384 HEINRICH WILHELM DOTE. 



and velocities of shooting-stars and meteors ; and had assigned them 

 their true place in the Cosmos, outside the earth's atmosphere. Under 

 this new inspiration, Dove abandoned his first love, and courted the 

 natural sciences, especially physics and mathematics. But lie was 

 not destined to complete his studies at Breslau. Academical life at 

 this time was full of excitement. In 1815 the national alliance of 

 German students (Burschenschaft) was formed: the Wartburgfest 

 of 1817 had given many an opportunity to join this association. Al- 

 though it was forbidden in 1819, after the murder of Kotzebue, the 

 fellowship continued. At the Jubilee of Dove's doctorate, in 1876, 

 Dr. Falk said that his father and Dove were not only classmates 

 (Primaner), but fellow-members of the Burschenschaft; and that, 

 while his father had the taste of the inside of a fortress, Dove came 

 off with exile. 



Dove went to Berlin, to continue his studies. There he gave his 

 time to physics, and was in intimate friendly relations with the emi- 

 nent interpreter of that subject, Paul Erman. He also studied dili- 

 gently Hegel's philosophy, including his natural philosophy ; but he 

 did not conceal the fact that he was not a convert to the Hegelian 

 philosophy. He graduated on March 4, 1826, and in his dissertation 

 for the Doctor's degree, De Barometri Mutationibus, he first blos- 

 somed out as a meteorologist, and foreshadowed the career in which 

 he was to achieve his greatest distinction. 



Dove was now twenty-two years old. The death of his mother had 

 left him wholly to his own resources, since none of his brothers could 

 aid him in the intellectual objects of his ambition. He left Berlin 

 and took up his residence in Konigsberg for the study and teaching 

 of the physical sciences. At first he was a Privat-docent, and for two 

 years Professor Extraordinary. In the first semester of 1826-27, he 

 instructed publicly in thermics, and privately on the general principles 

 of physics and experimental optics. Dove was young for a teacher ; 

 and his small, elastic, compact figure made him appear younger than 

 he was. At the Jubilee celebration of 1876, to which allusion has 

 already been made, Helmholtz described the subdued delight with 

 which Dove was reading his first announcement on the blackboard of 

 the University, when one of the older students clapped him on the 

 shoulder, and said : " Well, little fellow (Fiichslein), have you selected 

 the lectures which you wish to hear?" "Yes," he replied, "I shall 

 hear Dove." The older student answered, " That is right good : you 

 will enjoy all his wisdom to yourself." 



At Konigsberg, Dove's intellectual life was greatly stimulated in 



