i8 HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ 



to his parents and brothers and sisters for a longer holiday at 

 the close of the session. 



' We are through with all our lectures now except Mitscher- 

 lich's, as he only breaks up next Saturday. So I must stay 

 here all this week, and see how I can pass the time ; till now 

 I have employed it in reading Homer, Byron and Biot, and Kant ; 

 I am a little out of touch with all these studies, especially the 

 last, and need to apply myself to them again. That once done, 

 they fascinate me only the more. In particular I could hardly 

 tear myself away from Homer, and devoured two or three 

 books one after the other in an evening. I shall be with 

 you next Saturday or Sunday/ 



In the second term Helmholtz began to feel more at home 

 in his quarters; his studies assumed a serious aspect, and 

 he became especially engrossed in Johannes Muller's lectures 

 on physiology. In his leisure moments he studied Kant, and 

 the Second Part of Faust, and having been appointed assistant- 

 librarian of the Institute, found opportunities of enlarging his 

 knowledge by means of the more recondite works contained 

 in the library. In April, 1839, he writes to his parents : 



' Two important changes have been made in our section : my 

 comrade has moved into the next division above, where some one 

 has left, and another, who is bored with the Institute, has asked 

 for and obtained his discharge ; so that there were two vacancies 

 for University students. Meantime I have become acquainted 

 with several good fellows, and did not intend to trust to luck 

 a second time in the choice of a companion, so I proposed 

 to the worthy Konigsberger, who has improved very much 

 during the term, that we should join forces. We could either 

 have occupied my room or his. In order to escape the passing 

 through, and to have more space, I went to him, his room 

 being really intended for three men. So now I am living in 

 the third room of the wing in which I formerly inhabited 

 the first, and can use the right of way. My present chum 

 is a lanky fellow, unskilful and untidy in all mundane things, 

 but good-natured, conscientious, and talented. He has a 

 vast memory, e.g. last term he amused himself by learning 

 the Hecuba of Euripides by heart in odd quarters of an 

 hour at anatomy; he makes metrical translations from the 

 English, and from Euripides his favourite tragic author, and 



