334 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
Faculty of Arts, and embraces the humanities and the mathematical 
and natural sciences, the student is allowed to choose any two sub¬ 
jects he likes for his final examination; and if he passes in these, 
he gets his degree as Doctor of Philosophy. To pass, however, in 
any subject is supposed to imply, not a schoolboy preparation, but 
a manly mastery of the whole subject. For instance, in order to 
pass in G-reek and Latin philology a student would be called on to 
revise the readings in some Greek or Latin book, with scholarly 
reasons for all his opinions on each point, and, in addition, to show, 
viva voce , a complete knowledge of classical literature, philology, 
and antiquities. The liberty allowed to students is doubtless often 
abused. In a recent life of the Count von Bismarck it is men¬ 
tioned that, while attending the University of Berlin, he fought 
innumerable duels, and only attended one lecture. That lecture 
was by the eminent Professor Savigny; but Bismarck, thinking 
that he did not gain within the hour as much information as would 
suit his purposes, abandoned the course, and applied himself to a 
repetitor or crammer, by whose assistance he succeeded in passing 
the examination of the Law Faculty. 
On the whole, there is probably not so much industry among the 
students of a German as of a Scotch University; but there is far 
more than at Oxford or Cambridge. And whenever industry exists, 
being based on more complete previous preparation, and being in 
relation to really scientific lectures, it is probably of a higher and 
more fruitful kind than can be found among the students of Great 
Britain. 
Still, complaints are made against the Prussian university 
system. One of these is, that the students are too exclusively 
engaged in taking notes of lectures, and that they have too little 
practice of their creative faculties. The prejudicial effects of this 
may, perhaps, be traced in the want of the graces of style which 
characterises to so great an extent most German books. 
Another complaint is, that the students, though systematically 
prepared up to entrance into the university, are afterwards left 
without sufficient guidance as to the order in which they should 
take up successive subjects. 
It is quite possible that Prussia, which honestly and thoroughly 
desires the best in education, may descend a little from the clouds 
