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ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
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ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
First topic message reminder :
ஆங்கிலேயர்களால் பிரித்தாள்வதற்காக தோற்றுவிக்கப்பட்ட ஆரியர்களின் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு கொள்கைகள் இன்றும் நம் பாடபுத்தகங்களை ஆக்கிரமித்துள்ளது.
ஆரியர்களின் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு கொள்கைகளுக்கு எதிரான வாதங்கள் சிலவற்றை பார்போம்.
1. வேதங்கள் ஆரியர் என்ற வார்த்தையை மனிதர்கள் பின்பற்றக்கூடிய உயரிய குணங்களை உடையவர் என்றே கூறுகிறது.
2. வேதங்களில் ஆரியர் எந்த வெளிநாட்டிலிருந்தும் வந்ததாக தெரிவிக்கவில்லை.
3. 1946 ல் அம்பேத்காரல் எழுதப்பட்ட " யார் சூத்திரர்கள்" என்ற நூலில் மேற்க்கத்தியர்களால் உருவாக்கப்பட்ட ஆரியர் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு கொள்கை பல விஷயங்களை விளக்க தவறி இருக்கிறது. இது முன்னமே உருவாக்கப்பட்டு அதற்கெற்றார் போல் சூழ்நிலைகள் உருவாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. என்று கூறியுள்ளார்.
4. சுவாமி விவேகானந்தர் அமெரிக்காவில் ஆற்றிய சொற்பொழிவில் பின்வருமாறு கூறியுள்ளார் "உங்களது ஐரோப்பிய பண்டிதர்கள் கூறுவது போல் ஆரியர்கள் வெளிநாட்டிலிருந்து வந்து இந்தியாவிலுள்ள ஆதி குடிமக்களை வென்று அதிகாரம் செலுத்தினர் என்பது முட்டாள் தனமான பேச்சாகும். இதில் வேடிக்கையானது என்னவென்றால் எங்கள் இந்திய பண்டிதர்களும் அவர்களுக்கு ஆமாம் போடுவது தான்" .
5. அரவிந்தர் அவரது வேதங்களின் ரகசியம் எனும் நூலில் " ஆரியர் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு கொள்கை அதன் தரத்தில் மிகவும் குறைவாகவும் அதன் முக்கியதுவத்தில் நிச்சயமற்றதாகவும் உள்ளது. அதை பற்றிய எந்த ஒரு உண்மையும் முழுமையாக விவரிக்கப்படவில்லை" என்று கூறியுள்ளார்.
6. ஹரப்பா மற்றும் மோகஞ்சதரோ வில் பல ஆயிரம் வருடங்களுக்கு முன்பே நாகரிகங்கள் இருந்ததாக கூறப்படுகிறது . இதை வைதத்து பார்க்கும் பொது ஆரியர்கள் வெளிநாட்டிலிருந்து வந்து இந்த நவீன நகரங்களையும் கலாசாரங்களையும் அழித்திருப்பார் என்று கூறமுடியாது.
7. மேலும் ஹரப்பா மற்றும் மோகஞ்ச்சாதரோவில் பசுபதி எனும் சிவனை வழிபட்டுள்ளனர். அங்கு கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்ட சின்னங்களும் இந்து சமயம் சார்ந்ததாகவே உள்ளது. 5000 வருடங்களுக்கு முனதாகவே அதாவது ஆரியர் வந்தனர் என கூறப்படும் காலத்திற்க்கு முன்னதாகவே இந்து சமயம் இந்தியாவில் இருந்தது. எனவே வெளிநாட்டவர் இந்தியா வந்தனர் இந்து சமயத்தை பரப்பினர் என்று கூற வாய்பேயில்லை.
ஆங்கிலேயர்களால் பிரித்தாள்வதற்காக தோற்றுவிக்கப்பட்ட ஆரியர்களின் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு கொள்கைகள் இன்றும் நம் பாடபுத்தகங்களை ஆக்கிரமித்துள்ளது.
ஆரியர்களின் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு கொள்கைகளுக்கு எதிரான வாதங்கள் சிலவற்றை பார்போம்.
1. வேதங்கள் ஆரியர் என்ற வார்த்தையை மனிதர்கள் பின்பற்றக்கூடிய உயரிய குணங்களை உடையவர் என்றே கூறுகிறது.
2. வேதங்களில் ஆரியர் எந்த வெளிநாட்டிலிருந்தும் வந்ததாக தெரிவிக்கவில்லை.
3. 1946 ல் அம்பேத்காரல் எழுதப்பட்ட " யார் சூத்திரர்கள்" என்ற நூலில் மேற்க்கத்தியர்களால் உருவாக்கப்பட்ட ஆரியர் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு கொள்கை பல விஷயங்களை விளக்க தவறி இருக்கிறது. இது முன்னமே உருவாக்கப்பட்டு அதற்கெற்றார் போல் சூழ்நிலைகள் உருவாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. என்று கூறியுள்ளார்.
4. சுவாமி விவேகானந்தர் அமெரிக்காவில் ஆற்றிய சொற்பொழிவில் பின்வருமாறு கூறியுள்ளார் "உங்களது ஐரோப்பிய பண்டிதர்கள் கூறுவது போல் ஆரியர்கள் வெளிநாட்டிலிருந்து வந்து இந்தியாவிலுள்ள ஆதி குடிமக்களை வென்று அதிகாரம் செலுத்தினர் என்பது முட்டாள் தனமான பேச்சாகும். இதில் வேடிக்கையானது என்னவென்றால் எங்கள் இந்திய பண்டிதர்களும் அவர்களுக்கு ஆமாம் போடுவது தான்" .
5. அரவிந்தர் அவரது வேதங்களின் ரகசியம் எனும் நூலில் " ஆரியர் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு கொள்கை அதன் தரத்தில் மிகவும் குறைவாகவும் அதன் முக்கியதுவத்தில் நிச்சயமற்றதாகவும் உள்ளது. அதை பற்றிய எந்த ஒரு உண்மையும் முழுமையாக விவரிக்கப்படவில்லை" என்று கூறியுள்ளார்.
6. ஹரப்பா மற்றும் மோகஞ்சதரோ வில் பல ஆயிரம் வருடங்களுக்கு முன்பே நாகரிகங்கள் இருந்ததாக கூறப்படுகிறது . இதை வைதத்து பார்க்கும் பொது ஆரியர்கள் வெளிநாட்டிலிருந்து வந்து இந்த நவீன நகரங்களையும் கலாசாரங்களையும் அழித்திருப்பார் என்று கூறமுடியாது.
7. மேலும் ஹரப்பா மற்றும் மோகஞ்ச்சாதரோவில் பசுபதி எனும் சிவனை வழிபட்டுள்ளனர். அங்கு கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்ட சின்னங்களும் இந்து சமயம் சார்ந்ததாகவே உள்ளது. 5000 வருடங்களுக்கு முனதாகவே அதாவது ஆரியர் வந்தனர் என கூறப்படும் காலத்திற்க்கு முன்னதாகவே இந்து சமயம் இந்தியாவில் இருந்தது. எனவே வெளிநாட்டவர் இந்தியா வந்தனர் இந்து சமயத்தை பரப்பினர் என்று கூற வாய்பேயில்லை.
ஆத்மசூரியன்- பண்பாளர்
- பதிவுகள் : 96
இணைந்தது : 03/03/2011
Re: ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
accident, but for trial, for improvement, perhaps for punishment ; for j
the only union which can ensure the happiness of men, the union !
between our self and God’s self, is broken, or at least obscured, by ]
our birth, and the highest object of our life is to find this bond again, j
to remain ever conscious of it, and hold fast to it in life and in death. I
This rediscovery of the eternal union between God and man consti- i
tutes true religion among all people : religion means binding together j
again. The impression made on me by the look of a child who is I
not yet conscious of himself and of the world round him, is that of |
still undisturbed godliness. Only when self-consciousness wakes little \
by little, through pleasure or pain, when the spirit accustoms itself to j
its bodily covering, when man begins to say /, and the world to call
things his, then the full separation of the human self from the Divine I
begins, and it is only after long struggles that the light of true self- 1
consciousness sooner or later breaks through the clouds of earthly ‘
semblances, and makes us again like the little children “ of whom is j
the kingdom of heaven.” In God we live and move and have our ‘;
being — that is the sum of all human wisdom, and he who does not find \
it here will find it in another Hfe. All else that we learn on earth, be ‘
it the history of nature or of mankind, is for this end alone, to show \
us everywhere the presence of a Divine Providence and to lead us j
through the knowledge of the history of the human spirit to the !
knowledge of ourselves, and through the knowledge of the laws of i
nature to the understanding of that human nature to which we are <
subjected in life. The death of a child is as if the flash of the Divine ;
eye had turned quickly away from the mirror of this world, before the
human consciousness woke up and thought it recognized itself in the i
mirror, often only to perceive for a moment, just as it closes its eyes ;
for the last time, that that which it took for itself was the shadow or I
reflection of its eternal self. All this is not written in the Bible, but .
enough to guide the thoughtful Christian. It cannot be given to men, j
but each must find it for himself^ and many paths lead to the same j
1849] Modern Statesman’s Craft 93
goal. If you think differently, there is no harm, for the difference lies only in the form, in names and words ; on the whole we agree, and if a difference of life and occupation, if especially the powerful im- pressions of the moment bring greater joy or greater sorrow, and often lead to excitement, to doubts, one recovers oneself and finds that the doubts and difficulties lie where we ourselves have made and seek them ! Each one must help himself, for it is difficult to discuss such things ! A good conscience is better than all knowledge ; that alone gives the peace we so sorely need. It is not enough to believe and pray, we must work and try to make ourselves useful. With a firm, upright will one can conquer everything. A good sailor is as self-possessed in a storm as in fine weather, for he knows no wave can rise higher than God wills. Those are the best statesmen in the present crisis who do their duty according to their conscience, un- heeding party strife and noise. There is no rule of statesman’s craft like “ Do right and fear no one.” Instead of this the wise diplomatists believe that they can do better with their tricks and stratagems, on which they place more reliance than on the eternal law of universal history, that what is good bears good, what is evil, evil fruit. And what applies to statesmen applies to every individual, and this ever- lasting vacillation and hesitation in Germany and elsewhere are more the result of infidelity, selfishness, and vanity than of anything else, and must naturally meet with their reward. I consider myself most fortunate in not being drawn into this whirlpool, and as little as I should hide my convictions, if so circumstanced that they might produce some good, so little would I exchange my study for a club (political) and my Veda for newspaper-writing, from ambition, passion, or sloth. These are the three powerful levers of our modern state- craft. Buy something for me for Auguste’s birthday and give me credit till I come, which will be some time yet. But I won’t grumble • I know this first volume of the Veda is of the greatest importance for me, and that I must do everything in my power to make it as good and perfect as possible. I will not tell you how much I long for home, but I should not enjoy it, if I had neglected anything in my work, for when I come I mean to enjoy myself; but spring, summer, and autumn may pass first, though I work as hard as I can without hurting my health. Bunsen has invited me several times to stay with them, but gladly as I would do so, I have always refused, so as not to waste time. I expect Victor Carus in August, so that I can myself introduce and settle him here. I shall be glad to have him, and he seems very much pleased with the post, though he only gets £ 1 00 a year.’
The following letter is interesting, as containing a mention
94 Tennyson [ch. vi
of Tennyson, whose poems Max had learnt to admire from Palgrave, who gave him the earlier volumes : —
9, Park Place, April 27.
‘ My dear Palgrave, — When I went to London a fortnight ago, I hoped to see you there, but all my plans were upset, and instead of staying in town three days (this was all the furlough I could get from myself), I was there only for about six hours, and spent the rest of my time near London. London is certainly not the place to see one’s friends, but Oxford is, and I hope you will keep your promise as soon as your duties as Ministre de I’lnstruction Publique will allow you. Although I can offer you no lotus, you will find a good weed, which, you may tell Tennyson, does just as well. I can quite imagine how you must rejoice in his acquaintance, and I am afraid you will soon look down from the poetical height of the Tenny- sonian Olympus pitying that unhappy set of mortals who through their philosophical spectacles see only forms and shadows, while you, a poet amongst poets, enjoy life and light. However, you read old Goethe — he is more than a poet, and more than a philosopher, he is a full man, a whole humanity in himself I wish I could read him with you for my own sake, not for yours, for you are not the man to misunderstand him. Did it not strike you in Froude’s Nemesis how the death of the child is a beautiful echo from the Wahlverwandt- scha/len? Oxford is flourishing again. Stanley, Jowett, «&c., are up. Old Froude, however, has left a blank, and if you saw how they have pulled down your house, and how the fireplace where we smoked so many a jolly cigar is exposed to the eyes of the vulgus profanum, you would find it a subject not unworthy an elegy. Plans for the summer I have made none, but think that my work will keep me till September. Then I shall go to pay homage to the German Emperor, or to the President of the German Republic, an alternative which will be decided in a very few days. Bye, bye, old fellow. Don’t forget Oxford and the old set, who send you their love.’
To Dr. PauH, who had settled in London, he writes : —
Trafislation. Oxford, May 14.
‘ My printer rides me nearly to death. I must soon unseat the fellow and go to grass. You would do better if, instead of working till you are weary and worn, you were to come here to us, where you would amuse yourself thoroughly.’
After all the sorrow that his sister had passed through, her mother had taken her for a few days’ change to Dresden.
1849] Revolution in Dresden 95
They had hardly arrived before the Revolution of 1849 broke out. Max Miiller saw in the papers the serious aspect of affairs, and for days had no letter from his mother. He writes to her : —
Trafislaimt. 9, Park Place, May 22.
‘ I can hardly tell you the anxiety with which I awaited your last letter. I never had a line for more than a month, and was afraid that you were ill from all the sorrow ; and then came the terrible days in Dresden, and I read each day in the papers of the fighting and destruction spreading more and more towards the part of the town where I knew you were. Thank God that you escaped ! but when you write that cannon-balls flew right over you, you cannot wonder that I am terrified. If this goes on in Germany I cannot leave you there without protection, and I am really thinking of giving up my work here, and going to you. In times like this all other considera- tions must give way, and many plans be given up. Why should one live on here in peace and quiet whilst others have to make such sacrifices ? If I could only have you here with me ! I have been thinking it over day and night, not the cost only, but if you could bear it here, so entirely alone, I all day at the Library or busy at home, and you with no one you could understand. I do not urge you to come, I only suggest it, and if you come I will gladly give up my plans for travelling when Vol. I is out. Your account of little Agnes’ death ^ was heartrending. I cannot tell you how hard it is to hear all this from far away, and then not to have a moment’s rest from the inces- sant pressure of work and care and sorrow. Wherever one looks all is black and hopeless : I am so out of spirits that for weeks I have been nowhere, and find no peace unless I forget myself in work. If I could do anything to give you a pleasure, that is the only happiness I wish for.’
Some time before this he had written to Dr. Pauli : —
Translation. Park Place, 1849.
‘ My dear Pauli, — I expect every day to receive marching orders,
or else be denounced as a deserter and unworthy son of my Dessau
Fatherland ! The young Dessauers have marched ; the old Dessauers,
such as the old Fritzes, are, alas I no longer to be found in our days. It
seems hardly possible to avoid a civil war ; folly has grown to mad-
ness, and one shudders in thinking of the consequences. Well, for
the present, I shall stay quiet with my Veda, notwithstanding all
Dessau Prime Ministers. One lives from day to day, till the real
^ She died three weeks after her baby brother, aged four years.
/
96 Party at Bunsens [ch. vi
marching order comes. If you see the Minister Pulski, tell him that in the old Tory University of Oxford, at the last debate at the Union, a vote of sympathy with Hungary was carried by a large majority.’
To HIS Mother.
Trarislation. Oxford, y««^ 15.
• As I opened your last letter the little lock of Agnes’s hair fell out ; dear little child, how much you have lost in her, especially as she seemed so devoted to you, and was already so useful to you. I own that my hopes for a speedy solution of the difficulties in Germany disappear more and more, and though I still trust my later life will be spent there, I shall now begin to look about for a setded position in England. I am convinced that after a time it would not be difficult to find a settled and remunerative occupation, where I could give you a pleasanter life than in this student’s housekeeping. The great advantage of my present post is, that for the next six or eight years, I can live decently and am not forced to accept the first appointment that turns up. God will help further, and, notwithstanding the lone- liness and the strange climate in which I have now lived so long, I recognize with deep thankfulness how much better off I am than many of my friends, though I have not deserved it. I lately received such a kind invitation from Bunsen for a party, that I went to London, and stayed with him two days. He lives in another house, a very fine one, one of the best in London. They had asked 750 people — the whole Corps Diplomatique, and the elite of English society. The whole house was like a garden, the balconies covered with awnings from which one had a splendid view over London, the garden of the house illuminated, beautiful music, German songs with a full chorus, from the German Opera now in London. I cannot describe the diamonds and the dresses, but I have never seen such a crowd of beautiful women and girls together. Guizot was there, and Palmerston; in fact, all the lions and lionesses of the season. The next evening I was invited to Lord Ellesmere’s, one of the richest men here, whose collection of pictures is famous. Only think of looking round in the middle of a conversa- tion and seeing on all sides Raphaels, Titians, Murillos, Carlo Dolces — all originals ! This sort of thing only exists in England. Bunsen is unchanged in his affection ; in spite of all he has to do, I always get a few lines from him as soon as anything of interest happens. He always hopes for the best, though prepared for the worst.’
After telling his mother she is wrong in entirely shutting herself up, he ends with these words : —
• Every one carries a grave of lost hope in his soul, but he covers it over with cold marble, or with green boughs. On sad days one likes
1849] Prolegomena to Rtg-veda 97
to go alone to this God’s acre of the soul, and weep there, but only in order to return full of comfort and hope to those who are left to us.’
Knowing the general ignorance in England at that time as
to the value and meaning of the Rig-veda, Max M tiller had
been busy in writing a full and explanatory preface to the first
volume. This, when finished, he gave to Wilson, who corrected
and praised it, and had nothing to object to, but when Max
Miiller on June i showed him a letter he had written on the
subject to the Directors, he suddenly turned round and seemed
determined it should not be printed, and also told Max that
he, Wilson, would never hear of his returning to live in Ger-
many till the whole of the Rig-veda was finished. Though
Max Miiller had kept to his bargain and prepared his fifty
sheets a year, Wilson, whose translation depended on his
edition, scolded him like a schoolboy, telling him he might
do more if he chose. The next day Wilson seemed to repent
of his ill humour, and said he would like to see the preface
printed as a separate work, not with the Veda. Max Mialler
concludes his account of the whole scene with these words,
‘ I cannot make that old man out. He is honest and straight-
forward, of great power and energy, but nothing to grease the
wheels,’
In his letter to the Court of Directors Max Miiller mentions that in this preface, which consisted of 300 pages quarto, he had given for the first time an account of the Vedic litera- ture and its three distinguishable periods, and had explained the relation of the Vedic to the rest of Sanskrit literature. He had evidently discussed the matter with Bunsen, for in a letter written about the middle of June he says, ‘ I have at once copied again the letter which you were so good as to correct, and for which you have personally secured a good reception, and enclose it, begging you, if all is right, to post it,’ and in September he writes to Bunsen : —
Translation. Park Place, 1849.
‘ The news of the success of my petition was a complete surprise —
therefore all the more joyful, and all the more so that I again owe the
success to your friendly services. Your proposal, which the Directors
accept, gives me far more than I asked. Of course I shall print and
publish it in England, but first I shall go to Germany, and spend the
I H
98 Essay for Prix Volney [ch. vi
winter there. Are three months of holiday really too much after three years’ work and absence from home ? ‘
After the pleasant visit to Bunsen in June, he writes to him: —
Translaiion,
‘ I have returned safely to my Isola Bella, as though after a fairy voyage. The awaking after such a beautiful dream is not always pleasant, and so I will employ the first moments of my solitude here, whilst my Sanskrit does not yet attract me, in thanking you for the refreshing hours which your kind invitation secured me. ...” Nil desperandum Teucro duce et auspice Teucro ! “ But what would have become of me had not such a Teucer taken me up ? Now I do not despair of finding a new Salamis, wherever it may be ! If the wind improves, then up with the sail ; if it is against one, then “ pull away,” and perhaps at last one will reach a safer and German port. Oxford is so beautiful just now, I wish I could show it to you. . . .’
It w^as not long before his unremitting work began to tell on him. He says in a letter at this time, ‘ I am writing all day,’ and worse almost than this was the constant worry of trying to hurry on the printers. At length he acknowledges that ‘ the English will not be driven, one must take them as they are.’ His headaches became almost inces- sant, and his doctor at last insisted on his taking some rest, so Morier carried him off to the Lakes to join a reading party under Jowett, Froude being also in the neighbourhood. He writes from there to Burnouf: —
July 26, 1849.
‘ The reason I have left your last friendly letter so long unanswered
is that I wished to send you an essay for the Prix Volney. I have
followed your kind advice, and instead of sending in the printed
essay, I have put together a special one for this purpose from my
Collectaneum. It treats of the history of the civilization of the Aryan
nations before the fifteenth century b. c, as far as one can construct it
from the researches of comparative philology. I was very much
grieved to hear that your health has suffered of late, and that your
work has been therefore interrupted. I hope you are now feeling
better, and are able to carry on your important investigations with
renewed vigour. I have been ill again and had to leave Oxford to
recruit here at the Westmoreland Lakes. I hope soon to be so
far better as to be able to finish the first Ashtaka. Rawlinson will
soon come to England, and has promised the explanation of the
1849] Visit to the Lakes 99
Babylonian inscriptions. Wilson is busy with an English translation of the Rig-veda ; he does not consider the translation of Langlois literal enough. I hope soon to go to Germany, as I cannot stand the climate of England; incessant headaches make any fatiguing work impossible.’
Two days later he writes to his mother : —
Translation. Grange, Derwentwater, y«^ 28.
