254 
LMay, 
Incidents of the Early Life of 
then, as has been said, Master of the Horse to the “ Kur- 
prinz ” of Hessia, a potentate not represented by history in 
a flattering light. His impetuous and violently passionate 
temper knew no bounds. As he visited his stables one day 
in the company of his Master of the Horse, some trifling 
circumstance excited his anger to such a degree that he in- 
sulted him in the most unbearable manner, and finally pro- 
ceeded to aCts of violence. This was too much even for our 
good Wohler ; he seized a riding-whip, and gave his Highness 
such a correction as probably he had often deserved, yet 
never received. A good horse soon removed the avenger out 
of the immediate jurisdiction of the chastised potentate, 
and the Prince, justly fearing to appear ridiculous, had sense 
enough not to prosecute the fugitive. Wohler’s family, 
however, was obliged to leave the town in a hurry, and his 
wife was most happy to find refuge in the house of her 
brother-in-law. 
When the boy had attained his seventh year, his father 
himself taught him the rudiments of reading, writing, and 
drawing. He then was sent to a public school, and after- 
wards took private lessons in Latin, French, and music. 
In the year 1814 Wohler entered the Gymnasium at Frank- 
fort, where he pursued his studies up to the time he left for 
the University. He regularly went to school, and was pro- 
moted to the higher classes after the usual time, yet did not 
distinguish himself, as he afterwards candidly acknowledged, 
either by zeal or by learning ; the reason being that he was 
constantly engaged in chemical experiments, as well as in 
the gathering of minerals, and thus his tasks were often 
neglected. To this early awakened passion he was indebted 
for the honour of being presented to Goethe, whom he met 
in the shop of a dealer in minerals. 
Dr. Buch, a man of high culture, a physician by profession, 
had great influence on Wohler’s scientific career. It was 
from him that he received the first impulse for serious phy- 
sical studies. He published in 1821 a little essay, at the 
head of which Wohler’s name appears for the first time in 
literature. The use of Dr. Buch’s well-assorted library 
better enabled him to fathom the secrets of chemical pro- 
cesses, and soon experimental research became with him an 
all-absorbing passion. There were other things besides that 
interested the boy. He had regular lessons in drawing, made 
sketches from Nature, and even tried his hand at oil-painting. 
Under the direction of a young painter, with whom he took 
lessons, he began to study more closely the poetical literature 
of his country, which then had already obtained a high degree 
of perfection. 
