in "HEIDELBERG DU FEINE" 59 



likewise but little aid from the State. In short, when 

 one now visits Berlin and sees the magnificence of its 

 buildings and the extent and completeness of its educa- 

 tional institutions, it is hard to realise that this enormous 

 development has been accomplished in the short period 

 of half a century. 



In the summer of 1854 my sister was married to 

 Edward Enfield at the British Embassy in Berne, in 

 presence of ourselves and the Crompton family, who 

 were spending the summer on the Continent. I intro- 

 duced Mr. Justice Crompton to Professor Mittermaier, 

 of Heidelberg, who was highly flattered at making the 

 acquaintance of an English judge, or " my Lord 

 Crompton," as he called him, and they had a dis- 

 cussion for Mittermaier spoke fairly good English 

 on the subject of English law, which was his speciality. 

 After the interview I asked the judge what he thought 

 of the professor's knowledge of English law. " Well," 

 he said, "he has about as much idea of the principles 

 and practice of English law as my boots ! " But I 

 hope the judge was a little hard on the old man. 



In the autumn of 1855 I returned to Heidelberg 

 and continued the work which I had begun with 

 Bunsen on the chemical action of light, and this kept 

 me busy. I remember that much of my work was 

 done in the loft of the laboratory, a portion of which 

 was boarded off for me as I had to work in the dark 

 and the heat during that summer was abnormal. 

 I used to work with very little clothing on, but stuck 

 at it hard, week after week, meeting with all sorts of 

 discouragements, but at last succeeding in obtaining 

 the wished-for results. Bunsen was deeply interested 

 in what I was doing. 



After my appointment as professor in Manchester in 

 1857, of which more anon, I spent four summer 