‘I have been for a fortnight in this beautiful country, with two great friends, who were going to spend their holidays here, and asked me to go with them. We take long walks every day on the mountains, or row on the lakes, or ride, which we enjoy very much. I was knocked up with incessant work, but I feel perfectly well since I came here, and hope soon to be able to return to Oxford. The beauty of England is so great that one cannot understand why the English always go to the Continent in search of beautiful scenery. There is nothing so beautiful as being alone with nature : one sees how God’s will is fulfilled in each bud and leaf that blooms and withers, and one learns to recognize how deeply rooted in one is this thirst for nature. In living with men, one is only too easily torn from this real home ; then one’s own plans and wishes and hopes and fears spring up ; then we fancy we can perfect something for ourselves alone, and think that everything must serve for our ends and enjoy- ments, until the influence of nature in life or the hand of God arouses us, and warns us that we live and flourish, not for enjoyment, nor for undisturbed quiet, but to bear fruit in another life. When one stands amid the grandeur of nature, with one’s own little murmurs and sufferings, and looks deep into this dumb soul, much becomes clear to one, and one is astounded at the false ideas one has formed of this life. It is but a short journey, and on a journey one can do without many things which generally seem necessary to us. Yes, one can do without even what is dearest to our hearts, in this world, if we know that after the journey which we have to endure we shall find again those who have arrived at the goal quicker and more easily than we have done. Now if life were looked upon as a journey for refreshment or amuse- ment, which it ought not to be, we might feel sad, if we have to make our way alone ; but if we treat it as a serious business-journey, then we know we have hard and unpleasant work before us, and enjoy all the more the beautiful resting-places which God’s love has provided for each of us in life. We have all of us, in these last years, had such a long rest, and enjoyed life so quietly, that now, when we have to fight on again, we have quite forgotten that our power for fighting was meant for something more than parades and reviews.
H 3
lOO
At the Lakes [ch. vi
Look how the true soldier rejoices when a real battle is at hand, and so the true man should rejoice, when God calls him to an earnest life struggle ; and when the last friends fall right and left, one goes into the conflict with yet more determined courage to gain that object which is set before each of us. You may think this too serious a view of life : I assure you it is this view of life which has given me my cheerful spirit, and helps to keep it up, and which makes it possible for me with firm faith to contemplate fearlessly the struggles of Hfe that are still before me. The one thing I desire and hope is that God will give me strength to maintain my independence by un- remitting work, so that I may always pursue that way in hfe which according to my convictions appears the right one. If God gives me more, and it is granted me to lead a quiet and happy life with you, it is more than I deserve But courage — nothing can happen to us in life, but what is really the best for us. And now for my plans. I have about loo pages more to print, which may be ready in six weeks. Then I shall go to Germany and spend the winter with you, wherever you like. I shall look about in Germany, to see if I can find a place in any University, preferably at Bonn, and see if it would be possible to prepare my MS. in Germany, and to come over every year for a short time to England for the printing. That would be delightful — but I won’t build any castles in the air, as there is much to consider. If this does not answer I would return to England, and you could come and visit me. Then I should alter my plans and build my hopes on England and on finding a post here, where you could be quite comfortable, and live with me and keep house. The longer one lives in England, the more one longs to be back in Germany. A stormy is better than a dead sea ! The English grow more like the Chinese with each year, and nature herself has built a Chinese wall round their lovely country. But if one makes oneself into a Chinaman, one gets on well with them.’
He writes to Dr. Pauli from Borrowdale : —
T7-anslation.
‘ The neighbourhood here is glorious, and we are just in from
a walk with old Morier. We can jump out of our windows into the
water, we fish for trout, and smoke a weed. Then there are boats,
ponies, carts, and no living soul except dogs and sheep, and an old
farmer’s family with a lingo which is difficult to understand. I shall
stay some time, and wish you could come here, for it is really unique,
and whilst I write I hear the sound of waterfalls on all sides, for they
are swollen by late rains. Froude lives close by, and I am going
to stay with him. Mary Barton, Miss Martineau, and other Hterary
1849] Cholera in Oxford loi
swells live about here — and the Veda may see how it can do with- out me.’
Whilst at the Lakes Max Miiller copied out his treatise on the ‘ Results of the Investigations of Language as to Ancient History,’ forming part of the Prolegomena to the Veda, which he sent to M, Burnouf for the competition for the Prix Volney. In writing to acknowledge the safe arrival of the MS., Burnouf says : —
Translatiofi.
‘ We shall need all the forces at our disposal, for the number of competitors is large, and from what I hear powerful, and many of these will be supported by very active friends. I have been entrusted with the first examination of your Essay, and shall receive it to-day. But if we must fight, we will fight — you know we French do not fear blows, we like them, alas ! only too much. Good-bye, my dear friend. Take care of your health. I am very sorry to hear that it has suffered from overwork. But to w-ork, one must live.’
To Dr. Pauli he writes after leaving the Lakes : —
Translation. August 24, 1849.
‘ I have at last finished my holiday, and yet, long as it was, did not get to Scotland. But we amused ourselves to the last day. I was a fortnight with Froude, boating, and fishing, and whatever other amusements there are, whereby we grow older but not wiser. Morier and Jowett are gone to the Isle of Man, but my old love, the Veda, drew me back to Oxford.’
On returning to Oxford he found his friend Dr. Acland contending almost single-handed with a serious outbreak of cholera. It was the depth of Long Vacation, the members of the University were away, and most of the medical men taking their summer holiday. Max Miiller put himself at his friend’s disposal, and worked with him in tracing out cases, attending to the sick and giving relief, till he himself nearly succumbed to a sharp attack, and Dr. Acland would not allow him to do any more visiting. On recovering he writes to Bunsen : —
Translation.
‘I enclose a letter from M. Reinaud for you to read. I think
I can now feel pretty confident of receiving the prize. I am delighted
at the result, and feel how much more good comes to me than I have
102 First Volume of Rtg-veda finished [ch. vi
ever deserved. But I will now begin again to work in all earnest, if God gives me health, which has again in these last weeks lost me much time, and German air will, I hope, prove better medicine than all I have been swallowing here.’
In September his old friend Victor Carus arrived, and settled in the same house with Max Miiller. They breakfasted together, and then separated for their work, Carus working at Christ Church, and they dined together, when not asked to dine out. Carus finally left Oxford at Easter, 1 851, but he had been absent for many months of the time, working in the Scilly Isles, and the last few months of
the only union which can ensure the happiness of men, the union !
between our self and God’s self, is broken, or at least obscured, by ]
our birth, and the highest object of our life is to find this bond again, j
to remain ever conscious of it, and hold fast to it in life and in death. I
This rediscovery of the eternal union between God and man consti- i
tutes true religion among all people : religion means binding together j
again. The impression made on me by the look of a child who is I
not yet conscious of himself and of the world round him, is that of |
still undisturbed godliness. Only when self-consciousness wakes little \
by little, through pleasure or pain, when the spirit accustoms itself to j
its bodily covering, when man begins to say /, and the world to call
things his, then the full separation of the human self from the Divine I
begins, and it is only after long struggles that the light of true self- 1
consciousness sooner or later breaks through the clouds of earthly ‘
semblances, and makes us again like the little children “ of whom is j
the kingdom of heaven.” In God we live and move and have our ‘;
being — that is the sum of all human wisdom, and he who does not find \
it here will find it in another Hfe. All else that we learn on earth, be ‘
it the history of nature or of mankind, is for this end alone, to show \
us everywhere the presence of a Divine Providence and to lead us j
through the knowledge of the history of the human spirit to the !
knowledge of ourselves, and through the knowledge of the laws of i
nature to the understanding of that human nature to which we are <
subjected in life. The death of a child is as if the flash of the Divine ;
eye had turned quickly away from the mirror of this world, before the
human consciousness woke up and thought it recognized itself in the i
mirror, often only to perceive for a moment, just as it closes its eyes ;
for the last time, that that which it took for itself was the shadow or I
reflection of its eternal self. All this is not written in the Bible, but .
enough to guide the thoughtful Christian. It cannot be given to men, j
but each must find it for himself^ and many paths lead to the same j
1849] Modern Statesman’s Craft 93
goal. If you think differently, there is no harm, for the difference lies only in the form, in names and words ; on the whole we agree, and if a difference of life and occupation, if especially the powerful im- pressions of the moment bring greater joy or greater sorrow, and often lead to excitement, to doubts, one recovers oneself and finds that the doubts and difficulties lie where we ourselves have made and seek them ! Each one must help himself, for it is difficult to discuss such things ! A good conscience is better than all knowledge ; that alone gives the peace we so sorely need. It is not enough to believe and pray, we must work and try to make ourselves useful. With a firm, upright will one can conquer everything. A good sailor is as self-possessed in a storm as in fine weather, for he knows no wave can rise higher than God wills. Those are the best statesmen in the present crisis who do their duty according to their conscience, un- heeding party strife and noise. There is no rule of statesman’s craft like “ Do right and fear no one.” Instead of this the wise diplomatists believe that they can do better with their tricks and stratagems, on which they place more reliance than on the eternal law of universal history, that what is good bears good, what is evil, evil fruit. And what applies to statesmen applies to every individual, and this ever- lasting vacillation and hesitation in Germany and elsewhere are more the result of infidelity, selfishness, and vanity than of anything else, and must naturally meet with their reward. I consider myself most fortunate in not being drawn into this whirlpool, and as little as I should hide my convictions, if so circumstanced that they might produce some good, so little would I exchange my study for a club (political) and my Veda for newspaper-writing, from ambition, passion, or sloth. These are the three powerful levers of our modern state- craft. Buy something for me for Auguste’s birthday and give me credit till I come, which will be some time yet. But I won’t grumble • I know this first volume of the Veda is of the greatest importance for me, and that I must do everything in my power to make it as good and perfect as possible. I will not tell you how much I long for home, but I should not enjoy it, if I had neglected anything in my work, for when I come I mean to enjoy myself; but spring, summer, and autumn may pass first, though I work as hard as I can without hurting my health. Bunsen has invited me several times to stay with them, but gladly as I would do so, I have always refused, so as not to waste time. I expect Victor Carus in August, so that I can myself introduce and settle him here. I shall be glad to have him, and he seems very much pleased with the post, though he only gets £ 1 00 a year.’
The following letter is interesting, as containing a mention
94 Tennyson [ch. vi
of Tennyson, whose poems Max had learnt to admire from Palgrave, who gave him the earlier volumes : —
9, Park Place, April 27.
‘ My dear Palgrave, — When I went to London a fortnight ago, I hoped to see you there, but all my plans were upset, and instead of staying in town three days (this was all the furlough I could get from myself), I was there only for about six hours, and spent the rest of my time near London. London is certainly not the place to see one’s friends, but Oxford is, and I hope you will keep your promise as soon as your duties as Ministre de I’lnstruction Publique will allow you. Although I can offer you no lotus, you will find a good weed, which, you may tell Tennyson, does just as well. I can quite imagine how you must rejoice in his acquaintance, and I am afraid you will soon look down from the poetical height of the Tenny- sonian Olympus pitying that unhappy set of mortals who through their philosophical spectacles see only forms and shadows, while you, a poet amongst poets, enjoy life and light. However, you read old Goethe — he is more than a poet, and more than a philosopher, he is a full man, a whole humanity in himself I wish I could read him with you for my own sake, not for yours, for you are not the man to misunderstand him. Did it not strike you in Froude’s Nemesis how the death of the child is a beautiful echo from the Wahlverwandt- scha/len? Oxford is flourishing again. Stanley, Jowett, «&c., are up. Old Froude, however, has left a blank, and if you saw how they have pulled down your house, and how the fireplace where we smoked so many a jolly cigar is exposed to the eyes of the vulgus profanum, you would find it a subject not unworthy an elegy. Plans for the summer I have made none, but think that my work will keep me till September. Then I shall go to pay homage to the German Emperor, or to the President of the German Republic, an alternative which will be decided in a very few days. Bye, bye, old fellow. Don’t forget Oxford and the old set, who send you their love.’
To Dr. PauH, who had settled in London, he writes : —
Trafislation. Oxford, May 14.
‘ My printer rides me nearly to death. I must soon unseat the fellow and go to grass. You would do better if, instead of working till you are weary and worn, you were to come here to us, where you would amuse yourself thoroughly.’
After all the sorrow that his sister had passed through, her mother had taken her for a few days’ change to Dresden.
1849] Revolution in Dresden 95
They had hardly arrived before the Revolution of 1849 broke out. Max Miiller saw in the papers the serious aspect of affairs, and for days had no letter from his mother. He writes to her : —
Trafislaimt. 9, Park Place, May 22.
‘ I can hardly tell you the anxiety with which I awaited your last letter. I never had a line for more than a month, and was afraid that you were ill from all the sorrow ; and then came the terrible days in Dresden, and I read each day in the papers of the fighting and destruction spreading more and more towards the part of the town where I knew you were. Thank God that you escaped ! but when you write that cannon-balls flew right over you, you cannot wonder that I am terrified. If this goes on in Germany I cannot leave you there without protection, and I am really thinking of giving up my work here, and going to you. In times like this all other considera- tions must give way, and many plans be given up. Why should one live on here in peace and quiet whilst others have to make such sacrifices ? If I could only have you here with me ! I have been thinking it over day and night, not the cost only, but if you could bear it here, so entirely alone, I all day at the Library or busy at home, and you with no one you could understand. I do not urge you to come, I only suggest it, and if you come I will gladly give up my plans for travelling when Vol. I is out. Your account of little Agnes’ death ^ was heartrending. I cannot tell you how hard it is to hear all this from far away, and then not to have a moment’s rest from the inces- sant pressure of work and care and sorrow. Wherever one looks all is black and hopeless : I am so out of spirits that for weeks I have been nowhere, and find no peace unless I forget myself in work. If I could do anything to give you a pleasure, that is the only happiness I wish for.’
Some time before this he had written to Dr. Pauli : —
Translation. Park Place, 1849.
‘ My dear Pauli, — I expect every day to receive marching orders,
or else be denounced as a deserter and unworthy son of my Dessau
Fatherland ! The young Dessauers have marched ; the old Dessauers,
such as the old Fritzes, are, alas I no longer to be found in our days. It
seems hardly possible to avoid a civil war ; folly has grown to mad-
ness, and one shudders in thinking of the consequences. Well, for
the present, I shall stay quiet with my Veda, notwithstanding all
Dessau Prime Ministers. One lives from day to day, till the real
^ She died three weeks after her baby brother, aged four years.
/
96 Party at Bunsens [ch. vi
marching order comes. If you see the Minister Pulski, tell him that in the old Tory University of Oxford, at the last debate at the Union, a vote of sympathy with Hungary was carried by a large majority.’
To HIS Mother.
Trarislation. Oxford, y««^ 15.
• As I opened your last letter the little lock of Agnes’s hair fell out ; dear little child, how much you have lost in her, especially as she seemed so devoted to you, and was already so useful to you. I own that my hopes for a speedy solution of the difficulties in Germany disappear more and more, and though I still trust my later life will be spent there, I shall now begin to look about for a setded position in England. I am convinced that after a time it would not be difficult to find a settled and remunerative occupation, where I could give you a pleasanter life than in this student’s housekeeping. The great advantage of my present post is, that for the next six or eight years, I can live decently and am not forced to accept the first appointment that turns up. God will help further, and, notwithstanding the lone- liness and the strange climate in which I have now lived so long, I recognize with deep thankfulness how much better off I am than many of my friends, though I have not deserved it. I lately received such a kind invitation from Bunsen for a party, that I went to London, and stayed with him two days. He lives in another house, a very fine one, one of the best in London. They had asked 750 people — the whole Corps Diplomatique, and the elite of English society. The whole house was like a garden, the balconies covered with awnings from which one had a splendid view over London, the garden of the house illuminated, beautiful music, German songs with a full chorus, from the German Opera now in London. I cannot describe the diamonds and the dresses, but I have never seen such a crowd of beautiful women and girls together. Guizot was there, and Palmerston; in fact, all the lions and lionesses of the season. The next evening I was invited to Lord Ellesmere’s, one of the richest men here, whose collection of pictures is famous. Only think of looking round in the middle of a conversa- tion and seeing on all sides Raphaels, Titians, Murillos, Carlo Dolces — all originals ! This sort of thing only exists in England. Bunsen is unchanged in his affection ; in spite of all he has to do, I always get a few lines from him as soon as anything of interest happens. He always hopes for the best, though prepared for the worst.’
After telling his mother she is wrong in entirely shutting herself up, he ends with these words : —
• Every one carries a grave of lost hope in his soul, but he covers it over with cold marble, or with green boughs. On sad days one likes
1849] Prolegomena to Rtg-veda 97
to go alone to this God’s acre of the soul, and weep there, but only in order to return full of comfort and hope to those who are left to us.’
Knowing the general ignorance in England at that time as
to the value and meaning of the Rig-veda, Max M tiller had
been busy in writing a full and explanatory preface to the first
volume. This, when finished, he gave to Wilson, who corrected
and praised it, and had nothing to object to, but when Max
Miiller on June i showed him a letter he had written on the
subject to the Directors, he suddenly turned round and seemed
determined it should not be printed, and also told Max that
he, Wilson, would never hear of his returning to live in Ger-
many till the whole of the Rig-veda was finished. Though
Max Miiller had kept to his bargain and prepared his fifty
sheets a year, Wilson, whose translation depended on his
edition, scolded him like a schoolboy, telling him he might
do more if he chose. The next day Wilson seemed to repent
of his ill humour, and said he would like to see the preface
printed as a separate work, not with the Veda. Max Mialler
concludes his account of the whole scene with these words,
‘ I cannot make that old man out. He is honest and straight-
forward, of great power and energy, but nothing to grease the
wheels,’
In his letter to the Court of Directors Max Miiller mentions that in this preface, which consisted of 300 pages quarto, he had given for the first time an account of the Vedic litera- ture and its three distinguishable periods, and had explained the relation of the Vedic to the rest of Sanskrit literature. He had evidently discussed the matter with Bunsen, for in a letter written about the middle of June he says, ‘ I have at once copied again the letter which you were so good as to correct, and for which you have personally secured a good reception, and enclose it, begging you, if all is right, to post it,’ and in September he writes to Bunsen : —
Translation. Park Place, 1849.
‘ The news of the success of my petition was a complete surprise —
therefore all the more joyful, and all the more so that I again owe the
success to your friendly services. Your proposal, which the Directors
accept, gives me far more than I asked. Of course I shall print and
publish it in England, but first I shall go to Germany, and spend the
I H
98 Essay for Prix Volney [ch. vi
winter there. Are three months of holiday really too much after three years’ work and absence from home ? ‘
After the pleasant visit to Bunsen in June, he writes to him: —
Translaiion,
‘ I have returned safely to my Isola Bella, as though after a fairy voyage. The awaking after such a beautiful dream is not always pleasant, and so I will employ the first moments of my solitude here, whilst my Sanskrit does not yet attract me, in thanking you for the refreshing hours which your kind invitation secured me. ...” Nil desperandum Teucro duce et auspice Teucro ! “ But what would have become of me had not such a Teucer taken me up ? Now I do not despair of finding a new Salamis, wherever it may be ! If the wind improves, then up with the sail ; if it is against one, then “ pull away,” and perhaps at last one will reach a safer and German port. Oxford is so beautiful just now, I wish I could show it to you. . . .’
It w^as not long before his unremitting work began to tell on him. He says in a letter at this time, ‘ I am writing all day,’ and worse almost than this was the constant worry of trying to hurry on the printers. At length he acknowledges that ‘ the English will not be driven, one must take them as they are.’ His headaches became almost inces- sant, and his doctor at last insisted on his taking some rest, so Morier carried him off to the Lakes to join a reading party under Jowett, Froude being also in the neighbourhood. He writes from there to Burnouf: —
July 26, 1849.
‘ The reason I have left your last friendly letter so long unanswered
is that I wished to send you an essay for the Prix Volney. I have
followed your kind advice, and instead of sending in the printed
essay, I have put together a special one for this purpose from my
Collectaneum. It treats of the history of the civilization of the Aryan
nations before the fifteenth century b. c, as far as one can construct it
from the researches of comparative philology. I was very much
grieved to hear that your health has suffered of late, and that your
work has been therefore interrupted. I hope you are now feeling
better, and are able to carry on your important investigations with
renewed vigour. I have been ill again and had to leave Oxford to
recruit here at the Westmoreland Lakes. I hope soon to be so
far better as to be able to finish the first Ashtaka. Rawlinson will
soon come to England, and has promised the explanation of the
1849] Visit to the Lakes 99
Babylonian inscriptions. Wilson is busy with an English translation of the Rig-veda ; he does not consider the translation of Langlois literal enough. I hope soon to go to Germany, as I cannot stand the climate of England; incessant headaches make any fatiguing work impossible.’
Two days later he writes to his mother : —
Translation. Grange, Derwentwater, y«^ 28.
‘I have been for a fortnight in this beautiful country, with two great friends, who were going to spend their holidays here, and asked me to go with them. We take long walks every day on the mountains, or row on the lakes, or ride, which we enjoy very much. I was knocked up with incessant work, but I feel perfectly well since I came here, and hope soon to be able to return to Oxford. The beauty of England is so great that one cannot understand why the English always go to the Continent in search of beautiful scenery. There is nothing so beautiful as being alone with nature : one sees how God’s will is fulfilled in each bud and leaf that blooms and withers, and one learns to recognize how deeply rooted in one is this thirst for nature. In living with men, one is only too easily torn from this real home ; then one’s own plans and wishes and hopes and fears spring up ; then we fancy we can perfect something for ourselves alone, and think that everything must serve for our ends and enjoy- ments, until the influence of nature in life or the hand of God arouses us, and warns us that we live and flourish, not for enjoyment, nor for undisturbed quiet, but to bear fruit in another life. When one stands amid the grandeur of nature, with one’s own little murmurs and sufferings, and looks deep into this dumb soul, much becomes clear to one, and one is astounded at the false ideas one has formed of this life. It is but a short journey, and on a journey one can do without many things which generally seem necessary to us. Yes, one can do without even what is dearest to our hearts, in this world, if we know that after the journey which we have to endure we shall find again those who have arrived at the goal quicker and more easily than we have done. Now if life were looked upon as a journey for refreshment or amuse- ment, which it ought not to be, we might feel sad, if we have to make our way alone ; but if we treat it as a serious business-journey, then we know we have hard and unpleasant work before us, and enjoy all the more the beautiful resting-places which God’s love has provided for each of us in life. We have all of us, in these last years, had such a long rest, and enjoyed life so quietly, that now, when we have to fight on again, we have quite forgotten that our power for fighting was meant for something more than parades and reviews.
