twenty strong in a jolly group at a long table, and began by welcoming
and pledging one another to friendship. It was here that Langethal
introduced me to a university friend of his at Berlin, the young
Middendorff, a divinity student from the Mark.[80] Keeping together in a
merry little society till the middle of the lovely spring night, we
united again next morning in a visit to the splendid cathedral of
Meissen. Thus from the very first did we three join fast in a common
struggle towards and on behalf of the higher life, and even if we have
not always remained in the like close outward bonds of union, we have
from that time to this, now near upon fifteen years, never lost our
comradeship in the inner life and our common endeavour after
self-education. Both Langethal and Middendorff had a third friend, named
Bauer, amongst our comrades of the camp. With him also, as I think, I
made acquaintance as early as at Meissen, but it was more particularly
at Havelberg, later on, that Bauer and I struck up a friendship
together, which has ever since endured. Even when we have not been
together in outward life, we have always remained one in our endeavours
after the highest and best. Bauer closed the narrow circle of my
friends amongst our companions in arms.[81]

I remained true to my previous way of life and thought in the manner in
which I viewed my new soldier life. My main care was always to educate
myself for the actual calling which at the moment I was following; thus,
amongst the first things I took in hand was an attempt at finding the
inner necessity and connection of the various parts of the drill and the
military services, in which, without any previous acquaintance with
military affairs, I managed, in consequence of my mathematical and
physical knowledge, to succeed very fairly and without any great
difficulty. I was able to protect myself, therefore, against many small
reprimands, which fell tolerably frequently on those who had thought