time, with his insatiable thirst after knowledge,
attending courses of lectures on astronomy, mineralogy, and other subjects
apparently so foreign to the main current of his mind. When Mr. Astor left
him to return to America, Bunsen went to Holland to see a sister to whom
he was deeply attached, and who seems to have shared with him the same
religious convictions which in youth, manhood, and old age formed the
foundation of Bunsen's life. Some of Bunsen's detractors have accused him
of professing Christian piety in circles where such professions were sure
to be well received. Let them read now the annals of his early life, and
they will find to their shame how boldly the same Bunsen professed his
religious convictions among the students and professors of Goettingen, who
either scoffed at Christianity or only tolerated it as a kind of harmless
superstition. We shall only quote one instance:--

"Bunsen, when a young student at Goettingen, once suddenly quitted
a lecture in indignation at the unworthy manner in which the most
sacred subjects were treated by one of the professors. The
professor paused at the interruption, and hazarded the remark that
'some one belonging to the Old Testament had possibly slipped in
unrecognized.' That called forth a burst of laughter from the
entire audience, all being as well aware as the lecturer himself
who it was that had mortified him."

During his stay in Holland, Bunsen not only studied the language and
literature of that country, but his mind was also much occupied in
observing the national and religious character of this small but
interesting branch of the Teutonic race. He writes:--

"In all things the German, or, if you will, the Teutonic character
is worked out into form in a manner more decidedly national than
anywhere else.... This journey has yet more confirmed my decision
to become acquainted with the entire Germanic race, and then to
proceed with the development of my governing ideas (_i.e._ the
study of Eastern languages in elucidation of Western thought). For
this purpose I am about to travel with Brandis to Copenhagen to
learn Danish, and, above all, Icelandic."

And so he did. The young student, as yet without any prospects in life,
threw up his position at Goettingen, declined to waste his energies as a
schoolmaster, and started, we hardly know how, on his journey to Denmark.
There, in company wi