H 3
lOO
At the Lakes [ch. vi
Look how the true soldier rejoices when a real battle is at hand, and so the true man should rejoice, when God calls him to an earnest life struggle ; and when the last friends fall right and left, one goes into the conflict with yet more determined courage to gain that object which is set before each of us. You may think this too serious a view of life : I assure you it is this view of life which has given me my cheerful spirit, and helps to keep it up, and which makes it possible for me with firm faith to contemplate fearlessly the struggles of Hfe that are still before me. The one thing I desire and hope is that God will give me strength to maintain my independence by un- remitting work, so that I may always pursue that way in hfe which according to my convictions appears the right one. If God gives me more, and it is granted me to lead a quiet and happy life with you, it is more than I deserve But courage — nothing can happen to us in life, but what is really the best for us. And now for my plans. I have about loo pages more to print, which may be ready in six weeks. Then I shall go to Germany and spend the winter with you, wherever you like. I shall look about in Germany, to see if I can find a place in any University, preferably at Bonn, and see if it would be possible to prepare my MS. in Germany, and to come over every year for a short time to England for the printing. That would be delightful — but I won’t build any castles in the air, as there is much to consider. If this does not answer I would return to England, and you could come and visit me. Then I should alter my plans and build my hopes on England and on finding a post here, where you could be quite comfortable, and live with me and keep house. The longer one lives in England, the more one longs to be back in Germany. A stormy is better than a dead sea ! The English grow more like the Chinese with each year, and nature herself has built a Chinese wall round their lovely country. But if one makes oneself into a Chinaman, one gets on well with them.’
He writes to Dr. Pauli from Borrowdale : —
T7-anslation.
‘ The neighbourhood here is glorious, and we are just in from
a walk with old Morier. We can jump out of our windows into the
water, we fish for trout, and smoke a weed. Then there are boats,
ponies, carts, and no living soul except dogs and sheep, and an old
farmer’s family with a lingo which is difficult to understand. I shall
stay some time, and wish you could come here, for it is really unique,
and whilst I write I hear the sound of waterfalls on all sides, for they
are swollen by late rains. Froude lives close by, and I am going
to stay with him. Mary Barton, Miss Martineau, and other Hterary
1849] Cholera in Oxford loi
swells live about here — and the Veda may see how it can do with- out me.’
Whilst at the Lakes Max Miiller copied out his treatise on the ‘ Results of the Investigations of Language as to Ancient History,’ forming part of the Prolegomena to the Veda, which he sent to M, Burnouf for the competition for the Prix Volney. In writing to acknowledge the safe arrival of the MS., Burnouf says : —
Translatiofi.
‘ We shall need all the forces at our disposal, for the number of competitors is large, and from what I hear powerful, and many of these will be supported by very active friends. I have been entrusted with the first examination of your Essay, and shall receive it to-day. But if we must fight, we will fight — you know we French do not fear blows, we like them, alas ! only too much. Good-bye, my dear friend. Take care of your health. I am very sorry to hear that it has suffered from overwork. But to w-ork, one must live.’
To Dr. Pauli he writes after leaving the Lakes : —
Translation. August 24, 1849.
‘ I have at last finished my holiday, and yet, long as it was, did not get to Scotland. But we amused ourselves to the last day. I was a fortnight with Froude, boating, and fishing, and whatever other amusements there are, whereby we grow older but not wiser. Morier and Jowett are gone to the Isle of Man, but my old love, the Veda, drew me back to Oxford.’
On returning to Oxford he found his friend Dr. Acland contending almost single-handed with a serious outbreak of cholera. It was the depth of Long Vacation, the members of the University were away, and most of the medical men taking their summer holiday. Max Miiller put himself at his friend’s disposal, and worked with him in tracing out cases, attending to the sick and giving relief, till he himself nearly succumbed to a sharp attack, and Dr. Acland would not allow him to do any more visiting. On recovering he writes to Bunsen : —
Translation.
‘I enclose a letter from M. Reinaud for you to read. I think
I can now feel pretty confident of receiving the prize. I am delighted
at the result, and feel how much more good comes to me than I have
102 First Volume of Rtg-veda finished [ch. vi
ever deserved. But I will now begin again to work in all earnest, if God gives me health, which has again in these last weeks lost me much time, and German air will, I hope, prove better medicine than all I have been swallowing here.’
In September his old friend Victor Carus arrived, and settled in the same house with Max Miiller. They breakfasted together, and then separated for their work, Carus working at Christ Church, and they dined together, when not asked to dine out. Carus finally left Oxford at Easter, 1 851, but he had been absent for many months of the time, working in the Scilly Isles, and the last few months of
Re: ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
his stay in Oxford he lived in Dr. Acland’s house, so that the friends were really less together than they had expected.
Early in October came the welcome news that he had gained the Prix Volney. Burnouf writes : —
Translation. Paris, October 5, 1849.
‘ My dear Friend, — I hasten to announce to you, that on my report, the Commission of the Institute, who have to adjudge the annual prize founded by M. de Volney, has accorded you the first prize of 1,200 francs, A second prize of 1,000 francs has been awarded to another work, curious in fact, but not sufficiently serious in form. I held that the first prize must be adjudged you, as much for the merit of your work, as for the dignity of those great studies, of which, in a very short time, you will be one of the chief ornaments. No one can feel greater pleasure than I do in announcing your success to you. Everybody entertained the kindest feelings towards you. Remember, you are not to mention your success before the 25th, as it is not till that day that the prizes are announced at the public seance. Your devoted friend, ‘ E. B.’
And now, after four years of labour in collecting the
materials, the first volume of the Hymns of the Rig-veda, with
Sayana’s Commentary, was printed and nearly ready for
publication. The text had been prepared from MSS. in the
Bibliotheque Royale of Paris, the East India House, and the
Bodleian Library, for in the whole of Germany no MSS.
were to be found, except some very old and imperfect
copies of the text and a few worm-eaten fragments of Sayana
at Berlin. The MSS. in France and England had been
collated and copied by Max Miiller’s own hand, entirely with-
1849] Goes to Berlin 103
out help. The MSS. of Sayana were most imperfect, made by copyists who did not understand their subject, and were therefore full of mistakes, which had all to be rectified to pro- duce a correct text. It abounds moreover in obscure quota- tions, and many of the works quoted had not been edited at this time, and yet every quotation had to be verified and explained. It was a gigantic undertaking for so young a scholar, and in his preface he gratefully acknowledges the constant encouragement he had received from men like Burnouf and Wilson, and the readiness with which the libra- rians of the public libraries in Paris, London, and Oxford spread their treasures before him, whilst Burnouf and Dr. Mill generously placed their private collection of MSS. at his service, and Dr. Rieu, Sub-Librarian of the British Museum, aided in the correction of the proof-sheets of this volume.
So after three years of absence he was able to hurry off to his own family, with the restful feeling that he had well earned his longed-for holiday. He thus takes leave of Bunsen : —
Translation. London, October 20, 1849.
• In the hurry of my journey it is not possible to answer your kind letter, which is very precious to me. Your confidence in me gives me fresh courage, and an earnest resolution to work on bravely ; but do not expect too much from me, that I may not fall too far short of your expectations. The love of science and desire of distinction are often too weak to overcome the vis inertiae and the longing for rest and retirement, especially in these days of barbarism, of mental poverty and godlessness, where one finds no hearing for research, let alone the hope of starting anything useful. I owe you much, very much, were it only that the thought of you keeps alive in me the love of duty, and the desire to win the approbation of good men.’
Immediately on his arrival in Berlin Max Miiller sought
out his friend and patron, Alexander von Humboldt, who con-
tinued to the end to take a deep interest in the scholar whom
he remembered from his Berlin student-days. Unfortunately
all the letters from Max Miiller to Humboldt have disappeared,
but permission has been given to use one or two of Hum-
boldt’s notes to Max, though there is nothing of special
104 ^- ‘^on Humboldt [ch. vi
interest in them, as showing his friendly feelings towards the young Sanskritist.
Translalion. Potsdam, Noveinber 2, 1849.
‘It is with the greatest joy that I greet again on German soil so talented and industrious a scholar as Dr. Max Miiller. An unforeseen absence from home robbed me the other day of the joy of your visit. I expect you, therefore, the day after to-morrow, Friday, between i and 2 o’clock, if that suits you. The Prolegomena to the Veda will be of the greatest interest to me, and I shall hand it to the public with pleasure, if you wish me to do so. With kindest regards, yours, ‘ A. v. Humboldt.’
From Berlin Max Miiller writes to his friend and master Burnouf : —
9, ScHADow Strasse, Berlin, November 8.
‘ Dear Sir, — My best thanks for your kind letter. You can imagine how happy I am, after having received from the French Academy this unexpected distinction, but what gives to this distinction its highest value is that this honour has been bestowed on my essay on your recommendation. I knew very well your kind intentions towards me, and was persuaded that I should find in you a kind judge. But I was also too well acquainted with your character, to expect that your kindness for me could exercise any influence on those principles on which you act. Having received therefore this prize through you, I think I have solid reason to feel happy about it, and to consider it as a good omen for my future studies. The first volume of the J^ig- veda has at last appeared. I left it finished before I went to Germany, and though I am afraid there will be some delay by the bookbinder, bookseller, &c., I hope you will soon receive a copy of it at Paris. I have not yet given up my plan of coming to Paris, before I return to England. There are many things connected with the Veda, which I have treated in my Prolegomena to the Veda, on which I should like very much to hear your opinion before it is printed. I hope no other Revolution will come between it, as the last time when I came to Paris, for I see also here at Berlin that revolutions leave the minds of men not in a favourable disposidon for discussing questions con- nected with the history of bygone nations. I hope your health will soon be entirely restored, and I shall find you again at your morning upanishads, animated by the same lively interest, and with the same warmth of discussion and conversation, as three or four years ago.
‘Believe me, dear sir,
‘ Yours very gratefully and faithfully,
‘ M. MilLLER.’
1849] Life at Berlin 105
From Berlin he writes again to Bunsen : —
Translation. Berlin, November 12, 1849.
‘ After spending a short time in Dresden and Leipzig, I have come to Berlin, and my mother with me, and shall stay here till Christmas. I have found many of my old friends here, and satiated with politics the interest in scientific pursuits seems to be slowly reviving. The feeling of dejection in Prussia and Germany is great, and the good see with dismay that the pendulum of the State machinery, which in March was swung too far to the left, now, with the same want of caution, is swung too far to the right. That from that point there will again be a reaction every one seems to forget. They fancy they can hold the pendulum fast to the right, forgetting that either the clockwork must break, or the weight must fall back with the same force. Yesterday, I received a letter from Oxford, in which I am told that my Oxford friends are taking pains to secure me a place in the British Museum, and have written to you about it. It is the place of Keeper of the Oriental MSS., with £450 income. I shall not stand for the place: the tastes of the late librarian led him to collect a wealth of Arabic, Syriac, and Persian MSS., but Indian and Old Persian were totally neglected. I should not suit the place, but might not Rieu get it ? His knowledge exactly fits him for it, and this appoint- ment would assure his whole future and be a great advantage to science. Lepsius is very well, and is just going to bring out another volume, chiefly drawings. Lepsia, too, and Lepsiuncula are well. Bopp is just the same, unchanged ; but one cannot expect anything more from him for Sanskrit. It is to be hoped that Weber by his work will soon gain a Professorship, not only in his own interest, but also for the sake of his work. I have not yet seen Humboldt ; he is in Potsdam, and I will wait till I have received the copies of the Rig- veda. I am going to-day to the Chamber for the first time. The seats in the Chamber are already getting empty, and ennui will do more service than a state of siege. To see men like Dahlmann ^ taking a part in these transactions is really sad. He is too good an historian to be a politician. I occupy myself here with the revision of my Prolegomena; I cannot alter it much more. Yours in true devotion.’
» Died i860.
CHAPTER VII
1850-1851
Dinner at Potsdam. Morier’s illness. Return to Oxford. Rauch. Waagen. Appointed to lecture at Oxford. Letters from Professors Co well and Story- Maskelyne. Visit to Froude. Article in Edin- burgh Review. Made Deputy Professor and Honorary M.A.
After a pleasant Christmas at Chemnitz with his mother and sister, where also his friend Morier joined him, Max Miiller, with Morier, returned to Berlin, where the latter meant to spend some months studying German. Max writes to his mother from Berlin : —
Translation, Berlis, Jan. 30.
‘ I am very comfortable with Goldstucker, but I am tired of being idle, and am longing to be back in Oxford now I am no longer with you. I have been visiting old friends, Bettina von Arnim and Varnhagen ; they have both become red republicans.’
He had met Humboldt, who told him that the King had expressed a wish to see him before he returned to England, and soon after brought him a command to dine at Potsdam. He sends his mother a lively account of the dinner: —
Translation. Berlin, I^ed. 2, 1850,
‘ Dearest Mother, — I must tell you all about my visit to the King.
Early Friday came a messenger from the palace to invite me to
dinner at Charlottenburg, and at 2.30 Humboldt came in his carriage
to take me there. He told me it would be quite a small party, but
when we arrived we found about thirty people already assembled, and
we all waited for the King. Humboldt introduced me to various
people, and the ladies and gentlemen of the Court were evidently
much surprised at my presence, as I was the only man without epau-
lets and about ten Orders. At last came the King and Queen. I was
again the only person who had not yet been presented. So I was
1850] Dinner at Potsdam 107
taken through all the ladies and gentlemen and presented to His Majesty. “ Brahma is great, but fear not ! “ I thought, as I looked at the King, only separated from me by his mountainous evihonpoint. He asked me where I was born, and told me that in the Dessau library he had seen the poet Miiller. Then he talked of the Duchess, and at last asked how I liked England, and then saying “Wunsche Ihnen guten Appetit “ (I wish you a good appetite), bowed and dismissed me. Then the Queen came up to me, and was asking me about the Duchess, when the King hurried up to her, gave her his arm, saying as Berlin wit, “ Monsieur, s’il vous plait, dinner is served.” Then we went into the next room. I sat between two officers, and enjoyed my dinner, which was a very good one. I took the liberty of letting my knife and fork go with each course, till I remarked that the servants looked askance, and then I saw to my great surprise that the ladies and gentlemen round me eat everything with the same knife and fork ! What to do ? to imitate them ? No, I went quietly on to the last dish, and let the footmen and my neighbours and vis-a-vis think of me what they pleased; but I was amused. After dinner we had coffee in quite a small room. The King came up to me again, and asked if I knew English, and other kindly questions, and then joined the Queen. I had some talk with some of the Gentlemen in Waiting, Count Puckler, &c. ; then their Majesties went away, and I drove home with Humboldt. He was very sorry that the party had been so large, but said the King was so much occupied it was difficult to see him alone. It amused me very much to have this peep into the royal circle, and it may be useful to me later on. Humboldt was delightful. I have been busy for him on the names of the Dogstar in Sanskrit, which he will mention in Cosmos. That is better than dining with the King, but I knew you would want me to describe it all, but you must not repeat it to everybody. I am often afraid on this account of telling you everything when I write. There was no talk of an Order, which would do me more harm than good.’
Max Miiller had arranged to leave Berlin directly after the dinner at Potsdam, but his friend Morier u^as taken suddenly- ill with quinsy, and he was obliged to stay on and nurse him through a most alarming attack, and it was not till quite the end of February that he was able to start for Paris, where he received his 1,200 frs. for the Prix Volney and saw Burnouf and many of his old French friends.
Meantime Professor Wilson — always a cold, hard man, unable
io8 Return to Oxford [ch. vh
to enter readily into the difficulties and engagements of other people where they were contrary to his own views — became very impatient for his return, and wrote to him as follows : —
Oxford, Feb. 26, 1850.
‘ My dear Mf’LLER, — I had hoped to have seen you in Oxford on the occasion of my visit there, but it is now drawing to a close, and I understand there is no prospect of your early arrival. I regret this much, as unless we can proceed a little quicker than we have done with the printing of the Rig-veda, I fear I shall scarcely live to see it finished, in time at least to finish the translation ; unless I do as Langlois has done, and go to work upon the MSS. only. In that case I should have to walk off with all the India House copies, and leave you to the Bodleian alone. The only other expedient I can think of is to summon some other Vaidik — Roth, for instance — to your help ; but seriously I wish you would soon resume your labours. It is high time to put a stop to all the wild fancies that a partial knowledge of the light and a reliance upon such equivocal guides as the Brahmanas and Sutras seem likely to engender. I want you also to help in the distribution of the copies. I have the Court’s sanction to the presentation of above 100 copies to different public bodies and eminent individuals both here and abroad. If I cannot expect your assistance in carrying this sanction into effect, I must do as well as I can without it, but it is a task that will give me some trouble. I have finished the translation, and printed about half of it. It will be completed, I hope, in about six weeks. Trithen and your other Oxford friends are all well, and will be glad to see you again amongst them. Yours sincerely, ‘ H. H. Wilson.’
Max Miiller had written from Paris to his mother : —
3farch 8.
• It was an unfortunate thing being kept in Berlin, but I have the happy feeling that I was doing what was right, and so I must be satisfied.’
He was scarcely settled in Oxford before he writes to Bunsen : —
Translation. March, 1850.
‘My best thanks for your friendly welcome to England. I hope
your health has not suffered from the various efforts and excite-
ments of your journey to Germany. I have seen with great interest
in the publication of the Prussian Circular Note the realization of the
ideas to which you gave expression before the end of last year. And
1850] Work on the Veda 109
so, suddenly, the Gordian knot of the Austrian diplomatic tow-rope is cut to pieces, and Prussia at last appears z.^ primus inter pares. That the idea of an Emperor is put down as a possible impossibility is sad, but as it had become a subject of scandal it was better to give it up. Should the thunder-clouds of civil war really burst over Germany, the German Emperor would come, not from Schmerling or Gagern, but by the grace of God. How much I wish to see you, how many questions I would gladly have answered 1 But your invitation now in the midst of all your business is too much for me to accept, though I cannot be certain that a strong influence may not drive me to London for a few hours. I am expecting a lot of MSS. from India, which I have bought for myself, as I did not think that the Berlin Library would receive permission for such things at this moment. I am in direct correspondence with the Asiatic Society in Calcutta. My old Veda is a real comfort to me, despite all the wearisomeness of the difficult and yet mechanical work of revision, but it will require much time and labour before the end is possible. Mr. Langlois, Professor of Rhetoric, has made the task much easier to himself. Without commentary, and, as he proudly says, without philological considerations, he has translated the Veda straight away very cavalieremeni : the two first books have just appeared at Didot’s. One cannot enter into discussion with a man of this sort, and yet it is provoking, for the book is easy to read, and from the first page will give ideas of the Veda which will afterwards cost much trouble to remove, just as people now use and quote the translation of the Ezour-veda by Voltaire. An approximate translation of the Veda can be made, and I believe that even Wilson’s English translation will only be approximate. And yet if I had to wait ten years, I would not translate a single line till the whole Vedic antiquity with its wealth of thought lay clearly before me. If you take a hymn from the last book of the Rig-veda interesting for social considerations and moral ideas, as a whole it is clear, but the sequence of ideas is very difficult. Forgive this long scrawl. You need not read it all, and to-morrow is Ash Wednesday, when all diplomatists must do special penance for last year. The poor Pope must cover his head with ashes, and the new Roman Commonwealth will be a common misery. Gioberti seems to have had his day of Damascus, and wishes to make himself an Italian Gagern. The worst are always the best when once the scales fall from their eyes. They won’t believe this in Berlin, but Messrs. Brandenburg, &c., are really too good for these bad times.’
Max Miiller devoted nearly all the year after his return from
Germany to the Veda, and only gave himself a few days’ rest
no Hard Work [ch. vn
from time to time, as he continued to find the Oxford climate very trying. He writes to his mother : —
Translation. Oxford, April 26, 1850.
‘ One thing is necessary above all things in order to live peaceably with people, that is in Latin humaniias, German Menschlichkeit. It is difficult to describe, but it is to claim as little as possible from others, neither an obliging temper nor gratitude, and yet to do all one can to please others, yet without expecting them always to find it out. As men are made up of contradictions, they are the more grateful and friendly the less they see that we expect gratitude and friendliness. Even the least cultivated people have their good points, and it is not only far better, but far more interesting if one takes trouble to find out the best side and motives of people, rather than the worst and most selfish. I write to you what I have often said to myself when I was brought in contact with strangers, and because I find that on the whole I get on well with them. This may appear very artificial, but life is an art, and more difficult than Sanskrit or anything else. A kindly nature can win us by taking pains, but an unkind nature fails, notwithstanding all art and cunning. I am so busy that one day goes after another. I hardly see any one ; then I have caught cold, and have constant toothache and headache. But one xViWiXfaire bonne mine h mauvaisjeu, and if we have no one to pour out our ills to, we must get on as well as we can. I meant to write sooner, but I have been out of sorts the whole time.’
To Bunsen, who had begged him to go * with bag and baggage to 9, Carlton Terrace, to one who longs to see ‘ him, he writes : —
Translation. Oxford, May 17, 1850.
‘ How gladly would I accept your kind invitation ; the hours I am allowed to spend with you are not only the happiest, but the most instructive and most remunerative ; but I have sold my freedom and made myself a day labourer, so at all events I must not leave the cart sticking fast as long as it is in human power to move it. I have a section of MS. ready, which I can print with a good conscience. What will happen later I don’t yet know myself, but hope for an interim fit aliquid. I hope, however, to make myself free for a couple of days as soon as I can — that is, as soon as Wilson leaves ; he comes next week to Oxford for his lectures. I have heard nothing of Froude for a long time, except that he is very happily married.
I don’t believe he is the author of any “ red and raw “ articles, and
as far as I can discover he has only written 07ie literary article for the
1850] Bath — Kneller Hall 11 1
Leader, but I cannot answer for this, as I don’t know the paper. I cannot get Rawlinson’s treatise. His brother says he told him that you are the only person in London with whom he can talk about Babylon.’
A little later we find Max Miiller paying a visit to Morier’s father and mother at Bath. He was delighted with the place, and still more with the affection shown by the old people to one to whose devoted nursing their only son owed his life — a debt of gratitude never forgotten by any member of the family, who all remained his faithful friends till called away before him one after another.
To F. Palgrave, Esq.
9, Park Place, Oxford, /«« 18, 1850.
‘ My dear Palgrave, — I hope I shall be able to get away from Oxford about the end of this week, so if you can give me a bed I should like to come to Kneller Hall on Friday or Saturday. I am thoroughly tired of Oxford, and hope I shall feel jollier again when we sit together on your tower and smoke a weed ; but no In Memo- riam, rather something about airy, fairy Lilians and other sweet creatures without a soul. However, I do not mean to say that Tennyson’s last poems are not very beautiful, yet I do not like those open graves of sorrow and despair, and wish our poets would imitate the good Christian fashion of covering them with flowers, or a stone with a short inscription on it.’
From Kneller Hall Max Miiller went for a week to Bunsen, from whom he always gathered fresh courage for his hard work and more or less lonely life. Of this visit Max Miiller tells his mother : —
Translation. Oxford, July 22, 1850.
‘ I met Ranch the sculptor in London, who was staying at Bunsen’s :
a really delightful old man, who lives only for the beautiful, and has no eyes for anything else. He came to Oxford with me, and was quite enchanted with it, and I enjoyed it more than ever with him.
