560 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE -VI 



physical science Helmholtz and Hofmann. Meeting 

 them one evening at a court festivity, I was told by Hof 

 mann of an experience of his in Scotland. He had ar 

 rived in Glasgow late on Saturday night, and on Sunday 

 morning went to call on Professor Sir William Thomson, 

 now Lord Kelvin. The door-bell was answered by a wo 

 man servant, of whom Hofmann asked if Sir William was 

 at home. To this the servant answered, &quot;Sir, he most 

 certainly is not.&quot; Hofmann then asked, &quot;Could you tell 

 me where I might find him?&quot; She answered, &quot;Sir, you 

 will find him at church, where you ought to be. 



My acquaintance with university men was not confined 

 to Berlin ; at Leipsic, Halle, Giessen, Heidelberg, and else 

 where, I also found delightful professorial circles. In my 

 favorite field, I was especially struck with the historian 

 Oncken. As a lecturer he was perfect; and I have often 

 advised American historical students to pass a semester, 

 if not more, at Giessen, in order to study his presentation 

 of historical subjects. As to manner, he was the best lec 

 turer on history I heard in Germany ; and, with the excep 

 tion of Laboulaye at the College de France, Seelye at 

 English Cambridge, and Goldwin Smith at Cornell, the 

 best I ever heard anywhere. 



Especially delightful were sundry men of letters. Of 

 these I knew best Auerbach, whose delightful &quot;Dorfge- 

 schichten&quot; were then in full fame. He had been a warm 

 personal friend of Bayard Taylor, and this friendship I 

 inherited. Many were the walks and talks we took to 

 gether in the Thiergarten, and he often lighted up my 

 apartment with his sunny temper. But one day, as he 

 came in, returning from his long vacation, I said to him : 

 &quot;So you have been having a great joy at the unveiling of 

 the Spinoza statue at The Hague.&quot; &quot;A great joy!&quot; he 

 said. &quot;Bewdhre! far from it; it was wretched miser 

 able.&quot; I asked, &quot;How could that be!&quot; He answered, 

 &quot;Renan, Kuno Fischer, and myself were invited to make 

 addresses at the unveiling of the statue ; but when we ar 

 rived at the spot, we found that the Dutch Calvinist domi- 



