BOYHOOD ii 



item for the medical student. As might have been expected, 

 his father's judgement of his German essay on ' The Ideas and 

 Art in Lessing's Nathan der Weise* was a little severe, although 

 he could not refrain from praising its simple and expressive 

 diction. 



Helmholtz solved his four mathematical tests, two being 

 geometrical and two arithmetical, correctly, his treatment of 

 them showing ' great lucidity and grip ' of the elements of 

 mathematics. In addition, he presented a fifth and voluntary 

 exercise on ' The Laws of the Free Fall of Bodies '. This essay, 

 as it now lies before us, shows unusual precision of thought 

 and expression, and it is obvious that the author had pondered 

 deeply and often over physical problems. 



The viva voce examination took place on September 12, 1838, 

 and young Helmholtz left the Gymnasium with brilliant 

 testimonials. 



In later years the staff of the Potsdam Gymnasium might 

 well be proud of the education for which the young man was 

 in part at least indebted to it. * Our teachers encouraged us to 

 read a great deal, and we were eventually able to peruse the 

 authors to whom they introduced us with comparative ease, 

 and did so at home after school hours, in addition to the study 

 of foreign languages. I took up English and Italian privately 

 at school, as well as Hebrew, and got a very good mark in 

 Hebrew. I even began Arabic in the first class with a master 

 who knew it, and found plenty of time for all these things/ 

 Later on he read the Fables of Lokman in the original, in his 

 leisure moments. 



As soon as he had received the Abiturienten certificate, his 

 father wrote on September 16 to Surgeon-General v. Wiebel : 

 ' I recommend this good boy, my dearest treasure, on whose 

 education I have expended my best energies, to the fatherly 

 care of one who is so valued for his goodness/ The father 

 had to guarantee a monthly allowance of 185. during his son's 

 term of study, to be paid quarterly, in advance, to the account 

 of the Institute, while the student was bound after his five 

 years' education at the King's expense to serve as surgeon 

 to a company or squadron for eight consecutive years. 



And so Hermann Helmholtz, permeated with a thirst for 

 knowledge, and inspired with a deep love for natural science, 