He was quite ill with the wealth of the buildings, monuments,
churches, halls and pictures, and the beauty of the scenery, and really
when seeing the most striking things he seemed hardly able to control
himself One day I went with him to Blenheim. . . . Later on I had
a visit from Professor Waagen, the Director of the Berlin INIuseum,
and one of the best German connoisseurs of art ; I had to show him
about. Then came Professor Ennemoser from Munich, and lastly
112 Essay on Comparative Grammar [ch. vh
George Bunsen, who only left me yesterday. He sings beautifully,
and we had a great deal of music’
From the following letter it is evident that his Vedic studies were beginning to attract general attention, and that an article on the subject was desired for one of the great Quarterly- Reviews : —
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 9, Park Place, Oxford, /w/j/, 1850.
‘ Your Excellency, — I feel much refreshed spiritually by having been in your presence, which always acts like fresh spring rain on dusty fields; physically I feel better, though I cannot say well yet, and though the body ought to be subject to the spirit, still the spirit has only too often to follow the lead of the body.
With regard to Empson’s and Dr. Wilson’s letters, it is difficult to advise. I have no doubt whatever, that something can be written about the Veda which would reach even the dullest ears. Whether Dr. Wilson can undertake that task is another question. You know the dry hard shell in which the Veda is presented to us, and which seems still harder and more wooden in the English translation. Nevertheless / of course shall be glad if the Rig-veda is dealt with in the Edinburgh Review, and if
Early in October came the welcome news that he had gained the Prix Volney. Burnouf writes : —
Translation. Paris, October 5, 1849.
‘ My dear Friend, — I hasten to announce to you, that on my report, the Commission of the Institute, who have to adjudge the annual prize founded by M. de Volney, has accorded you the first prize of 1,200 francs, A second prize of 1,000 francs has been awarded to another work, curious in fact, but not sufficiently serious in form. I held that the first prize must be adjudged you, as much for the merit of your work, as for the dignity of those great studies, of which, in a very short time, you will be one of the chief ornaments. No one can feel greater pleasure than I do in announcing your success to you. Everybody entertained the kindest feelings towards you. Remember, you are not to mention your success before the 25th, as it is not till that day that the prizes are announced at the public seance. Your devoted friend, ‘ E. B.’
And now, after four years of labour in collecting the
materials, the first volume of the Hymns of the Rig-veda, with
Sayana’s Commentary, was printed and nearly ready for
publication. The text had been prepared from MSS. in the
Bibliotheque Royale of Paris, the East India House, and the
Bodleian Library, for in the whole of Germany no MSS.
were to be found, except some very old and imperfect
copies of the text and a few worm-eaten fragments of Sayana
at Berlin. The MSS. in France and England had been
collated and copied by Max Miiller’s own hand, entirely with-
1849] Goes to Berlin 103
out help. The MSS. of Sayana were most imperfect, made by copyists who did not understand their subject, and were therefore full of mistakes, which had all to be rectified to pro- duce a correct text. It abounds moreover in obscure quota- tions, and many of the works quoted had not been edited at this time, and yet every quotation had to be verified and explained. It was a gigantic undertaking for so young a scholar, and in his preface he gratefully acknowledges the constant encouragement he had received from men like Burnouf and Wilson, and the readiness with which the libra- rians of the public libraries in Paris, London, and Oxford spread their treasures before him, whilst Burnouf and Dr. Mill generously placed their private collection of MSS. at his service, and Dr. Rieu, Sub-Librarian of the British Museum, aided in the correction of the proof-sheets of this volume.
So after three years of absence he was able to hurry off to his own family, with the restful feeling that he had well earned his longed-for holiday. He thus takes leave of Bunsen : —
Translation. London, October 20, 1849.
• In the hurry of my journey it is not possible to answer your kind letter, which is very precious to me. Your confidence in me gives me fresh courage, and an earnest resolution to work on bravely ; but do not expect too much from me, that I may not fall too far short of your expectations. The love of science and desire of distinction are often too weak to overcome the vis inertiae and the longing for rest and retirement, especially in these days of barbarism, of mental poverty and godlessness, where one finds no hearing for research, let alone the hope of starting anything useful. I owe you much, very much, were it only that the thought of you keeps alive in me the love of duty, and the desire to win the approbation of good men.’
Immediately on his arrival in Berlin Max Miiller sought
out his friend and patron, Alexander von Humboldt, who con-
tinued to the end to take a deep interest in the scholar whom
he remembered from his Berlin student-days. Unfortunately
all the letters from Max Miiller to Humboldt have disappeared,
but permission has been given to use one or two of Hum-
boldt’s notes to Max, though there is nothing of special
104 ^- ‘^on Humboldt [ch. vi
interest in them, as showing his friendly feelings towards the young Sanskritist.
Translalion. Potsdam, Noveinber 2, 1849.
‘It is with the greatest joy that I greet again on German soil so talented and industrious a scholar as Dr. Max Miiller. An unforeseen absence from home robbed me the other day of the joy of your visit. I expect you, therefore, the day after to-morrow, Friday, between i and 2 o’clock, if that suits you. The Prolegomena to the Veda will be of the greatest interest to me, and I shall hand it to the public with pleasure, if you wish me to do so. With kindest regards, yours, ‘ A. v. Humboldt.’
From Berlin Max Miiller writes to his friend and master Burnouf : —
9, ScHADow Strasse, Berlin, November 8.
‘ Dear Sir, — My best thanks for your kind letter. You can imagine how happy I am, after having received from the French Academy this unexpected distinction, but what gives to this distinction its highest value is that this honour has been bestowed on my essay on your recommendation. I knew very well your kind intentions towards me, and was persuaded that I should find in you a kind judge. But I was also too well acquainted with your character, to expect that your kindness for me could exercise any influence on those principles on which you act. Having received therefore this prize through you, I think I have solid reason to feel happy about it, and to consider it as a good omen for my future studies. The first volume of the J^ig- veda has at last appeared. I left it finished before I went to Germany, and though I am afraid there will be some delay by the bookbinder, bookseller, &c., I hope you will soon receive a copy of it at Paris. I have not yet given up my plan of coming to Paris, before I return to England. There are many things connected with the Veda, which I have treated in my Prolegomena to the Veda, on which I should like very much to hear your opinion before it is printed. I hope no other Revolution will come between it, as the last time when I came to Paris, for I see also here at Berlin that revolutions leave the minds of men not in a favourable disposidon for discussing questions con- nected with the history of bygone nations. I hope your health will soon be entirely restored, and I shall find you again at your morning upanishads, animated by the same lively interest, and with the same warmth of discussion and conversation, as three or four years ago.
‘Believe me, dear sir,
‘ Yours very gratefully and faithfully,
‘ M. MilLLER.’
1849] Life at Berlin 105
From Berlin he writes again to Bunsen : —
Translation. Berlin, November 12, 1849.
‘ After spending a short time in Dresden and Leipzig, I have come to Berlin, and my mother with me, and shall stay here till Christmas. I have found many of my old friends here, and satiated with politics the interest in scientific pursuits seems to be slowly reviving. The feeling of dejection in Prussia and Germany is great, and the good see with dismay that the pendulum of the State machinery, which in March was swung too far to the left, now, with the same want of caution, is swung too far to the right. That from that point there will again be a reaction every one seems to forget. They fancy they can hold the pendulum fast to the right, forgetting that either the clockwork must break, or the weight must fall back with the same force. Yesterday, I received a letter from Oxford, in which I am told that my Oxford friends are taking pains to secure me a place in the British Museum, and have written to you about it. It is the place of Keeper of the Oriental MSS., with £450 income. I shall not stand for the place: the tastes of the late librarian led him to collect a wealth of Arabic, Syriac, and Persian MSS., but Indian and Old Persian were totally neglected. I should not suit the place, but might not Rieu get it ? His knowledge exactly fits him for it, and this appoint- ment would assure his whole future and be a great advantage to science. Lepsius is very well, and is just going to bring out another volume, chiefly drawings. Lepsia, too, and Lepsiuncula are well. Bopp is just the same, unchanged ; but one cannot expect anything more from him for Sanskrit. It is to be hoped that Weber by his work will soon gain a Professorship, not only in his own interest, but also for the sake of his work. I have not yet seen Humboldt ; he is in Potsdam, and I will wait till I have received the copies of the Rig- veda. I am going to-day to the Chamber for the first time. The seats in the Chamber are already getting empty, and ennui will do more service than a state of siege. To see men like Dahlmann ^ taking a part in these transactions is really sad. He is too good an historian to be a politician. I occupy myself here with the revision of my Prolegomena; I cannot alter it much more. Yours in true devotion.’
» Died i860.
CHAPTER VII
1850-1851
Dinner at Potsdam. Morier’s illness. Return to Oxford. Rauch. Waagen. Appointed to lecture at Oxford. Letters from Professors Co well and Story- Maskelyne. Visit to Froude. Article in Edin- burgh Review. Made Deputy Professor and Honorary M.A.
After a pleasant Christmas at Chemnitz with his mother and sister, where also his friend Morier joined him, Max Miiller, with Morier, returned to Berlin, where the latter meant to spend some months studying German. Max writes to his mother from Berlin : —
Translation, Berlis, Jan. 30.
‘ I am very comfortable with Goldstucker, but I am tired of being idle, and am longing to be back in Oxford now I am no longer with you. I have been visiting old friends, Bettina von Arnim and Varnhagen ; they have both become red republicans.’
He had met Humboldt, who told him that the King had expressed a wish to see him before he returned to England, and soon after brought him a command to dine at Potsdam. He sends his mother a lively account of the dinner: —
Translation. Berlin, I^ed. 2, 1850,
‘ Dearest Mother, — I must tell you all about my visit to the King.
Early Friday came a messenger from the palace to invite me to
dinner at Charlottenburg, and at 2.30 Humboldt came in his carriage
to take me there. He told me it would be quite a small party, but
when we arrived we found about thirty people already assembled, and
we all waited for the King. Humboldt introduced me to various
people, and the ladies and gentlemen of the Court were evidently
much surprised at my presence, as I was the only man without epau-
lets and about ten Orders. At last came the King and Queen. I was
again the only person who had not yet been presented. So I was
1850] Dinner at Potsdam 107
taken through all the ladies and gentlemen and presented to His Majesty. “ Brahma is great, but fear not ! “ I thought, as I looked at the King, only separated from me by his mountainous evihonpoint. He asked me where I was born, and told me that in the Dessau library he had seen the poet Miiller. Then he talked of the Duchess, and at last asked how I liked England, and then saying “Wunsche Ihnen guten Appetit “ (I wish you a good appetite), bowed and dismissed me. Then the Queen came up to me, and was asking me about the Duchess, when the King hurried up to her, gave her his arm, saying as Berlin wit, “ Monsieur, s’il vous plait, dinner is served.” Then we went into the next room. I sat between two officers, and enjoyed my dinner, which was a very good one. I took the liberty of letting my knife and fork go with each course, till I remarked that the servants looked askance, and then I saw to my great surprise that the ladies and gentlemen round me eat everything with the same knife and fork ! What to do ? to imitate them ? No, I went quietly on to the last dish, and let the footmen and my neighbours and vis-a-vis think of me what they pleased; but I was amused. After dinner we had coffee in quite a small room. The King came up to me again, and asked if I knew English, and other kindly questions, and then joined the Queen. I had some talk with some of the Gentlemen in Waiting, Count Puckler, &c. ; then their Majesties went away, and I drove home with Humboldt. He was very sorry that the party had been so large, but said the King was so much occupied it was difficult to see him alone. It amused me very much to have this peep into the royal circle, and it may be useful to me later on. Humboldt was delightful. I have been busy for him on the names of the Dogstar in Sanskrit, which he will mention in Cosmos. That is better than dining with the King, but I knew you would want me to describe it all, but you must not repeat it to everybody. I am often afraid on this account of telling you everything when I write. There was no talk of an Order, which would do me more harm than good.’
Max Miiller had arranged to leave Berlin directly after the dinner at Potsdam, but his friend Morier u^as taken suddenly- ill with quinsy, and he was obliged to stay on and nurse him through a most alarming attack, and it was not till quite the end of February that he was able to start for Paris, where he received his 1,200 frs. for the Prix Volney and saw Burnouf and many of his old French friends.
Meantime Professor Wilson — always a cold, hard man, unable
io8 Return to Oxford [ch. vh
to enter readily into the difficulties and engagements of other people where they were contrary to his own views — became very impatient for his return, and wrote to him as follows : —
Oxford, Feb. 26, 1850.
‘ My dear Mf’LLER, — I had hoped to have seen you in Oxford on the occasion of my visit there, but it is now drawing to a close, and I understand there is no prospect of your early arrival. I regret this much, as unless we can proceed a little quicker than we have done with the printing of the Rig-veda, I fear I shall scarcely live to see it finished, in time at least to finish the translation ; unless I do as Langlois has done, and go to work upon the MSS. only. In that case I should have to walk off with all the India House copies, and leave you to the Bodleian alone. The only other expedient I can think of is to summon some other Vaidik — Roth, for instance — to your help ; but seriously I wish you would soon resume your labours. It is high time to put a stop to all the wild fancies that a partial knowledge of the light and a reliance upon such equivocal guides as the Brahmanas and Sutras seem likely to engender. I want you also to help in the distribution of the copies. I have the Court’s sanction to the presentation of above 100 copies to different public bodies and eminent individuals both here and abroad. If I cannot expect your assistance in carrying this sanction into effect, I must do as well as I can without it, but it is a task that will give me some trouble. I have finished the translation, and printed about half of it. It will be completed, I hope, in about six weeks. Trithen and your other Oxford friends are all well, and will be glad to see you again amongst them. Yours sincerely, ‘ H. H. Wilson.’
Max Miiller had written from Paris to his mother : —
3farch 8.
• It was an unfortunate thing being kept in Berlin, but I have the happy feeling that I was doing what was right, and so I must be satisfied.’
He was scarcely settled in Oxford before he writes to Bunsen : —
Translation. March, 1850.
‘My best thanks for your friendly welcome to England. I hope
your health has not suffered from the various efforts and excite-
ments of your journey to Germany. I have seen with great interest
in the publication of the Prussian Circular Note the realization of the
ideas to which you gave expression before the end of last year. And
1850] Work on the Veda 109
so, suddenly, the Gordian knot of the Austrian diplomatic tow-rope is cut to pieces, and Prussia at last appears z.^ primus inter pares. That the idea of an Emperor is put down as a possible impossibility is sad, but as it had become a subject of scandal it was better to give it up. Should the thunder-clouds of civil war really burst over Germany, the German Emperor would come, not from Schmerling or Gagern, but by the grace of God. How much I wish to see you, how many questions I would gladly have answered 1 But your invitation now in the midst of all your business is too much for me to accept, though I cannot be certain that a strong influence may not drive me to London for a few hours. I am expecting a lot of MSS. from India, which I have bought for myself, as I did not think that the Berlin Library would receive permission for such things at this moment. I am in direct correspondence with the Asiatic Society in Calcutta. My old Veda is a real comfort to me, despite all the wearisomeness of the difficult and yet mechanical work of revision, but it will require much time and labour before the end is possible. Mr. Langlois, Professor of Rhetoric, has made the task much easier to himself. Without commentary, and, as he proudly says, without philological considerations, he has translated the Veda straight away very cavalieremeni : the two first books have just appeared at Didot’s. One cannot enter into discussion with a man of this sort, and yet it is provoking, for the book is easy to read, and from the first page will give ideas of the Veda which will afterwards cost much trouble to remove, just as people now use and quote the translation of the Ezour-veda by Voltaire. An approximate translation of the Veda can be made, and I believe that even Wilson’s English translation will only be approximate. And yet if I had to wait ten years, I would not translate a single line till the whole Vedic antiquity with its wealth of thought lay clearly before me. If you take a hymn from the last book of the Rig-veda interesting for social considerations and moral ideas, as a whole it is clear, but the sequence of ideas is very difficult. Forgive this long scrawl. You need not read it all, and to-morrow is Ash Wednesday, when all diplomatists must do special penance for last year. The poor Pope must cover his head with ashes, and the new Roman Commonwealth will be a common misery. Gioberti seems to have had his day of Damascus, and wishes to make himself an Italian Gagern. The worst are always the best when once the scales fall from their eyes. They won’t believe this in Berlin, but Messrs. Brandenburg, &c., are really too good for these bad times.’
Max Miiller devoted nearly all the year after his return from
Germany to the Veda, and only gave himself a few days’ rest
no Hard Work [ch. vn
from time to time, as he continued to find the Oxford climate very trying. He writes to his mother : —
Translation. Oxford, April 26, 1850.
‘ One thing is necessary above all things in order to live peaceably with people, that is in Latin humaniias, German Menschlichkeit. It is difficult to describe, but it is to claim as little as possible from others, neither an obliging temper nor gratitude, and yet to do all one can to please others, yet without expecting them always to find it out. As men are made up of contradictions, they are the more grateful and friendly the less they see that we expect gratitude and friendliness. Even the least cultivated people have their good points, and it is not only far better, but far more interesting if one takes trouble to find out the best side and motives of people, rather than the worst and most selfish. I write to you what I have often said to myself when I was brought in contact with strangers, and because I find that on the whole I get on well with them. This may appear very artificial, but life is an art, and more difficult than Sanskrit or anything else. A kindly nature can win us by taking pains, but an unkind nature fails, notwithstanding all art and cunning. I am so busy that one day goes after another. I hardly see any one ; then I have caught cold, and have constant toothache and headache. But one xViWiXfaire bonne mine h mauvaisjeu, and if we have no one to pour out our ills to, we must get on as well as we can. I meant to write sooner, but I have been out of sorts the whole time.’
To Bunsen, who had begged him to go * with bag and baggage to 9, Carlton Terrace, to one who longs to see ‘ him, he writes : —
Translation. Oxford, May 17, 1850.
‘ How gladly would I accept your kind invitation ; the hours I am allowed to spend with you are not only the happiest, but the most instructive and most remunerative ; but I have sold my freedom and made myself a day labourer, so at all events I must not leave the cart sticking fast as long as it is in human power to move it. I have a section of MS. ready, which I can print with a good conscience. What will happen later I don’t yet know myself, but hope for an interim fit aliquid. I hope, however, to make myself free for a couple of days as soon as I can — that is, as soon as Wilson leaves ; he comes next week to Oxford for his lectures. I have heard nothing of Froude for a long time, except that he is very happily married.
I don’t believe he is the author of any “ red and raw “ articles, and
as far as I can discover he has only written 07ie literary article for the
1850] Bath — Kneller Hall 11 1
Leader, but I cannot answer for this, as I don’t know the paper. I cannot get Rawlinson’s treatise. His brother says he told him that you are the only person in London with whom he can talk about Babylon.’
A little later we find Max Miiller paying a visit to Morier’s father and mother at Bath. He was delighted with the place, and still more with the affection shown by the old people to one to whose devoted nursing their only son owed his life — a debt of gratitude never forgotten by any member of the family, who all remained his faithful friends till called away before him one after another.
To F. Palgrave, Esq.
9, Park Place, Oxford, /«« 18, 1850.
‘ My dear Palgrave, — I hope I shall be able to get away from Oxford about the end of this week, so if you can give me a bed I should like to come to Kneller Hall on Friday or Saturday. I am thoroughly tired of Oxford, and hope I shall feel jollier again when we sit together on your tower and smoke a weed ; but no In Memo- riam, rather something about airy, fairy Lilians and other sweet creatures without a soul. However, I do not mean to say that Tennyson’s last poems are not very beautiful, yet I do not like those open graves of sorrow and despair, and wish our poets would imitate the good Christian fashion of covering them with flowers, or a stone with a short inscription on it.’
From Kneller Hall Max Miiller went for a week to Bunsen, from whom he always gathered fresh courage for his hard work and more or less lonely life. Of this visit Max Miiller tells his mother : —
Translation. Oxford, July 22, 1850.
‘ I met Ranch the sculptor in London, who was staying at Bunsen’s :
a really delightful old man, who lives only for the beautiful, and has no eyes for anything else. He came to Oxford with me, and was quite enchanted with it, and I enjoyed it more than ever with him.
He was quite ill with the wealth of the buildings, monuments,
churches, halls and pictures, and the beauty of the scenery, and really
when seeing the most striking things he seemed hardly able to control
himself One day I went with him to Blenheim. . . . Later on I had
a visit from Professor Waagen, the Director of the Berlin INIuseum,
and one of the best German connoisseurs of art ; I had to show him
about. Then came Professor Ennemoser from Munich, and lastly
112 Essay on Comparative Grammar [ch. vh
George Bunsen, who only left me yesterday. He sings beautifully,
and we had a great deal of music’
From the following letter it is evident that his Vedic studies were beginning to attract general attention, and that an article on the subject was desired for one of the great Quarterly- Reviews : —
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 9, Park Place, Oxford, /w/j/, 1850.
‘ Your Excellency, — I feel much refreshed spiritually by having been in your presence, which always acts like fresh spring rain on dusty fields; physically I feel better, though I cannot say well yet, and though the body ought to be subject to the spirit, still the spirit has only too often to follow the lead of the body.
With regard to Empson’s and Dr. Wilson’s letters, it is difficult to advise. I have no doubt whatever, that something can be written about the Veda which would reach even the dullest ears. Whether Dr. Wilson can undertake that task is another question. You know the dry hard shell in which the Veda is presented to us, and which seems still harder and more wooden in the English translation. Nevertheless / of course shall be glad if the Rig-veda is dealt with in the Edinburgh Review, and if
Re: ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
Wilson would write from the standpoint of a missionary, and would show how the knowledge and bringing into light of the Veda would upset the whole existing system of Indian theology, it might become of real interest.’
Only a few days after writing the above, Max Miiller heard from Bunsen that Eastwick, the translator of Bopp’s Com- parative Grammar, wished for a review of it in the Quarterly, and urging him to undertake it. This is the first mention of the article which appeared ultimately in the Edinburgh Review in October, 1851, and which was the first of several articles written by Max Miiller for that periodical.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. Oxford, /uly 14, 1850.
‘ I accept with pleasure the proposal with regard to an article on
Bopp’s Comparative Grammar, translated by Eastwick, and thank you
for it. I must ask you to be good enough to assure Mr. Lockhart of
my readiness. I do not think that a short review will cost much
time and labour, and if you will allow me, next week, when I shall be
in London for a few days, I will call and get some directions and hints
from you. God help Schleswig-Holstein, and not punish Prussia
1850] Rig-veda 113
in His wrath. If the Schleswig-Holsteiners are conquered and annihilated, they have fought for their rights and have fallen gloriously on the field of honour, after the will of history. But if a power, to which all Europe has offered the leading position, allows itself to be intimidated by the threats of the Danes and Russians, and withdraws a given promise, that is worse than a retreat before a battle.’
