PROFESSOR AT BONN 165 



Government, had already expressed his displeasure at the way 

 the Prussian Government have subordinated scientific interests 

 to those of Church and State on several occasions, when my 

 resignation was laid before him. He took this opportunity of 

 once more fulminating against the Minister, and proposed to 

 settle the matter in person with the Grand Duke of Baden. 

 The Minister did not at first agree to this, as it was a reproach 

 to himself. Finally, when J. Miiller was dead, and there was' a 

 want of good candidates, came a request from the Ministry that 

 I would remain here under the same conditions as were offered 

 me at Heidelberg/ 



He gives the following account of these negotiations to his 

 father : 



' I now know from reliable sources that the negotiations 

 of which Olga has told you were really undertaken in con- 

 sequence of the Prince of Prussia's action, although this has 

 since been expressly denied. I had already promised -the 

 Baden Government to accept the post in Heidelberg, and had 

 no very pressing interest to make me give Bonn the pre- 

 ference. Although, generally speaking, it is my rule to stay 

 where I am well off in many respects, and not to exchange 

 what is known and endurable for the unknown, because it 

 has a more seductive aspect, and though Olga's health makes 

 a move undesirable, and the pecuniary emoluments may, at 

 the outset, be larger here than in Heidelberg still it must 

 be admitted that the people there seem most anxious to do 

 whatever is necessary, in order to promote the scientific success 

 of the position offered me. In Prussia they are promising 

 me what I asked, only for personal reasons, and would 

 probably carry it out literally, refusing later on what would 

 by then be absolutely necessary, in the way they always 

 stint everything connected with the University. So that I 

 really had no reason for pulling the chestnuts out of the fire, 

 and compromising myself with the Baden Government for the 

 sake of Prussia. 



' At first they simply tried to make me break my word, and 

 quoted a string of stories about other Professors who had 

 broken theirs. I declined firmly. Next they wanted me to 

 appeal to the Prussian Government to back up a petition 

 to Baden to absolve me from my promise; a statement to 



