owed this apprehension not to 

 books only, but to the circumstances and the society in the 

 midst of which he lived. 



In 1779, he was sent to the University of Gottingen, to 

 study theology, being intended for the church. Hitherto hfe 

 was but ill versed in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew ; he found 

 his mind little adapted for philosophical .^peculations ; and from 

 ecclesiastical history he derived no advantage. One day, in 

 strolling through the town, he met with two of his friends who 

 were attending the lectures of the celebrated Heyne, on Greek 

 antiquities, and who induced him to accompany them as an 

 amateur. These lectures from the first made a strong impres- 

 sion upon him. They unveiled to him a new world, and car- 

 ried him back to the times that have passed away. Heyne''s 

 lectures imparted a new direction to his mind, and of all his 

 teachers it was he that had most influence upon his future pur- 

 suits. Theology was not entirely to his taste, and at Michaelis's 

 lectures he imbibed a disgust for the exigesis. The first two 

 years which he passed at the University were in a manner lost 

 to him. He felt that he could do nothing without a profound 

 knowledge of the Greek language. A prospect presented itself 

 to him of being appointed professor to the Gymnasium at Bre- 

 men. From this period his studies were pursued on a fixed 