Two days later he writes to Palgrave : —
9, Park Place, Oxfokt), July i6, 1850.
‘ My DEAR Palgrave, — If you have ever amused yourself in spending a whole Long Vacation in Oxford — of which I do not think you have ever been guilty — you would know that it is more like purgatory than anything else. Yet here I am, and I cannot get away on account of one miserable MS. which I must go and look at every day while I am carrying my Rig-veda through the Press. I should have liked very much to spend a few weeks with you and Froude, and I have tried everything to accomplish my plan, but it was impossible without stopping my work altogether, which for many reasons I could not do. I shall be tied to Oxford for a month or two longer — a pleasant prospect, as then the fine season will be over, and no chance left for refreshing one’s soul except in the cold weather. However, it is no use writing epistolae ex Ponto! I am glad to hear that Froude gets on so well, and that his choice has been such a happy one. Johnson is back, and looks very joyful, as well as his bride. Professor Waagen is staying with him, and I am sure you would enjoy their conversation. I can only admire their skill in admiring the most ugly, stiff and out of joint pictures : however, such is art.’
From the very moment that his own position became tolerably settled by the patronage bestowed on his Rig-veda by the East India Company, Max Miiller was always trying to help others in some respects less fortunate than himself. A long correspondence exists as to the place of German teacher at I^’Jgby, which he tried in 1849 to secure for Dr. Pauli. Soon after the latter became private secretary to Bunsen, Max heard of a place vacant at the University of Berlin, and writes to Pauli : —
Translation.
‘If Bunsen is interested about it, he should not forget Weber. He
is older than , and has done more, and then has a wife and child.
Please do not forget to mention this.’
‘o^
And in the following letter, whilst presenting his father’s
I I
114 German Lyric Poetry [ch. vn
poems to Bunsen, he tries to do another friend a good turn : —
Tra7islatmi. Oxford, October 9, 1850.
‘ I am sending the new edition of my father’s poems which I brought out during my German “ Winter-journey.” There are many new things in it, and I trust the work will help to keep alive the memory of the poet who died so early ! You have spoken of him to me so often, and in a manner so grateful to my feelings, that it is a great pleasure to be allowed to send you this new edition. Then I wish to ask your advice. I visited Froude this week to make the acquaintance of his wife and daughter. He is thinking of an article on German poetry since Goethe. He has collected some good material, especially very successful translations from Uhland, Heine, and a few poems of my father’s. Do you think that the Quarterly would open its columns to an article on Uhland, Miiller, Heine, Lenau, &c., and is it too much to ask you to persuade Lockhart to take such an article ? It is quite understood that the subject would be treated purely from the historical and aesthetic point of view.’
Towards the end of this year, after an almost continuous summer of labour at the Veda, Max Miiller was seized with a sudden feeling of utter weariness of England and his life here, and writes to Bunsen : —
Translation. Oxford, November, 1850.
‘ As soon as I received your letter I wrote to Froude. I do not think that he can write as comprehensive an article as you describe.
What he could best write would be a small genre picture of German
lyric poetry since Goethe, the time when the old man tripped over
the roots of the trees he had himself planted; an estimate of the
(compared with Goethe) poetae viediocres to whom with Horace
one willingly denies all right to existence, because they have never,
like Homer, Dante, Goethe, and Byron, visited the devil in hell. If
Froude once left this sphere to sketch a picture of the mental and
religious struggles of the Fatherland since Goethe, he would from
want of accurate knowledge fall into extremes ; and the Edinburgh,
which is not far behind the Quarterly in anti-German feeling, would
be closed against him. The prospects for Germans in England get
steadily worse : happy he who can live in his own land. Things look
very grey. The conferences in Bregenz and Warsaw have made
a new revolution a duty for every German, and those who are by nature
inclined to a bouleversement mode’re’ rub their hands. But a stormy
sea also is splendid, and shows who are true men. We must expect
I
1850] Wishes to leave England 115
that some of our stately steersmen will be seasick, but there are men who fear neither wind nor weather, and who do not think that Germany’s peace is too dear to buy at any price. I am thinking of writing to Lassen to ask him whether he can employ me in Bonn. I am heartily tired of England, and if there is nothing in Germany I will try India. My work is entirely at a standstill, my MSS. from India lost for the second ti?ne by the shipwreck of the Manchester. I must therefore come to a decision. The problem of the Egyptian language occupies me very much, but it is difficult to find guiding principles when the comparison depends on the mere mass, not on the organization of the language. Benfey’s researches prove the Semitic character of the Egyptian grammar beyond all doubt, and much will become simpler and clearer by the old Egyptian grammar. But in the comparison of words with the Indo-European, we expose ourselves to many dangers, especially as long as a sufficient number of Indo-European, or rather common roots in Semitic also, are not authenticated. To-morrow Wilson comes to Oxford, with whom I have a good deal to discuss ; then a decision must be made as to beginning a new life.’
Bunsen’s answer came by return of post : * Your letter has frightened me by what you tell me of your strong impulse to go to Bonn or Benares. This is the very worst moment for Bonn. . . . The crisis in our country disturbs everything,’ and ends by urging him to go up to London at once and stay at the Legation. To this Max replied : —
Translation. Oxford, November 5, 1850.
‘ How willingly would I have accepted your invitation to London, were I not kept by two lectures which take up my whole time, one on astronomy by Professor Donkin, and another by Wilson to learn Hindustani. An interruption would throw me out too much, especially in the astronomy, which I can only follow by the closest attention.
I have spoken to Wilson ; he advises me to stay in England, or to go
to India, but I do not think he would make difficulties if I had
a definite purpose in Germany, that is if I could tell him that I really
expected a position in a University. Therefore I think it is best first
to hear Lassen’s views, to know whether he would recommend the
faculty in Bonn to give me an appointment, or whether he would
rather keep Sanskrit to himself. I am quite ready to stay another
year here, to print my Introduction, but I should like to have a certain
prospect and not live on at random. My early Oxford friends, with
whom I felt at home, leave this one after another, and it is not worth
I 1
ii6 Appointed to lecture [ch. vii
while to make new acquaintances. And then in spite of all disorders and crises I am drawn back towards Germany, or if I must live in a foreign country, I would rather go to the Antipodes than live in suspense in England. That I am not in my right place here, I know and feel more each day. So away, and the sooner the better, and God will help me further.
‘ Wilson received a letter from Benares the other day, which says that the learned Brahmans there shook their heads mightily at first, but now, after having received and read a specimen of 200 pages, they are highly pleased with the edition of the Veda. They have settled among themselves, and it is common talk in Benares, that a colony of Germans will come and settle there, and turn Brahmans. So if all my plans fail, I may perhaps find a refuge there.’
It was in the very midst of all this uncertainty that he was asked by the Curators of the Taylor Institution to under- take two courses of lectures as deputy for his friend Trithen, who had suddenly fallen into a state of melancholia, quite incapacitating him from work. He tells his mother on December 14 : —
Translation.
‘I received for my birthday a quite unexpected present, a letter from the University asking me to lecture in the place of Trithen, who is very ill. He lectures on modern literature and languages. I can- not say I care very much for it, as it must break into my other work, but as my Oxford friends and also Bunsen were very anxious I should undertake it, I wrote to accept. The first course will be on the History and Origin of Modern Languages, and the second on the Nibelu7ige7i. If they make me a Professor, I shall not object to it, though I should prefer a German Professorship. Well, we shall see.’
Though wishing Max Miiller to accept the offer to lecture
in Oxford, Bunsen had written to him on December 18, urging
him to pay a flying visit to Bonn before Christmas to see what
the prospects there were, adding : ‘ As a friend of many years’
standing, you will forgive me if I say, if the journey to Bonn
is not financially convenient to you just now, I depend on
your thinking of me,’
To this letter Max replied : —
Translation. Oxford, December 13, 1850.
‘ Many thanks for the kind sympathy which, even in the storm and
Stress of these evil times, you, an always faithful friend, have shown
1850] Deputy Professor 117
me. I quite acknowledge how well it would have been had I been able myself to reconnoitre the position at Bonn. But before I received George’s answer, I had written to Lassen, to ask his advice in this affair. So I could not change things ; the first impression had been made, and could hardly be altered by my cursory presence. I will now quietly await what he writes, and have meantime accepted the Oxford invita- tion to give two courses of lectures. I only hope they won’t cost too much time, for if I go to Bonn at Michaelmas, and wish first to finish the second volume of the Rig-veda, and the Prolegomena in which a Latin catalogue of the Bodleian MSS. is to appear, I have my hands full. If Lassen makes difiiculties I must decide to stay in England, till a kindly fate leads me out of the Oxford hermit’s cell, into free German air, or into a forest solitude in India. Here is the review to which you were good enough to promise your powerful recommenda- tion. I should be very glad if the Edinburgh would take it, but I am afraid I have hardly hit off the right tone, though I tried hard in writing it to think of ladies uninterruptedly. The advice “think of a lady whilst you are writing “ does not come direct from Lockhart, whom I never saw, but from Eastwick, whom Lockhart taught.’
Among the references which the Taylorian Curators re-
ceived before they appointed Max Miiller as a deputy for
Trithen, the following was sent in by Wilson. Though it in
no way guarantees Max’s gifts as a lecturer on Modern
European Languages, it shows what Wilson, the Nestor of
Sanskritists as he has been called, thought of his young friend
as a Sanskrit scholar : —
November, 1850.
‘ His knowledge of the Sanskrit language I regard as most com- prehensive and critical, and displaying a more than usual familiarity with the principles of its structure as established by native gram- marians. I consider him also as extensively conversant with the general literature of the Hindus, especially with that part which relates to their traditions, institutes, and laws, and I look upon him as with- out an equal in that interesting and important department of it to which he has particularly devoted his attention, the Literature of the Vedas, the study of their ancient texts, and of the many voluminous and difficult subsidiary compositions which are indispensable for their elucidation.’
Of Max Miiller’s position at Oxford, even in these early days, Canon Farrar gives an interesting account : —
‘ The first time when I met him, was at dinner in the Hall at Balliol
ii8 Article for Edinburgh Review [ch. vn
about 1850. At that time, before society in Oxford was broken up into sets during the transitionary period of University reform, there were hardly any private dinners. Certain days each week were assigned in each College for inviting graduate friends from other Colleges to the high table. On the night in question I was dining with Jowett, and Max Miiller with Walrond. Though the talk during dinner was not strictly literary, some point of literature turned up, and Miiller’s opinion on it was asked across the table by Walrond. Instantly there was silence among the twenty men at table. All listened to this stripling (as he appeared). Stanley, who was sitting next to me, and who had been discussing the memoir of Sterling, stopped and listened attentively. Miiller replied to the question with great modesty, though with self-possession, and with a brevity which allowed conversation to flow back soon into its previous course. I instantly asked Jowett who he was, and learnt that he was a young German of great promise who had been in Oxford for about two years and was employed in editing the oldest Sanskrit literature. I name this as a sign of the profound respect which at so early a period was shown to him in an elite society like that of Balliol.’
Christmas of this year was spent in Oxford, though Bunsen had invited his young friend again to Totteridge, but Max had already promised Victor Carus that they should spend it together ; and he tells his mother they had a tree, and gave each other many presents, and with Belle’s assistance passed as happy an evening as they could with their thoughts far away in their German homes.
The year 1851 was the determining point of Max Miiller’s future life. Forced to continue his stay at Oxford, to print the Rig-veda, he found it necessary to have some other means of support than the Veda alone, in order to live the rather ex- pensive life of a young man in Oxford society. This was found for him in the invitation to lecture in his friend Trithen’s place.
At first he was only asked to give two courses of lectures, but
they were so well attended and made such an impression,
that he was invited to continue his task, and was appointed
Deputy Professor as soon as it became apparent that Trithen
was hopelessly ill, and on his death was elected to succeed
him in the Taylorian Professorship. The close of this year
too saw his first connexion with the Editibtcrgh Review, and
from this time on he added to his income by constant con-
1851] His Lectures 119
tributions to various periodicals in England and Germany, and some years later in America also.
About his article for the Edinburgh he writes to Bunsen : —
Traiislation. O^yq^h, January 27, 1851.
‘ I have been waiting for Stanley’s return, to talk to him about the article for the Edinburgh. He tells me he can write neither a head nor a tail to it: he thinks it wants no head, though a tail might perhaps be useful. Jowett and Morier have promised me to provide the perhaps needed additions ; I think Stanley is too busy and has no time for it. If you agree to this, and will show me the friendly service of sending my MS. to Empson with a few words, the thing can perhaps be carried through, and I believe it will be of great use to me here in Oxford. My lectures are written, and your kindly advice as far as possible followed. Jowett is now Select Preacher, and preached an excellent sermon last Sunday. I hope he will publish it with the others. Even the heathen acknowledge it was beautiful language. Sir R. Inglis was present, but seemed httle edified.’
To his mother he wrote the same day : —
Translation. Qy^FO^iy, January 27, 1851.
‘ I went to London lately to a party at Bunsen’s, most interesting, where I met Macaulay, the historian and former Minister, Lord Mahon, Radowitz, and many other celebrities. Old Bunsen is always cheerful, and studies Egyptian and Chinese to drive politics out of his head. In a fortnight my lectures begin. I have only undertaken them for six months, but Bunsen persuades me strongly to remain, and I am thinking it over carefully. If I undertake it endrely I should have £400 a year for giving twenty-four lectures, and more than half the year vacaUon. I could go on with the Veda, and should have an income of about £600, with which one can live well in Oxford, and then you could come and pay me a visit for as long as you liked. But do not talk about it — it is all still uncertain, and I have not myself determined to take it, but would far rather be a Professor in Germany, if I could only at the same time carry on printing the Veda, for that is still my chief business. At all events, my prospects are not bad, and God will help me further. I have hired a piano again, though I have not much time for music, but my Oxford friends expect it, for they all like to listen, though few of them play.’
Of these early days and first lectures, Professor Coweli
120 Letter from Professor Cozvell [ch. vn
(now Professor of Sanskrit at Cambridge) writes, December 24,
1900 : —
‘ My dear Mrs. Max Mijller, — It has occurred to me that I could
not better illustrate Max Miiller’s influence on his contemporaries than
by briefly describing his influence on my own career,
‘I went up to Oxford as a married undergraduate in January, 1851. I had previously studied the classical Sanskrit poetry by myself, and I eagerly embraced the opportunity of reading with the Boden Pro- fessor. I used to go to his lodgings at the end of the High Street. It was on one of these afternoons that the Professor suddenly stopped our reading and said, “ Dr. Max Miiller is going to deliver his first lecture on Comparative Philology at two o’clock to-day ; let us walk up to the Taylor Buildings and hear it.” The lecture was a written one, and was delivered to a large and attentive audience, and to most of those present, as well as myself, it was an introduction to the new world of Comparative Philology. It was the first of a series of such lectures, all of which I carefully attended. After the lecture, Professor Wilson introduced me to the lecturer, who kindly invited me to take tea with him that evening. We soon became fast friends, and I found in him the very guide and counsellor that I needed. He was espe- cially suited to inspire a younger student with enthusiasm. He soon discovered that I was fairly acquainted with the classical Sanskrit and its literature, but knew nothing of the grammarians, the commentators, or the Rig-veda ; and he read with me some of the first volume, then just published, of his great edition of the Rig-veda.
‘ During the six years of my life at Oxford, Max Miiller was my constant guide in my Sanskrit studies ; he taught me to read Sayana’s Commentary and some of the philosophical works, but, above all, he imbued me with his own enthusiasm for Indian literature and his deep sympathy with the Hindu mind. When I went out to Calcutta in 1856 I tried to carry out many of his suggestions, and devoted my spare time to further studies on the lines which he had first pointed out to me ; and my Brahman pandits only carried on the work which he had commenced for me in Oxford.’
Mr. Tuckwell may again be quoted : — ‘ I remember that
Sir Thomas (then Mr.) Acland and I went together to Max
Miiller’s opening lecture. Acland was disturbed, fidgeted,
bit his nails — “ It frightens one,” he said. ... I attended
Miiller’s stimulating philological lectures, learning from his
lips the novel doctrine of the Aryan migrations, and the
rationale of Greek myths ; the charm of his delivery height-
1851] Letter from Mr. Story-Maskelyne 121
ened by a few Germanisms of pronunciation and terminology.’
Mr. Story-Maskelyne writes of these early Oxford days : —
Basset Down House, Swindon, October 13, 1901.
‘ Dear Mrs. Max M-Oller, — In reply to your letter, I regret to tell you that I cannot put my hand on letters from Max. My acquain- tance with him began almost immediately after my being called to Oxford to take the duties of one of the Chairs held by Dr. Buckland, at the time when his genial and energetic nature was clouded by mental failure. Max was summoned — I think in the same term as myself, in 1851 — to fulfil the duties of the Chair of another Pro- fessor under a similar eclipse. My impression is that I first made his acquaintance at the house of Donkin, the Professor of Astronomy, a fine mathematician and scholar as well as musician ; one, indeed, like Henry Smith, of those men of refined and beautiful nature that one meets only occasionally in the world, and who leave it too soon. There Max was at home. In that congenial atmosphere there also moved Cams, a physiologist and friend of Max. Often would he, a master of the violin, accompany Max, under whose hands the piano became a poem in music. I am no musician, but even to-day I can remember with enjoyment the dual music that Max and Cams used to produce ; occasionally, too, in my own queer little rooms under the Ashmolean, where I retained a piano that would suggest this use of it.
‘ You know that Max and I were nearly of the same age, and I am now seventy-eight, with a memory, alas I no longer quick and vivid. The figure of Max is, however, never dimmed in my vision. Though near my age, I never looked on him as less than ten years older than myself, in wisdom, tact, experience of Hfe, and knowledge of men. “ Klug “ was the term Bunsen applied to him, and though he seems from the beginning to have lived with the Olympians, whether in- tellectual or social, it was they who sought him rather, I think, than he who climbed into their company.
‘ He lived in those days in a little lodging in a terrace in the Banbury Road, with a litde companion. Belle his dog. Many and many were the walks — Oxonice, constitutionals — which we three had together in those years, 1851-7, and many of the interests of my later life had their germs planted then.
‘ Johnson, the Radchffe Observer, was one of his Oxford friends. Frank Palgrave, Froude (of course), Morier were among the con- temporaries outside of Oxford whom one met with him.
‘ Well do I remember his lectures. I think his first course ^ was on
^ It was his second course.
122 Early Lectures [ch. vn
the Nihelungen-Lied. They were given in the Taylor Building, and were remarkable in various ways. It was a new star in the Oxford firmament. Probably not half a dozen of his audience knew anything of the old epic or its history. Before the best of the men from the Common Rooms — a considerable gathering — stood the young German Professor, and the weird old tale, or redaction of old tales, he illuminated with side-lights from sagas and myths gathered from the folk-lore of Iceland and of Gamle Norge ; and through the whole ran the sad refrain so often recurring in the rugged music of the poem. But for pure, terse English and luminous exposition I do not think any Oxford man — unless it was Church of Oriel (afterwards Dean of St. Paul’s) — could have given such a course of lectures. It was a new light, a new idea of literature and lecture, that Max imported into the grey old walls of beautiful Oxford. Mr. Philip Pusey rode over all the way from his place near Faringdon with his boy-son to hear each lecture, an early homage to the rising fame of the redactor of the Rig-veda. I had to sit at the back of the audience, and to offer faithful criticism on idiomatic expression and on pronunciation. I had little to offer, though of course now and then Max’s fine English touched an inexact note, more particularly in the latter difficulty. He received such criticisms with great kindness. But, in truth, the lectures were too interesting to allow of one’s thinking of such very slight and by no means unpicturesque foils to them. Natural Science was not in high vogue then at Oxford, but the leaves on the trees were beginning to stir, so that when Max proclaimed his thesis that Comparative Philology and the historical development of language should rank with the Natural Sciences, there was a little rustle of scepticism, though in fact he was anticipating the assertion of evolution being the key to Natural Science.
‘ I should be tiring you — perhaps I may say any one but you — were
I to continue reeling off these phonographs of a somewhat clouded
memory. But these shadows of the past, as they seem to grow into
images and visions, call for my pen to record them as they flit across
my memory. Yours very truly,
‘N. Story-Maskelyne.’
Max Miiller’s first course was on ‘ The History of Modern
Languages,’ in the Lent Term of 1851 ; his second on ‘The
Home of the Nibelungen ‘ ; and the third, in the Autumn
Term, on ‘ The Origin of the Romance Languages.’ The
Science of Comparative Philology was then little known in
England, and these lectures of the young foreigner struck
Only a few days after writing the above, Max Miiller heard from Bunsen that Eastwick, the translator of Bopp’s Com- parative Grammar, wished for a review of it in the Quarterly, and urging him to undertake it. This is the first mention of the article which appeared ultimately in the Edinburgh Review in October, 1851, and which was the first of several articles written by Max Miiller for that periodical.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. Oxford, /uly 14, 1850.
‘ I accept with pleasure the proposal with regard to an article on
Bopp’s Comparative Grammar, translated by Eastwick, and thank you
for it. I must ask you to be good enough to assure Mr. Lockhart of
my readiness. I do not think that a short review will cost much
time and labour, and if you will allow me, next week, when I shall be
in London for a few days, I will call and get some directions and hints
from you. God help Schleswig-Holstein, and not punish Prussia
1850] Rig-veda 113
in His wrath. If the Schleswig-Holsteiners are conquered and annihilated, they have fought for their rights and have fallen gloriously on the field of honour, after the will of history. But if a power, to which all Europe has offered the leading position, allows itself to be intimidated by the threats of the Danes and Russians, and withdraws a given promise, that is worse than a retreat before a battle.’
Two days later he writes to Palgrave : —
9, Park Place, Oxfokt), July i6, 1850.
‘ My DEAR Palgrave, — If you have ever amused yourself in spending a whole Long Vacation in Oxford — of which I do not think you have ever been guilty — you would know that it is more like purgatory than anything else. Yet here I am, and I cannot get away on account of one miserable MS. which I must go and look at every day while I am carrying my Rig-veda through the Press. I should have liked very much to spend a few weeks with you and Froude, and I have tried everything to accomplish my plan, but it was impossible without stopping my work altogether, which for many reasons I could not do. I shall be tied to Oxford for a month or two longer — a pleasant prospect, as then the fine season will be over, and no chance left for refreshing one’s soul except in the cold weather. However, it is no use writing epistolae ex Ponto! I am glad to hear that Froude gets on so well, and that his choice has been such a happy one. Johnson is back, and looks very joyful, as well as his bride. Professor Waagen is staying with him, and I am sure you would enjoy their conversation. I can only admire their skill in admiring the most ugly, stiff and out of joint pictures : however, such is art.’
