I not been assured by educated men that these studies, especially my
work on Indian and Persian tongues, were in reality quite beside the
mark at which I aimed. Hebrew also was abandoned; but, on the other
hand, Greek irresistibly enthralled me, and nearly all my time and
energy were finally given to its study, with the help of the best books.

I was now free, happy, in good mental and bodily health and vigour, and
I gained peace within myself and without, through hard work, interrupted
only by an indisposition which kept me to my room for a few weeks. After
working all day alone, I used to walk out late in the evening, so that
at least I might receive a greeting from the friendly beams of the
setting sun. To invigorate my spirit as well as my bodily frame I would
walk on till near midnight in the beautiful neighbourhood which
surrounds Göttingen. The glittering starry sky harmonised well with my
thoughts, and a new object which appeared in the heavens at this time,
aroused my wonder in an especial degree. I knew but little of astronomy,
and the expected arrival of a large comet[74] was, therefore, quite
unknown to me; so that I found out the comet for myself, and that was a
source of special attraction. This object absorbed my contemplation in
those silent nights, and the thought of the all-embracing,
wide-spreading sphere of law and order above, developed and shaped
itself in my mind with especial force during my night-wanderings. I
often turned back home that I might note down in their freshness the
results of these musings; and then after a short sleep I rose again to
pursue my studies.

In this way the last half of the summer session passed quickly away, and
Michaelmas arrived.

The development of my inner life had meanwhile insensibly drawn me