From the very moment that his own position became tolerably settled by the patronage bestowed on his Rig-veda by the East India Company, Max Miiller was always trying to help others in some respects less fortunate than himself. A long correspondence exists as to the place of German teacher at I^’Jgby, which he tried in 1849 to secure for Dr. Pauli. Soon after the latter became private secretary to Bunsen, Max heard of a place vacant at the University of Berlin, and writes to Pauli : —
Translation.
‘If Bunsen is interested about it, he should not forget Weber. He
is older than , and has done more, and then has a wife and child.
Please do not forget to mention this.’
‘o^
And in the following letter, whilst presenting his father’s
I I
114 German Lyric Poetry [ch. vn
poems to Bunsen, he tries to do another friend a good turn : —
Tra7islatmi. Oxford, October 9, 1850.
‘ I am sending the new edition of my father’s poems which I brought out during my German “ Winter-journey.” There are many new things in it, and I trust the work will help to keep alive the memory of the poet who died so early ! You have spoken of him to me so often, and in a manner so grateful to my feelings, that it is a great pleasure to be allowed to send you this new edition. Then I wish to ask your advice. I visited Froude this week to make the acquaintance of his wife and daughter. He is thinking of an article on German poetry since Goethe. He has collected some good material, especially very successful translations from Uhland, Heine, and a few poems of my father’s. Do you think that the Quarterly would open its columns to an article on Uhland, Miiller, Heine, Lenau, &c., and is it too much to ask you to persuade Lockhart to take such an article ? It is quite understood that the subject would be treated purely from the historical and aesthetic point of view.’
Towards the end of this year, after an almost continuous summer of labour at the Veda, Max Miiller was seized with a sudden feeling of utter weariness of England and his life here, and writes to Bunsen : —
Translation. Oxford, November, 1850.
‘ As soon as I received your letter I wrote to Froude. I do not think that he can write as comprehensive an article as you describe.
What he could best write would be a small genre picture of German
lyric poetry since Goethe, the time when the old man tripped over
the roots of the trees he had himself planted; an estimate of the
(compared with Goethe) poetae viediocres to whom with Horace
one willingly denies all right to existence, because they have never,
like Homer, Dante, Goethe, and Byron, visited the devil in hell. If
Froude once left this sphere to sketch a picture of the mental and
religious struggles of the Fatherland since Goethe, he would from
want of accurate knowledge fall into extremes ; and the Edinburgh,
which is not far behind the Quarterly in anti-German feeling, would
be closed against him. The prospects for Germans in England get
steadily worse : happy he who can live in his own land. Things look
very grey. The conferences in Bregenz and Warsaw have made
a new revolution a duty for every German, and those who are by nature
inclined to a bouleversement mode’re’ rub their hands. But a stormy
sea also is splendid, and shows who are true men. We must expect
I
1850] Wishes to leave England 115
that some of our stately steersmen will be seasick, but there are men who fear neither wind nor weather, and who do not think that Germany’s peace is too dear to buy at any price. I am thinking of writing to Lassen to ask him whether he can employ me in Bonn. I am heartily tired of England, and if there is nothing in Germany I will try India. My work is entirely at a standstill, my MSS. from India lost for the second ti?ne by the shipwreck of the Manchester. I must therefore come to a decision. The problem of the Egyptian language occupies me very much, but it is difficult to find guiding principles when the comparison depends on the mere mass, not on the organization of the language. Benfey’s researches prove the Semitic character of the Egyptian grammar beyond all doubt, and much will become simpler and clearer by the old Egyptian grammar. But in the comparison of words with the Indo-European, we expose ourselves to many dangers, especially as long as a sufficient number of Indo-European, or rather common roots in Semitic also, are not authenticated. To-morrow Wilson comes to Oxford, with whom I have a good deal to discuss ; then a decision must be made as to beginning a new life.’
Bunsen’s answer came by return of post : * Your letter has frightened me by what you tell me of your strong impulse to go to Bonn or Benares. This is the very worst moment for Bonn. . . . The crisis in our country disturbs everything,’ and ends by urging him to go up to London at once and stay at the Legation. To this Max replied : —
Translation. Oxford, November 5, 1850.
‘ How willingly would I have accepted your invitation to London, were I not kept by two lectures which take up my whole time, one on astronomy by Professor Donkin, and another by Wilson to learn Hindustani. An interruption would throw me out too much, especially in the astronomy, which I can only follow by the closest attention.
I have spoken to Wilson ; he advises me to stay in England, or to go
to India, but I do not think he would make difficulties if I had
a definite purpose in Germany, that is if I could tell him that I really
expected a position in a University. Therefore I think it is best first
to hear Lassen’s views, to know whether he would recommend the
faculty in Bonn to give me an appointment, or whether he would
rather keep Sanskrit to himself. I am quite ready to stay another
year here, to print my Introduction, but I should like to have a certain
prospect and not live on at random. My early Oxford friends, with
whom I felt at home, leave this one after another, and it is not worth
I 1
ii6 Appointed to lecture [ch. vii
while to make new acquaintances. And then in spite of all disorders and crises I am drawn back towards Germany, or if I must live in a foreign country, I would rather go to the Antipodes than live in suspense in England. That I am not in my right place here, I know and feel more each day. So away, and the sooner the better, and God will help me further.
‘ Wilson received a letter from Benares the other day, which says that the learned Brahmans there shook their heads mightily at first, but now, after having received and read a specimen of 200 pages, they are highly pleased with the edition of the Veda. They have settled among themselves, and it is common talk in Benares, that a colony of Germans will come and settle there, and turn Brahmans. So if all my plans fail, I may perhaps find a refuge there.’
It was in the very midst of all this uncertainty that he was asked by the Curators of the Taylor Institution to under- take two courses of lectures as deputy for his friend Trithen, who had suddenly fallen into a state of melancholia, quite incapacitating him from work. He tells his mother on December 14 : —
Translation.
‘I received for my birthday a quite unexpected present, a letter from the University asking me to lecture in the place of Trithen, who is very ill. He lectures on modern literature and languages. I can- not say I care very much for it, as it must break into my other work, but as my Oxford friends and also Bunsen were very anxious I should undertake it, I wrote to accept. The first course will be on the History and Origin of Modern Languages, and the second on the Nibelu7ige7i. If they make me a Professor, I shall not object to it, though I should prefer a German Professorship. Well, we shall see.’
Though wishing Max Miiller to accept the offer to lecture
in Oxford, Bunsen had written to him on December 18, urging
him to pay a flying visit to Bonn before Christmas to see what
the prospects there were, adding : ‘ As a friend of many years’
standing, you will forgive me if I say, if the journey to Bonn
is not financially convenient to you just now, I depend on
your thinking of me,’
To this letter Max replied : —
Translation. Oxford, December 13, 1850.
‘ Many thanks for the kind sympathy which, even in the storm and
Stress of these evil times, you, an always faithful friend, have shown
1850] Deputy Professor 117
me. I quite acknowledge how well it would have been had I been able myself to reconnoitre the position at Bonn. But before I received George’s answer, I had written to Lassen, to ask his advice in this affair. So I could not change things ; the first impression had been made, and could hardly be altered by my cursory presence. I will now quietly await what he writes, and have meantime accepted the Oxford invita- tion to give two courses of lectures. I only hope they won’t cost too much time, for if I go to Bonn at Michaelmas, and wish first to finish the second volume of the Rig-veda, and the Prolegomena in which a Latin catalogue of the Bodleian MSS. is to appear, I have my hands full. If Lassen makes difiiculties I must decide to stay in England, till a kindly fate leads me out of the Oxford hermit’s cell, into free German air, or into a forest solitude in India. Here is the review to which you were good enough to promise your powerful recommenda- tion. I should be very glad if the Edinburgh would take it, but I am afraid I have hardly hit off the right tone, though I tried hard in writing it to think of ladies uninterruptedly. The advice “think of a lady whilst you are writing “ does not come direct from Lockhart, whom I never saw, but from Eastwick, whom Lockhart taught.’
Among the references which the Taylorian Curators re-
ceived before they appointed Max Miiller as a deputy for
Trithen, the following was sent in by Wilson. Though it in
no way guarantees Max’s gifts as a lecturer on Modern
European Languages, it shows what Wilson, the Nestor of
Sanskritists as he has been called, thought of his young friend
as a Sanskrit scholar : —
November, 1850.
‘ His knowledge of the Sanskrit language I regard as most com- prehensive and critical, and displaying a more than usual familiarity with the principles of its structure as established by native gram- marians. I consider him also as extensively conversant with the general literature of the Hindus, especially with that part which relates to their traditions, institutes, and laws, and I look upon him as with- out an equal in that interesting and important department of it to which he has particularly devoted his attention, the Literature of the Vedas, the study of their ancient texts, and of the many voluminous and difficult subsidiary compositions which are indispensable for their elucidation.’
Of Max Miiller’s position at Oxford, even in these early days, Canon Farrar gives an interesting account : —
‘ The first time when I met him, was at dinner in the Hall at Balliol
ii8 Article for Edinburgh Review [ch. vn
about 1850. At that time, before society in Oxford was broken up into sets during the transitionary period of University reform, there were hardly any private dinners. Certain days each week were assigned in each College for inviting graduate friends from other Colleges to the high table. On the night in question I was dining with Jowett, and Max Miiller with Walrond. Though the talk during dinner was not strictly literary, some point of literature turned up, and Miiller’s opinion on it was asked across the table by Walrond. Instantly there was silence among the twenty men at table. All listened to this stripling (as he appeared). Stanley, who was sitting next to me, and who had been discussing the memoir of Sterling, stopped and listened attentively. Miiller replied to the question with great modesty, though with self-possession, and with a brevity which allowed conversation to flow back soon into its previous course. I instantly asked Jowett who he was, and learnt that he was a young German of great promise who had been in Oxford for about two years and was employed in editing the oldest Sanskrit literature. I name this as a sign of the profound respect which at so early a period was shown to him in an elite society like that of Balliol.’
Christmas of this year was spent in Oxford, though Bunsen had invited his young friend again to Totteridge, but Max had already promised Victor Carus that they should spend it together ; and he tells his mother they had a tree, and gave each other many presents, and with Belle’s assistance passed as happy an evening as they could with their thoughts far away in their German homes.
The year 1851 was the determining point of Max Miiller’s future life. Forced to continue his stay at Oxford, to print the Rig-veda, he found it necessary to have some other means of support than the Veda alone, in order to live the rather ex- pensive life of a young man in Oxford society. This was found for him in the invitation to lecture in his friend Trithen’s place.
At first he was only asked to give two courses of lectures, but
they were so well attended and made such an impression,
that he was invited to continue his task, and was appointed
Deputy Professor as soon as it became apparent that Trithen
was hopelessly ill, and on his death was elected to succeed
him in the Taylorian Professorship. The close of this year
too saw his first connexion with the Editibtcrgh Review, and
from this time on he added to his income by constant con-
1851] His Lectures 119
tributions to various periodicals in England and Germany, and some years later in America also.
About his article for the Edinburgh he writes to Bunsen : —
Traiislation. O^yq^h, January 27, 1851.
‘ I have been waiting for Stanley’s return, to talk to him about the article for the Edinburgh. He tells me he can write neither a head nor a tail to it: he thinks it wants no head, though a tail might perhaps be useful. Jowett and Morier have promised me to provide the perhaps needed additions ; I think Stanley is too busy and has no time for it. If you agree to this, and will show me the friendly service of sending my MS. to Empson with a few words, the thing can perhaps be carried through, and I believe it will be of great use to me here in Oxford. My lectures are written, and your kindly advice as far as possible followed. Jowett is now Select Preacher, and preached an excellent sermon last Sunday. I hope he will publish it with the others. Even the heathen acknowledge it was beautiful language. Sir R. Inglis was present, but seemed httle edified.’
To his mother he wrote the same day : —
Translation. Qy^FO^iy, January 27, 1851.
‘ I went to London lately to a party at Bunsen’s, most interesting, where I met Macaulay, the historian and former Minister, Lord Mahon, Radowitz, and many other celebrities. Old Bunsen is always cheerful, and studies Egyptian and Chinese to drive politics out of his head. In a fortnight my lectures begin. I have only undertaken them for six months, but Bunsen persuades me strongly to remain, and I am thinking it over carefully. If I undertake it endrely I should have £400 a year for giving twenty-four lectures, and more than half the year vacaUon. I could go on with the Veda, and should have an income of about £600, with which one can live well in Oxford, and then you could come and pay me a visit for as long as you liked. But do not talk about it — it is all still uncertain, and I have not myself determined to take it, but would far rather be a Professor in Germany, if I could only at the same time carry on printing the Veda, for that is still my chief business. At all events, my prospects are not bad, and God will help me further. I have hired a piano again, though I have not much time for music, but my Oxford friends expect it, for they all like to listen, though few of them play.’
Of these early days and first lectures, Professor Coweli
120 Letter from Professor Cozvell [ch. vn
(now Professor of Sanskrit at Cambridge) writes, December 24,
1900 : —
‘ My dear Mrs. Max Mijller, — It has occurred to me that I could
not better illustrate Max Miiller’s influence on his contemporaries than
by briefly describing his influence on my own career,
‘I went up to Oxford as a married undergraduate in January, 1851. I had previously studied the classical Sanskrit poetry by myself, and I eagerly embraced the opportunity of reading with the Boden Pro- fessor. I used to go to his lodgings at the end of the High Street. It was on one of these afternoons that the Professor suddenly stopped our reading and said, “ Dr. Max Miiller is going to deliver his first lecture on Comparative Philology at two o’clock to-day ; let us walk up to the Taylor Buildings and hear it.” The lecture was a written one, and was delivered to a large and attentive audience, and to most of those present, as well as myself, it was an introduction to the new world of Comparative Philology. It was the first of a series of such lectures, all of which I carefully attended. After the lecture, Professor Wilson introduced me to the lecturer, who kindly invited me to take tea with him that evening. We soon became fast friends, and I found in him the very guide and counsellor that I needed. He was espe- cially suited to inspire a younger student with enthusiasm. He soon discovered that I was fairly acquainted with the classical Sanskrit and its literature, but knew nothing of the grammarians, the commentators, or the Rig-veda ; and he read with me some of the first volume, then just published, of his great edition of the Rig-veda.
‘ During the six years of my life at Oxford, Max Miiller was my constant guide in my Sanskrit studies ; he taught me to read Sayana’s Commentary and some of the philosophical works, but, above all, he imbued me with his own enthusiasm for Indian literature and his deep sympathy with the Hindu mind. When I went out to Calcutta in 1856 I tried to carry out many of his suggestions, and devoted my spare time to further studies on the lines which he had first pointed out to me ; and my Brahman pandits only carried on the work which he had commenced for me in Oxford.’
Mr. Tuckwell may again be quoted : — ‘ I remember that
Sir Thomas (then Mr.) Acland and I went together to Max
Miiller’s opening lecture. Acland was disturbed, fidgeted,
bit his nails — “ It frightens one,” he said. ... I attended
Miiller’s stimulating philological lectures, learning from his
lips the novel doctrine of the Aryan migrations, and the
rationale of Greek myths ; the charm of his delivery height-
1851] Letter from Mr. Story-Maskelyne 121
ened by a few Germanisms of pronunciation and terminology.’
Mr. Story-Maskelyne writes of these early Oxford days : —
Basset Down House, Swindon, October 13, 1901.
‘ Dear Mrs. Max M-Oller, — In reply to your letter, I regret to tell you that I cannot put my hand on letters from Max. My acquain- tance with him began almost immediately after my being called to Oxford to take the duties of one of the Chairs held by Dr. Buckland, at the time when his genial and energetic nature was clouded by mental failure. Max was summoned — I think in the same term as myself, in 1851 — to fulfil the duties of the Chair of another Pro- fessor under a similar eclipse. My impression is that I first made his acquaintance at the house of Donkin, the Professor of Astronomy, a fine mathematician and scholar as well as musician ; one, indeed, like Henry Smith, of those men of refined and beautiful nature that one meets only occasionally in the world, and who leave it too soon. There Max was at home. In that congenial atmosphere there also moved Cams, a physiologist and friend of Max. Often would he, a master of the violin, accompany Max, under whose hands the piano became a poem in music. I am no musician, but even to-day I can remember with enjoyment the dual music that Max and Cams used to produce ; occasionally, too, in my own queer little rooms under the Ashmolean, where I retained a piano that would suggest this use of it.
‘ You know that Max and I were nearly of the same age, and I am now seventy-eight, with a memory, alas I no longer quick and vivid. The figure of Max is, however, never dimmed in my vision. Though near my age, I never looked on him as less than ten years older than myself, in wisdom, tact, experience of Hfe, and knowledge of men. “ Klug “ was the term Bunsen applied to him, and though he seems from the beginning to have lived with the Olympians, whether in- tellectual or social, it was they who sought him rather, I think, than he who climbed into their company.
‘ He lived in those days in a little lodging in a terrace in the Banbury Road, with a litde companion. Belle his dog. Many and many were the walks — Oxonice, constitutionals — which we three had together in those years, 1851-7, and many of the interests of my later life had their germs planted then.
‘ Johnson, the Radchffe Observer, was one of his Oxford friends. Frank Palgrave, Froude (of course), Morier were among the con- temporaries outside of Oxford whom one met with him.
‘ Well do I remember his lectures. I think his first course ^ was on
^ It was his second course.
122 Early Lectures [ch. vn
the Nihelungen-Lied. They were given in the Taylor Building, and were remarkable in various ways. It was a new star in the Oxford firmament. Probably not half a dozen of his audience knew anything of the old epic or its history. Before the best of the men from the Common Rooms — a considerable gathering — stood the young German Professor, and the weird old tale, or redaction of old tales, he illuminated with side-lights from sagas and myths gathered from the folk-lore of Iceland and of Gamle Norge ; and through the whole ran the sad refrain so often recurring in the rugged music of the poem. But for pure, terse English and luminous exposition I do not think any Oxford man — unless it was Church of Oriel (afterwards Dean of St. Paul’s) — could have given such a course of lectures. It was a new light, a new idea of literature and lecture, that Max imported into the grey old walls of beautiful Oxford. Mr. Philip Pusey rode over all the way from his place near Faringdon with his boy-son to hear each lecture, an early homage to the rising fame of the redactor of the Rig-veda. I had to sit at the back of the audience, and to offer faithful criticism on idiomatic expression and on pronunciation. I had little to offer, though of course now and then Max’s fine English touched an inexact note, more particularly in the latter difficulty. He received such criticisms with great kindness. But, in truth, the lectures were too interesting to allow of one’s thinking of such very slight and by no means unpicturesque foils to them. Natural Science was not in high vogue then at Oxford, but the leaves on the trees were beginning to stir, so that when Max proclaimed his thesis that Comparative Philology and the historical development of language should rank with the Natural Sciences, there was a little rustle of scepticism, though in fact he was anticipating the assertion of evolution being the key to Natural Science.
‘ I should be tiring you — perhaps I may say any one but you — were
I to continue reeling off these phonographs of a somewhat clouded
memory. But these shadows of the past, as they seem to grow into
images and visions, call for my pen to record them as they flit across
my memory. Yours very truly,
‘N. Story-Maskelyne.’
Max Miiller’s first course was on ‘ The History of Modern
Languages,’ in the Lent Term of 1851 ; his second on ‘The
Home of the Nibelungen ‘ ; and the third, in the Autumn
Term, on ‘ The Origin of the Romance Languages.’ The
Science of Comparative Philology was then little known in
England, and these lectures of the young foreigner struck
Re: ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
1851] Success of Lectures 123
a new, almost strange note, amid the classical studies of the old University, opening out a dim vista of life far older than the times of the Greeks and Romans, and of a language more perfect than Hebrew, and with which, as the elder sister of the Teutonic tongues, Englishmen ought to become better acquainted.
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, March 13, 1851.
‘ My lectures are nearly at an end, and did very well. I had an audience of from fifty to seventy people, mostly Professors and tutors, and a number of ladies. I must prepare my course for next term, and I get no rest and the Veda gets on very slowly, and so my finances suff”er. I have not yet decided whether I shall stay here. My friends persuade me to do so, but it has its difficulties and disagreeables, as no foreigner can have the position an Englishman would have. I shall quietly wait what comes, and if they make me a good offer take it ; at all events, for the near future.’
The next day Max Miiller writes to Bunsen : — •
Translation. March 14, 1851.
‘ For some days I have been intending to write to you, to thank you warmly for your friendly recommendation of my article to Empson. I should like, as there is so much time, that Empson should return me the MS. to look through again, before it is printed. During my lectures some jokes have occurred to me, which appear to amuse John Bull, and which I should like to add. The lectures are nearly over ; to-day is the last but one. They went off better than I expected. Many people took real interest in them.’
The same day Bunsen writes : —
Translation. London.
• It is such a delight to be able at last to write to you, to tell you that few events this year have given me such great pleasure as your noble success in Oxford. The English have shown how gladly they will listen to something good and new, if any one will lay it before them in their own halls. Morier has faithfully reported everything, and my whole family sympathize in your triumph, as if it concerned ourselves.’
Through this vacation, Max Miiller stayed quietly in
Oxford to prepare his next lectures, and seems to have been
124 Lectures on the Nihelungen [ch. vn
far from well, suffering, as usual, from the Oxford climate.
He writes to Dr. Pauli : —
Translation, April, 1851.
‘ I have long wanted to write to you, but I have been so unwell the
whole time, that I could not manage it. Cold, cough, headache, and
toothache are a quartette that makes one quite miserable ; now I only
have the solo of toothache, but that is enough to spoil life. I would
willingly have gone to London, but I cannot now, I have lectures
to write, &c. Have you got any treatise on the Nibelungen you can
lend me } ‘
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. Aprils 1851.
‘After the end of next term I hope to go to London, and there are many things that I wish to tell you, and consult about with you.
‘ I shall lecture this term on the Nibelungen, chiefly with reference to the Homeric question. For the relation of the poetical order to the legendary material I take Firdusi; for the fact of preservation in the memory, the Alahdbhdrata ; for the loss and histoiizing of the legend, Niebuhr’s Rome ; for the changing and misunderstanding of epic songs, the Nibelungen compared with the Edda. The whole is to be a continuation of comparative philology, brought about by the transition into the Epos, in its three grades of legends of Gods, Heroes, and Men.’
Yet, notwithstanding his hard work, Max Muller could write to Dr. Pauli : —
Translation. May 9.
‘ In spite of wind and weather we are very jolly, and play Beethoven trios, duets, and solos every evening, and two little singing birds from London have settled here, and so we Mendelssohn a good deal.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. June i.
‘ I am glad my lectures will soon be over, and that I shall then return to my regular work. I have again had a good audience, and people have shown great interest. How it will be later I do not know, and trouble myself but little about it. If the Professorship were definitely offered me, I would take it for five years. It is a pleasant position, and independent, and affairs in Germany are such, that I don’t desire any Government appointment. But I shall not carry on the lectures provisionally, as they hinder me so much from my other work, and I can earn much more money by the Veda.
If I could only send you something from time to time, that you might
1851] Visit to the Froudes 125
make your life a more comfortable one, but I have myself to be so very careful to manage to live here in Oxford, that I don’t think I can take a journey in the vacation. I shall go to London when term is over, as Bunsen has invited me to his house, but I shall probably stay with Morier, where one feels freer. I have been up for the day to see the Exhibition, but it is quite impossible to give you the least idea of the impression this house of glass makes on one. I had lately a visit from the young Prince of Prussia \ who came to Oxford, and I had to take him about the whole day. He seems to me very clever, very natural, has the greatest admiration for England, and is evidently in good hands. I do not envy him his future ; he will have a difficult life, however happy and free from care it may now appear as he looks on. In the evening we dined together, and I accompanied him to the railway, where he took leave of me in the most hearty manner.’
In July Max Miiller went to London to Morier, and tells his mother that he has been asked to continue his lectures with a higher salary as Deputy Professor, and that he has accepted. His health at this time was better, and his head- aches less frequent, owing to a plan of treatment his doctor had adopted, so that he could work on with less interruptions. ‘ How much time would have been saved had I known of this medicine sooner ! ‘ He tried to persuade his mother to visit England this year to see the Exhibition, and assured her, if she would do so, he would be able in a year’s time to repay her her expenses, though just at the moment he had no spare money.
From London Max Miiller returned to Oxford, and then went to Wales to the Froudes’, and from there writes to his mother : —
Translaiion. Plas Gwynant, August 21.
‘I am staying with a friend whom I knew earlier in Oxford,
Mr. Froude, a very gifted writer. He has written some novels which
have made a great sensation in England. He has been married
nearly two years; his wife is very highly educated and agreeable, and
here they live among the mountains, and he enjoys the dolcefar nt’ente,
fishing, shooting, riding, and writing. The situation of the house is
perfect. ... I shall stay here a fortnight. The only thing I miss is
my beautiful piano, which I bought in London, It is a grand square
by Collard, and by Neukomm’s help, who is a great musician, I got
^ The Emperor Frederick.
126 Review of Bopp^s Comparative Grammar [ch. vn
it for £50. It is in splendid tone, but is so large it could not be got up the staircase, but with great difficulty was hoisted through the window. You may now address me as Professor if you like, but not Professor and Doctor together.’
He says later : ‘ The time in Wales was delightful, and I was idle, which set me up.’
To Dr. Pauli.
Translation. Oxford, September, 1851.
‘ A few days ago I found at the Bodleian the copy oi Alfred’^ you sent there for me. My best thanks for it. I have only read a little of it, which interested me very much, especially the critique on Asser’s Gesta. Do you really think that Asser wrote for his countrymen .? If so, they must have been different fellows to the present Welsh, who really are more like Wallachians. I made acquaintance with them at Fronde’s, where they broke into the house at night, and we had to sleep with loaded pistols to make our lives safe. But notwithstanding I enjoyed myself there thoroughly. I bathed every morning in the waterfall, and all day long we walked, and fished, and shot. Snowdon is beauti- ful, and the lakes beyond description. When I have finished Alfred I shall send it to Froude, who will be delighted with it. He has, as you know, written the life of St. Neot in the Lives of the Saints, and does not trust Asser. He may be able to write a readable review on it. He is very happy with his wife and baby, and I would gladly have stayed longer, but it was so beautiful I could do no work. So here I am again in Oxford, busy with the Veda and lectures.’
On returning to Oxford he put the last touches to his review of Bopp’s Comparative Grammar^ which appeared in the October number of the Edinbjirgh. It excited consider- able interest at the time, and many were the guesses made at the authorship, though probably there are not many now alive who remember reading it. Bunsen and Stanley and other valued friends wrote to congratulate. Bunsen says :
‘ Early this morning I read it through at last, and joyfully
and heartily utter my made virtute. Your examples and
particularly your notes will help and please the English
reader. The introduction is as excellent {ad hominem and
yet dignified) as the end.’ The end is perhaps one of the
^ Life of Alfred, 1851.
1851] Dr. Bernays 127
most melodious paragraphs that Max Mliller ever wrote.
The article has never been reprinted. It ends thus : —
‘ And now that generations after generations have passed away, with their languages — adoring and worshipping the name of God — preaching and dying in the name of God — thinking and meditating on the name of God — there the old w’ord stands still, breathing to us the pure air of the dawn of humanity, carrying with it all the thoughts and sighs, the doubts and tears, of our bygone brethren, and still rising up to heaven with the same sound from the basilicas of Rome and the temples of Benares, as if embracing by its simple spell millions and milHons of hearts in their longing desire to give utterance to the unutterable, to express the inexpressible.’
In October Max Miiller received a visit from Dr. Bernays, the eminent philologist, later Professor at Bonn, ‘a very- capable and delightful man,’ and a very close friendship, as we shall see later from their constant correspondence, sprang up between the devout Jew and the young Professor.
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, November i6.
‘My dear Mother, — I am well accustomed to decipher MSS., but
still it is not a little labour to read your letters, especially when, like
the last, they are written with more water than ink. If I could send
you a bottle of good English ink, I would gladly do so. But I think
if you look about in Dresden, you will be able to get some decent
material for about a penny,
‘ I am not worrying my head with plans for the future, but let it go as it best may. I have not at all made up my mind to spend the rest of my life in Oxford, though I quite see it would be folly to turn away from the prospects opening for me here. But one misses a good deal here that one has in Germany, especially pleasant intercourse with learned men : for there is litde talk here of literary work. If all is quiet, I thought of going in the vacation not only to Germany but to Italy — but this will be only if I condnue to lecture in Oxford. If I do so, I must learn to talk Italian, and this one can only do in the country. But these plans are all vague — and who knows ■what may happen first? . . . We stand every moment in God’s hands, and He knows best what is for our real welfare.
‘ Trust in God is the only happiness on earth : without that our whole life is but anxiety and care. ... I send you £5 to buy Christmas presents for yourself and the Krugs.’
128 Honorary M.A. and Member of Ch. Ch.
On December 4 Max Mtiller was made honorary M.A., and a member of Christ Church. He writes at once to tell his friend Dr. Pauli, and through him the Bunsens :
Translation. December, 1851.
‘ To-day I have been made member of a college, no less than Christ Church, where the Common Room is now the most agreeable. The old Dean performed the ceremony in the pleasantest way, and feels free from all scruples, because he has found a precedent in GraeviuSj who was made a member of Christ Church some hundreds of years ago. Without that he would hardly have given his consent ! Happy old England 1 ... I can hardly help laughing when the black gown flaps about my legs. But one gets accustomed to everything, and with each year one is older and more middle-aged — that is sad — but one cannot escape it here in Oxford.’
Of Max Miiller’s associates in Christ Church Common Room in the early fifties very few are left. Mr. Prout re- calls Max’s freshness and originality, which made him a very popular member of Common Room, and the genuine regret of the other members when the time came for him to leave, on his election as a Fellow of All Souls. And Dean Kitchin remembers how much he enlivened the party, and how he was ‘ always brimming over with good things.’ The Dean had, however, known him earher in his career in Oxford, and says : ‘ Max Miiller left on me an enduring picture of himself — the young eager student, with his handsome face and sympa- thetic manner and bright, expressive eyes. He was then seeing his Veda through the Press. I remember how I with my German sympathies was attracted by his clever piano- forte playing — the Sanskrit I took for granted.’
CHAPTER VIII
1852-1853
Member of Bavarian Academy. Summer in Germany. The Butlers. Arrival and baptism of Dr. Aufrecht. Essay on Turanian Languages for Bunsen. Visit to Scotland. First meeting with future wife. Missionary Alphabet.
On February 2, 1852, Max Miiller writes to his mother that he has just had the most agreeable surprise, having been elected a member of the Royal Bavarian Academy at the same time as Bunsen and Macaulay. Max had only just completed his twenty-eighth year, and to be elected with two such confreres, men whose names had been before the world when he was a mere student, was no slight compliment. He writes to Dr. Pauli : —
Translation. Oxford, 1852.
• Dear Pauli, — The Diploma from Munich has arrived safely ; as I knew nothing about it, I was very much surprised. It must have been Bunsen’s recommendation : I should like to know this that I may thank him. The news of Eliot Warburton’s death touched me deeply, as w’e had seen him so lately, and w-ell and happy.
His lectures during the first two terms of the year were on the ‘History of German Literature in the Seventeenth Century,’ and were well attended. These early lectures and his influence over his audience were described many years later by one of his hearers : —
‘ There has seldom been any one less like the typical German
workman than Professor Max Miiller. He is a marvellous example of
how a foreigner may use the English tongue with more fluency and
elegance than even the ordinary cultivated native; and how a man
trained in other than English conditions may be all the better qualified
to stimulate and instruct the English mind when he speaks its own
familiar language. It is now more than half a century since he began
I K
130 The George Butlers [ch. vm
to act as a fertilizing agency in what was then the rather arid field of English scholarship. His quick and sensitive intellect, so easily touched, so rapidly assimilative, had been moved on the philological side by men like Burnouf, on the philosophical by Schelling, and on the religious by Bunsen. And this combination of masters saved him from falling into the detached specialism which has been the note of so many German workmen, and supplied the sort of co-ordinating idealism which has been the mark of all his work. He had thus the instincts and training of the scholar, and also, in a rarer degree, the genius of the popular expositor. The quick and sensitive and assimi- lative qualities of his mind made him, especially in the earlier part of his career, all the more stimulative a teacher. He was a kind of prophet of the dawn, while as yet it was dark — i. e. he interpreted to the slow-paced English mind things especially touching language and religion which had never entered into its heart to conceive, but which had been exercising the higher scholarship and the newer philosophy of both Germany and France.’
One of the great pleasures of this year was the return of his old friend Mr. George Butler with his brilliant young wife to live in Oxford. Mrs. Butler was a very good musician, and the possessor of a fine grand pianoforte, and for the next five years, till the Butlers left Oxford, Max Muller was on the most intimate terms with them. Mrs. Butler recalls his gaiety, his readiness of repartee, his brilliant powers of conversation, his fresh, almost boyish enjoyment of everything: whilst the common bond of music drew them much together. Numerous were the excursions and picnics in which Max Miiller took part with his friends, whose house was constantly full of young guests, sisters or other relatives of the Butlers. With the exception of Professor Donkin’s family, and the Observer Manuel Johnson, there was no house in those days where Max felt so completely at home, or was so welcomed and liked by all the inmates.
Some years later Mrs. Mericoffre, Mrs. Butler’s sister, wrote: —
‘I recall one afternoon, a few days before the old Duke of Wellington’s funeral, when we hunted Max Miiller out of his Sanskrit den, and made him take a long walk with us. He bought some fresh eggs at a farm-house, and put them in the tail pockets of his coat. On returning we climbed some fences, and we sat upon some stiles, and on reaching home Muller found an extensive omelet in his pocket.’
1852] Love for Dessau 131
But agreeable and bright as his life was at this time, which he fully recognized, the old longing for Germany constantly breaks out. ‘ I long so often to be back in Germany,’ he writes to his mother, ‘ that if any sort of favourable prospect offered, I would willingly exchange my pleasant life in Oxford for a simple German mhiage!
To F. Palgrave, Esq.
9, Park Place, March 21, 1852.
‘ I was at your gate on Saturday afternoon as I had written to you the day before. I was very sorry to have missed you, and still more when I heard the sad reason ^ which kept you at home. It is the hardest trial which we have to go through, I think — at least there is nothing which I dread so much. I feel for you and with you more than I can say ; however, nothing strengthens our hope of meeting again as much as the loss of those we love. Oxford has been very quiet, and I have been hard at work on the Veda as my lectures did not give me much trouble. The English book has been stopped, but it will be finished before the Long. In summer I hope to go to Germany, but I have a good deal to do before I go. . . . Jowett is hard at work, and has finished the Romans. Stanley lives with Conington, and writes reports in the tower at University. Whenever you are back at Kneller Hall, I hope to pay you a visit, unless you prefer to come to Oxford.’
Max allowed himself only a day or two of holiday in the Easter Vacation. ‘ I feel that every day I waste now, I lose a day of my summer holiday,’ and as his headaches were less frequent and also less severe when he did have them, he could work on vigorously. He tells his mother that he means to be thoroughly idle in Germany and amuse himself. He will not visit either Leipzig or Berlin. He writes: —
Tratislatioti. April 18, 1852.
‘ I am nowhere so happy as in Dessau. You will laugh at this, but had you been living for six or seven years among strangers you would understand how delightful it is to see well-known faces and well-known streets and houses round one. If I had independent means, I would live in Dessau, and by choice in my grandfather’s house with the garden, where I know every tree. If we stay some time there in the vacation, I had rather not stay the whole time with my uncle. Perhaps we could take some rooms, or live in the hotel ? ‘
^ His mother’s dangerous illness.
K a
132 Goes to Germany [ch. vm
In June he writes like a schoolboy expecting his holidays :
‘the joy of meeting makes up for the long separation, and, as old Goethe says, it is not necessary to be always together to remain united.’ He had to take his part in the Grand Com- memoration of that year, and a few pages of Veda to finish, and then he was free. On June 14 he writes to his mother : —
Translaiion.
‘ You will have heard the sad news of Burnouf’s death. In him I have lost a good friend, and the loss to literature is irreparable. Many of his books remain unfinished, and as there is no good Sanskrit scholar in Paris, I have half promised his friends to go there to advise with them about his library and MSS. It may be this will only be later, when the Will is known. He leaves a widow and four daughters. But I should only have to spend a day or two there, and should be glad if it could be on my return journey.’
Early in July, Max Miiller left England, joined his mother at Dresden, where his friend Palgrave met him for a time but was summoned back to England by his mother’s increased illness, and after a visit to his sister at Chemnitz took his mother to Carlsbad, and from there he made an excursion to Munich and the beautiful scenery of the Salzkammergut. From Munich, after many hours in the Pinakothek, he writes to his mother: —
Translation.
• I am more than ever convinced that the ItaHan, Spanish, and French schools together are not so fine, and true, and strengthening, as the old German and Dutch schools. J. van Eyck, Hans Hemling, Rembrandt, Diirer, even Holbein and Cranach, were very fine. The Raphaels, Andrea del Sarto, Palma Vecchio, Perugino, . . . Leonardo, «&.c., are also wonderful, but they make so much parade of their art, and they are more bent on showing how beautifully they can paint, whilst the Germans just paint away because their heart is in it.’
He had plenty of time to visit all the beauties of Munich,
as he was detained there several days through some difficulty
about his passport for Austria, as he intended to visit the
Tyrol. It must have been during this visit to the Tyrol that
he found himself in great danger. After a long lonely day on
foot he arrived late at a most forbidding-looking little inn,
but it was too late to go further. The people of the inn were
rude and evil-looking, and he was thankful to be able to
1852] Tyrol 133
barricade his door with a heavy piece of furniture. The door was twice attempted in the night. In the morning he found that the only guide to be had over a lonely road was a surly- looking man, but he made the guide keep in front of him the whole way, and was himself armed with a strong walking- stick. He always said that had he shown the least fear the man would have attacked him. It must be remembered that in 1852 the Tyrol was less explored and known than it is now. On rejoining his mother they spent some happy weeks together, and Max returned to Oxford by Leipzig and Berlin, visiting many old friends. He tells his mother on his arrival in Oxford : —
Translation.
‘ One cannot always have such a happy time as I spent this summer. I cannot tell you how comfortable I was this time at home, but I will not complain, but only hope that it will be so again another time, if God wills. We owe to Him all the good that befalls us, and what He orders is best. Take care of yourself, and don’t be unhappy, all goes with us so much better than we deserve, and than with many others. The recollection of all the happiness is a comfort too, and never has the recollection of our time together been so bright and undisturbed as this time. You were so good to me, my dear mother. I would willingly live in Dresden, but as that cannot be, you must come to Oxford when the weather is fine.’
To F. Palgrave, Esq.
9, Park Place, October 22, 1852.
‘ I need not tell you how I felt your loss. I should like to shake your hand — but these losses must be borne in silence. Do come to Oxford if you can, and let us talk about our little expedition to Dresden. I had such a pleasant journey afterwards to Carlsbad, the Tyrol, Salzburg, Munich — how I wished you had been with me. As to art, Munich beats everything, and the people are so much nicer, much more genial than at Berlin. Their beer is excellent, and it makes them good-natured. And such pictures, particularly from the German school . . . you must go there next year, I am sure you will be delighted. That old king was after all a great genius, whatever Lola may say of him, and however bad his poems and his prose may be. Walrond is going away ; Conybeare going to be married ; Morier going to Australia : so one begins to feel alone, and that is bad, and the only thing to be done is to work. Please remember me kindly to Temple.’
134 Dr. Aufrecht [ch. vin
His lectures this term were on the ‘Classification of Languages,’ but he had hardly began them before he was again laid up from Oxford fogs and damp.
November, 1852.
• Dear Mrs. Butler, — It is very kind of you to cheer me up from time to time with kind inquiries, good admonitions, dear messages, and other how-do-you-do varieties. I wish I could return thanks myself, but in this weather the doctor tells me I must not go out for a week. I am quite
a new, almost strange note, amid the classical studies of the old University, opening out a dim vista of life far older than the times of the Greeks and Romans, and of a language more perfect than Hebrew, and with which, as the elder sister of the Teutonic tongues, Englishmen ought to become better acquainted.
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, March 13, 1851.
‘ My lectures are nearly at an end, and did very well. I had an audience of from fifty to seventy people, mostly Professors and tutors, and a number of ladies. I must prepare my course for next term, and I get no rest and the Veda gets on very slowly, and so my finances suff”er. I have not yet decided whether I shall stay here. My friends persuade me to do so, but it has its difficulties and disagreeables, as no foreigner can have the position an Englishman would have. I shall quietly wait what comes, and if they make me a good offer take it ; at all events, for the near future.’
The next day Max Miiller writes to Bunsen : — •
Translation. March 14, 1851.
‘ For some days I have been intending to write to you, to thank you warmly for your friendly recommendation of my article to Empson. I should like, as there is so much time, that Empson should return me the MS. to look through again, before it is printed. During my lectures some jokes have occurred to me, which appear to amuse John Bull, and which I should like to add. The lectures are nearly over ; to-day is the last but one. They went off better than I expected. Many people took real interest in them.’
The same day Bunsen writes : —
Translation. London.
• It is such a delight to be able at last to write to you, to tell you that few events this year have given me such great pleasure as your noble success in Oxford. The English have shown how gladly they will listen to something good and new, if any one will lay it before them in their own halls. Morier has faithfully reported everything, and my whole family sympathize in your triumph, as if it concerned ourselves.’
Through this vacation, Max Miiller stayed quietly in
Oxford to prepare his next lectures, and seems to have been
124 Lectures on the Nihelungen [ch. vn
far from well, suffering, as usual, from the Oxford climate.
He writes to Dr. Pauli : —
Translation, April, 1851.
‘ I have long wanted to write to you, but I have been so unwell the
whole time, that I could not manage it. Cold, cough, headache, and
toothache are a quartette that makes one quite miserable ; now I only
have the solo of toothache, but that is enough to spoil life. I would
willingly have gone to London, but I cannot now, I have lectures
to write, &c. Have you got any treatise on the Nibelungen you can
lend me } ‘
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. Aprils 1851.
‘After the end of next term I hope to go to London, and there are many things that I wish to tell you, and consult about with you.
‘ I shall lecture this term on the Nibelungen, chiefly with reference to the Homeric question. For the relation of the poetical order to the legendary material I take Firdusi; for the fact of preservation in the memory, the Alahdbhdrata ; for the loss and histoiizing of the legend, Niebuhr’s Rome ; for the changing and misunderstanding of epic songs, the Nibelungen compared with the Edda. The whole is to be a continuation of comparative philology, brought about by the transition into the Epos, in its three grades of legends of Gods, Heroes, and Men.’
Yet, notwithstanding his hard work, Max Muller could write to Dr. Pauli : —
Translation. May 9.
‘ In spite of wind and weather we are very jolly, and play Beethoven trios, duets, and solos every evening, and two little singing birds from London have settled here, and so we Mendelssohn a good deal.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. June i.
‘ I am glad my lectures will soon be over, and that I shall then return to my regular work. I have again had a good audience, and people have shown great interest. How it will be later I do not know, and trouble myself but little about it. If the Professorship were definitely offered me, I would take it for five years. It is a pleasant position, and independent, and affairs in Germany are such, that I don’t desire any Government appointment. But I shall not carry on the lectures provisionally, as they hinder me so much from my other work, and I can earn much more money by the Veda.
If I could only send you something from time to time, that you might
1851] Visit to the Froudes 125
make your life a more comfortable one, but I have myself to be so very careful to manage to live here in Oxford, that I don’t think I can take a journey in the vacation. I shall go to London when term is over, as Bunsen has invited me to his house, but I shall probably stay with Morier, where one feels freer. I have been up for the day to see the Exhibition, but it is quite impossible to give you the least idea of the impression this house of glass makes on one. I had lately a visit from the young Prince of Prussia \ who came to Oxford, and I had to take him about the whole day. He seems to me very clever, very natural, has the greatest admiration for England, and is evidently in good hands. I do not envy him his future ; he will have a difficult life, however happy and free from care it may now appear as he looks on. In the evening we dined together, and I accompanied him to the railway, where he took leave of me in the most hearty manner.’
In July Max Miiller went to London to Morier, and tells his mother that he has been asked to continue his lectures with a higher salary as Deputy Professor, and that he has accepted. His health at this time was better, and his head- aches less frequent, owing to a plan of treatment his doctor had adopted, so that he could work on with less interruptions. ‘ How much time would have been saved had I known of this medicine sooner ! ‘ He tried to persuade his mother to visit England this year to see the Exhibition, and assured her, if she would do so, he would be able in a year’s time to repay her her expenses, though just at the moment he had no spare money.
From London Max Miiller returned to Oxford, and then went to Wales to the Froudes’, and from there writes to his mother : —
Translaiion. Plas Gwynant, August 21.
‘I am staying with a friend whom I knew earlier in Oxford,
Mr. Froude, a very gifted writer. He has written some novels which
have made a great sensation in England. He has been married
nearly two years; his wife is very highly educated and agreeable, and
here they live among the mountains, and he enjoys the dolcefar nt’ente,
fishing, shooting, riding, and writing. The situation of the house is
perfect. ... I shall stay here a fortnight. The only thing I miss is
my beautiful piano, which I bought in London, It is a grand square
by Collard, and by Neukomm’s help, who is a great musician, I got
^ The Emperor Frederick.
126 Review of Bopp^s Comparative Grammar [ch. vn
it for £50. It is in splendid tone, but is so large it could not be got up the staircase, but with great difficulty was hoisted through the window. You may now address me as Professor if you like, but not Professor and Doctor together.’
He says later : ‘ The time in Wales was delightful, and I was idle, which set me up.’
To Dr. Pauli.
Translation. Oxford, September, 1851.
‘ A few days ago I found at the Bodleian the copy oi Alfred’^ you sent there for me. My best thanks for it. I have only read a little of it, which interested me very much, especially the critique on Asser’s Gesta. Do you really think that Asser wrote for his countrymen .? If so, they must have been different fellows to the present Welsh, who really are more like Wallachians. I made acquaintance with them at Fronde’s, where they broke into the house at night, and we had to sleep with loaded pistols to make our lives safe. But notwithstanding I enjoyed myself there thoroughly. I bathed every morning in the waterfall, and all day long we walked, and fished, and shot. Snowdon is beauti- ful, and the lakes beyond description. When I have finished Alfred I shall send it to Froude, who will be delighted with it. He has, as you know, written the life of St. Neot in the Lives of the Saints, and does not trust Asser. He may be able to write a readable review on it. He is very happy with his wife and baby, and I would gladly have stayed longer, but it was so beautiful I could do no work. So here I am again in Oxford, busy with the Veda and lectures.’
On returning to Oxford he put the last touches to his review of Bopp’s Comparative Grammar^ which appeared in the October number of the Edinbjirgh. It excited consider- able interest at the time, and many were the guesses made at the authorship, though probably there are not many now alive who remember reading it. Bunsen and Stanley and other valued friends wrote to congratulate. Bunsen says :
‘ Early this morning I read it through at last, and joyfully
and heartily utter my made virtute. Your examples and
particularly your notes will help and please the English
reader. The introduction is as excellent {ad hominem and
yet dignified) as the end.’ The end is perhaps one of the
^ Life of Alfred, 1851.
1851] Dr. Bernays 127
most melodious paragraphs that Max Mliller ever wrote.
The article has never been reprinted. It ends thus : —
‘ And now that generations after generations have passed away, with their languages — adoring and worshipping the name of God — preaching and dying in the name of God — thinking and meditating on the name of God — there the old w’ord stands still, breathing to us the pure air of the dawn of humanity, carrying with it all the thoughts and sighs, the doubts and tears, of our bygone brethren, and still rising up to heaven with the same sound from the basilicas of Rome and the temples of Benares, as if embracing by its simple spell millions and milHons of hearts in their longing desire to give utterance to the unutterable, to express the inexpressible.’
In October Max Miiller received a visit from Dr. Bernays, the eminent philologist, later Professor at Bonn, ‘a very- capable and delightful man,’ and a very close friendship, as we shall see later from their constant correspondence, sprang up between the devout Jew and the young Professor.
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, November i6.
‘My dear Mother, — I am well accustomed to decipher MSS., but
still it is not a little labour to read your letters, especially when, like
the last, they are written with more water than ink. If I could send
you a bottle of good English ink, I would gladly do so. But I think
if you look about in Dresden, you will be able to get some decent
material for about a penny,
‘ I am not worrying my head with plans for the future, but let it go as it best may. I have not at all made up my mind to spend the rest of my life in Oxford, though I quite see it would be folly to turn away from the prospects opening for me here. But one misses a good deal here that one has in Germany, especially pleasant intercourse with learned men : for there is litde talk here of literary work. If all is quiet, I thought of going in the vacation not only to Germany but to Italy — but this will be only if I condnue to lecture in Oxford. If I do so, I must learn to talk Italian, and this one can only do in the country. But these plans are all vague — and who knows ■what may happen first? . . . We stand every moment in God’s hands, and He knows best what is for our real welfare.
‘ Trust in God is the only happiness on earth : without that our whole life is but anxiety and care. ... I send you £5 to buy Christmas presents for yourself and the Krugs.’
128 Honorary M.A. and Member of Ch. Ch.
On December 4 Max Mtiller was made honorary M.A., and a member of Christ Church. He writes at once to tell his friend Dr. Pauli, and through him the Bunsens :
Translation. December, 1851.
‘ To-day I have been made member of a college, no less than Christ Church, where the Common Room is now the most agreeable. The old Dean performed the ceremony in the pleasantest way, and feels free from all scruples, because he has found a precedent in GraeviuSj who was made a member of Christ Church some hundreds of years ago. Without that he would hardly have given his consent ! Happy old England 1 ... I can hardly help laughing when the black gown flaps about my legs. But one gets accustomed to everything, and with each year one is older and more middle-aged — that is sad — but one cannot escape it here in Oxford.’
Of Max Miiller’s associates in Christ Church Common Room in the early fifties very few are left. Mr. Prout re- calls Max’s freshness and originality, which made him a very popular member of Common Room, and the genuine regret of the other members when the time came for him to leave, on his election as a Fellow of All Souls. And Dean Kitchin remembers how much he enlivened the party, and how he was ‘ always brimming over with good things.’ The Dean had, however, known him earher in his career in Oxford, and says : ‘ Max Miiller left on me an enduring picture of himself — the young eager student, with his handsome face and sympa- thetic manner and bright, expressive eyes. He was then seeing his Veda through the Press. I remember how I with my German sympathies was attracted by his clever piano- forte playing — the Sanskrit I took for granted.’
CHAPTER VIII
1852-1853
Member of Bavarian Academy. Summer in Germany. The Butlers. Arrival and baptism of Dr. Aufrecht. Essay on Turanian Languages for Bunsen. Visit to Scotland. First meeting with future wife. Missionary Alphabet.
On February 2, 1852, Max Miiller writes to his mother that he has just had the most agreeable surprise, having been elected a member of the Royal Bavarian Academy at the same time as Bunsen and Macaulay. Max had only just completed his twenty-eighth year, and to be elected with two such confreres, men whose names had been before the world when he was a mere student, was no slight compliment. He writes to Dr. Pauli : —
Translation. Oxford, 1852.
• Dear Pauli, — The Diploma from Munich has arrived safely ; as I knew nothing about it, I was very much surprised. It must have been Bunsen’s recommendation : I should like to know this that I may thank him. The news of Eliot Warburton’s death touched me deeply, as w’e had seen him so lately, and w-ell and happy.
His lectures during the first two terms of the year were on the ‘History of German Literature in the Seventeenth Century,’ and were well attended. These early lectures and his influence over his audience were described many years later by one of his hearers : —
‘ There has seldom been any one less like the typical German
workman than Professor Max Miiller. He is a marvellous example of
how a foreigner may use the English tongue with more fluency and
elegance than even the ordinary cultivated native; and how a man
trained in other than English conditions may be all the better qualified
to stimulate and instruct the English mind when he speaks its own
familiar language. It is now more than half a century since he began
I K
130 The George Butlers [ch. vm
to act as a fertilizing agency in what was then the rather arid field of English scholarship. His quick and sensitive intellect, so easily touched, so rapidly assimilative, had been moved on the philological side by men like Burnouf, on the philosophical by Schelling, and on the religious by Bunsen. And this combination of masters saved him from falling into the detached specialism which has been the note of so many German workmen, and supplied the sort of co-ordinating idealism which has been the mark of all his work. He had thus the instincts and training of the scholar, and also, in a rarer degree, the genius of the popular expositor. The quick and sensitive and assimi- lative qualities of his mind made him, especially in the earlier part of his career, all the more stimulative a teacher. He was a kind of prophet of the dawn, while as yet it was dark — i. e. he interpreted to the slow-paced English mind things especially touching language and religion which had never entered into its heart to conceive, but which had been exercising the higher scholarship and the newer philosophy of both Germany and France.’
One of the great pleasures of this year was the return of his old friend Mr. George Butler with his brilliant young wife to live in Oxford. Mrs. Butler was a very good musician, and the possessor of a fine grand pianoforte, and for the next five years, till the Butlers left Oxford, Max Muller was on the most intimate terms with them. Mrs. Butler recalls his gaiety, his readiness of repartee, his brilliant powers of conversation, his fresh, almost boyish enjoyment of everything: whilst the common bond of music drew them much together. Numerous were the excursions and picnics in which Max Miiller took part with his friends, whose house was constantly full of young guests, sisters or other relatives of the Butlers. With the exception of Professor Donkin’s family, and the Observer Manuel Johnson, there was no house in those days where Max felt so completely at home, or was so welcomed and liked by all the inmates.
Some years later Mrs. Mericoffre, Mrs. Butler’s sister, wrote: —
‘I recall one afternoon, a few days before the old Duke of Wellington’s funeral, when we hunted Max Miiller out of his Sanskrit den, and made him take a long walk with us. He bought some fresh eggs at a farm-house, and put them in the tail pockets of his coat. On returning we climbed some fences, and we sat upon some stiles, and on reaching home Muller found an extensive omelet in his pocket.’
1852] Love for Dessau 131
But agreeable and bright as his life was at this time, which he fully recognized, the old longing for Germany constantly breaks out. ‘ I long so often to be back in Germany,’ he writes to his mother, ‘ that if any sort of favourable prospect offered, I would willingly exchange my pleasant life in Oxford for a simple German mhiage!
To F. Palgrave, Esq.
9, Park Place, March 21, 1852.
‘ I was at your gate on Saturday afternoon as I had written to you the day before. I was very sorry to have missed you, and still more when I heard the sad reason ^ which kept you at home. It is the hardest trial which we have to go through, I think — at least there is nothing which I dread so much. I feel for you and with you more than I can say ; however, nothing strengthens our hope of meeting again as much as the loss of those we love. Oxford has been very quiet, and I have been hard at work on the Veda as my lectures did not give me much trouble. The English book has been stopped, but it will be finished before the Long. In summer I hope to go to Germany, but I have a good deal to do before I go. . . . Jowett is hard at work, and has finished the Romans. Stanley lives with Conington, and writes reports in the tower at University. Whenever you are back at Kneller Hall, I hope to pay you a visit, unless you prefer to come to Oxford.’
Max allowed himself only a day or two of holiday in the Easter Vacation. ‘ I feel that every day I waste now, I lose a day of my summer holiday,’ and as his headaches were less frequent and also less severe when he did have them, he could work on vigorously. He tells his mother that he means to be thoroughly idle in Germany and amuse himself. He will not visit either Leipzig or Berlin. He writes: —
Tratislatioti. April 18, 1852.
‘ I am nowhere so happy as in Dessau. You will laugh at this, but had you been living for six or seven years among strangers you would understand how delightful it is to see well-known faces and well-known streets and houses round one. If I had independent means, I would live in Dessau, and by choice in my grandfather’s house with the garden, where I know every tree. If we stay some time there in the vacation, I had rather not stay the whole time with my uncle. Perhaps we could take some rooms, or live in the hotel ? ‘
^ His mother’s dangerous illness.
K a
132 Goes to Germany [ch. vm
In June he writes like a schoolboy expecting his holidays :
‘the joy of meeting makes up for the long separation, and, as old Goethe says, it is not necessary to be always together to remain united.’ He had to take his part in the Grand Com- memoration of that year, and a few pages of Veda to finish, and then he was free. On June 14 he writes to his mother : —
Translaiion.
‘ You will have heard the sad news of Burnouf’s death. In him I have lost a good friend, and the loss to literature is irreparable. Many of his books remain unfinished, and as there is no good Sanskrit scholar in Paris, I have half promised his friends to go there to advise with them about his library and MSS. It may be this will only be later, when the Will is known. He leaves a widow and four daughters. But I should only have to spend a day or two there, and should be glad if it could be on my return journey.’
Early in July, Max Miiller left England, joined his mother at Dresden, where his friend Palgrave met him for a time but was summoned back to England by his mother’s increased illness, and after a visit to his sister at Chemnitz took his mother to Carlsbad, and from there he made an excursion to Munich and the beautiful scenery of the Salzkammergut. From Munich, after many hours in the Pinakothek, he writes to his mother: —
Translation.
• I am more than ever convinced that the ItaHan, Spanish, and French schools together are not so fine, and true, and strengthening, as the old German and Dutch schools. J. van Eyck, Hans Hemling, Rembrandt, Diirer, even Holbein and Cranach, were very fine. The Raphaels, Andrea del Sarto, Palma Vecchio, Perugino, . . . Leonardo, «&.c., are also wonderful, but they make so much parade of their art, and they are more bent on showing how beautifully they can paint, whilst the Germans just paint away because their heart is in it.’
He had plenty of time to visit all the beauties of Munich,
as he was detained there several days through some difficulty
about his passport for Austria, as he intended to visit the
Tyrol. It must have been during this visit to the Tyrol that
he found himself in great danger. After a long lonely day on
foot he arrived late at a most forbidding-looking little inn,
but it was too late to go further. The people of the inn were
rude and evil-looking, and he was thankful to be able to
1852] Tyrol 133
barricade his door with a heavy piece of furniture. The door was twice attempted in the night. In the morning he found that the only guide to be had over a lonely road was a surly- looking man, but he made the guide keep in front of him the whole way, and was himself armed with a strong walking- stick. He always said that had he shown the least fear the man would have attacked him. It must be remembered that in 1852 the Tyrol was less explored and known than it is now. On rejoining his mother they spent some happy weeks together, and Max returned to Oxford by Leipzig and Berlin, visiting many old friends. He tells his mother on his arrival in Oxford : —
Translation.
‘ One cannot always have such a happy time as I spent this summer. I cannot tell you how comfortable I was this time at home, but I will not complain, but only hope that it will be so again another time, if God wills. We owe to Him all the good that befalls us, and what He orders is best. Take care of yourself, and don’t be unhappy, all goes with us so much better than we deserve, and than with many others. The recollection of all the happiness is a comfort too, and never has the recollection of our time together been so bright and undisturbed as this time. You were so good to me, my dear mother. I would willingly live in Dresden, but as that cannot be, you must come to Oxford when the weather is fine.’
To F. Palgrave, Esq.
9, Park Place, October 22, 1852.
‘ I need not tell you how I felt your loss. I should like to shake your hand — but these losses must be borne in silence. Do come to Oxford if you can, and let us talk about our little expedition to Dresden. I had such a pleasant journey afterwards to Carlsbad, the Tyrol, Salzburg, Munich — how I wished you had been with me. As to art, Munich beats everything, and the people are so much nicer, much more genial than at Berlin. Their beer is excellent, and it makes them good-natured. And such pictures, particularly from the German school . . . you must go there next year, I am sure you will be delighted. That old king was after all a great genius, whatever Lola may say of him, and however bad his poems and his prose may be. Walrond is going away ; Conybeare going to be married ; Morier going to Australia : so one begins to feel alone, and that is bad, and the only thing to be done is to work. Please remember me kindly to Temple.’
134 Dr. Aufrecht [ch. vin
His lectures this term were on the ‘Classification of Languages,’ but he had hardly began them before he was again laid up from Oxford fogs and damp.
November, 1852.
• Dear Mrs. Butler, — It is very kind of you to cheer me up from time to time with kind inquiries, good admonitions, dear messages, and other how-do-you-do varieties. I wish I could return thanks myself, but in this weather the doctor tells me I must not go out for a week. I am quite
Re: ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
resigned to my fate, and begin to understand what it means that you are nowhere freer than in prison. I read and write, and get a good deal of work done, which has been weighing heavily on my conscience for some time. I need not go out and eat many dinners, or make many calls. I can smoke without fear of detection. I get my friends one by one to see me and talk to me, which is so much better than if you have them all at once. I need not deliver lectures ; altogether I am as happy as mortal man can be with November fogs and earthquakes all around him, not to mention gout, rheumatism, sore throats, and divers kinds of diseases to plague him. . . . Thomson asks me to write him an article on Indian Logic for the third edition of his Laws of Thought, which I am doing just now ; — and here I was interrupted by Miss Grey’s visit, and could not even go downstairs to speak to her, for I am so thoroughly Germanized in appearance that I must not show myself to any lady, and here a visit, so I must give it up for to-day, and remain yours truly, M. M.’
This attack of illness determined him to follow the advice Bunsen had long given him, and take an assistant for the more mechanical part of his Vedic work. Bunsen seems to have mentioned Dr. Aufrecht from Berlin to him. Max Miiller entered into negotiations with Dr. Aufrecht, who arrived in Oxford in December. Early in that month Max writes to Bunsen : —
‘ . . . I expect Aufrecht daily. You have always advised me to seek help, and I could no longer get through my work alone, with the many interruptions caused by my health. Aufrecht is a very conscientious scholar, and as far as the rest goes that will all be right.’
Max Miiller writes to his mother telling her of the new arrangement : —
Translation. December 19.
‘ Dr. Aufrecht is a very clever man, a Sanskritist, together, and he helps me at my Veda, for which I pay him enough to
1852] Dean Church 135
live here. We shall try the plan at first for six months, and I hope it will all go well. It is very pleasant for me to have some one with whom I can talk about literary things, and my time is so filled up that I am very glad to have some one to whom I can leave part of my work : but I must wait awhile to see how it works, and whether it brings me in as much as it costs. I must spend Christmas in Oxford, as I cannot well leave him alone. The weather is dreadful, and I have constant headaches, mostly from severe colds. Otherwise I have got quite accustomed again to the English way of living, and if I would often rather find myself in Germany, you know it is not my way to grumble. We must take life as God sends it, and it would be un- grateful did I not acknowledge the many comforts I have here, and only dwelt on what I miss.’
Aufrecht lived in the same house with his employer.
The following letter alludes to the book known as Church’s
Essays and Reviews^ a title that had not then become
notorious : —
9, Park Place, December 22, 1852.
‘My dear Palgrave, — I thought you would be sure to come to Oxford for the Exeter College election, else I should have written to you before this, and asked whether you would put your name to a testimonial which we intend to present to Church. You know he is going to leave Oxford, and take a small living to marry. Some of his friends are going to ask him to allow them to print a selection of his articles — not theological — and to make him a present of the whole edition. We have already a large subscription, about forty names. The subscription will be £3. Please tell me whether you wish your name to be added. Acland, Donkin, Butler, Marriott, &c., take great interest in the matter, but until the whole expense is secured by sub- scription, it must not be talked about. If you can get some of your friends to join, please write to them. Grant and Sellar have been written to, and have sent their subscriptions. You know probably that Sewell is going to leave Oxford. Why do you never write ? Have you heard from Froude ? He is staying at his father’s, and very happy.’
The early part of this Christmas Vacation was spent by
Max Miiller in Oxford, in order to initiate his secretary
Aufrecht in the work he had to do. The great floods of
1852 had left the place in a very unhealthy state, and before
his lectures began again his friends the George Butlers, who
were spending the vacation with their father Dean Butler at
136 Visit to Dover [ch. vm
Dover, asked him to pay them a visit there. On his return he
writes : —
To Mrs. Butler.
9, Park V-lkc-e., January, 1853.
*I have not had a quiet minute since I came back; there was a friend from Germany waiting to be Honized all over Oxford : then all sorts of people who came to vote, and at the same time to walk and talk : then Aufrecht with lots of questions : then dinner-parties again: and letters to answer, and proofs to correct. I really wish I could sport my oak like an undergraduate, and have done with the world altogether, at least for an hour or two, that I might be able to tell you how much I enjoyed my trip to Dover, and how happy I felt among people who seemed all to be so very happy themselves. Please to translate into as good English as possible my best thanks to the Dean and Mrs. Butler. I am glad to hear that you have had a few fine days ; the weather is getting better at Oxford also. As to the floods, they will not be gone before March, but the late storms have made the atmosphere quite healthy again. I do not know anything about the election ; in fact, I have not seen a paper since I came back. Belle is in the most flourishing condition, so Oxford cannot be such an unhealthy place after all.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. 0\-BOViD, January 30, 1853.
‘. , . My lectures begin next week, and give me a good deal of work ; and then I was away for a week at Dover. Dover was beautiful, especially in the storms. The waves almost beat on my windows. From the laiid a stormy sea looks grand. I would willingly have stayed on, but I could not leave my house companion longer alone. He is a capable man, but a little difficult to get on with. At present he takes up a good deal of my time, as I must tell and explain everything to him ; but I think later he will be an advantage. I must give more time to my lectures, for England expects every man to do his duty. I do not worry about money, and would rather live more economically than let my work suffer. ... I often feel now how much time I lost from my work during my long holiday last year — that must not happen again, life is not long enough for such pauses — and yet when I am with you I always think, “ You can make up the time afterwards in your work; enjoy the time together as long as you can.” . . . We have had a great business here with the Parliamentary election. Gladstone, who was elected, and is now Chancellor of the Exchequer, was here on a visit a few days ago. I have seen and talked with him several times ; he is an interesting man, and a very good speaker.’
1853] Work with Aujrecht 137
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 9, Park Place, February 2, 1853.
‘I get on better with Aufrecht, but not so very well yet. He decidedly desires to be baptized, but he does not feel inclined to talk to others on this point or anything connected with it.
‘ It is possible that when he has once taken this step he may get to feel more inner satisfaction and confidence in friends, which is prevented now by morbid impressions and imaginations. I am convinced he is a true and honest soul, but he is unsympathetic. His knowledge is thoroughly sound and comprehensive. He works well, and he seems to like his position, as he desires to stay in England. But there can be no question about working together, for as soon as one presses him a little hard he draws his head into his shell like a tortoise, and one must then leave him alone. But I still hope that in time things will take a better shape, as they are already far better than they were at first.’
The Deputy Professor u^as to lecture this term on ‘Declension,’ and so popular u^ere his lectures, that he had a large proportion of ladies among his audience, a greater proportion than was convenient in a small lecture-room, and on being asked by a rather pompous Don what the title of his lectures meant exactly, he was ungallant enough to reply, ‘ I wish it might mean that I decline ladies ! ‘ This must have got abroad, to judge from the next letter to Bunsen :
Tramlatmi. 9, Park Place, February 19, 1853?
‘. . . I am very well now and very happy. Aufrecht begins to “ thaw.” My time is almost entirely taken up with my lectures, which for the first time give me great pleasure. I have fifty hearers, all under- graduates, and many of them capable and industrious men. I write nothing, but speak extempore to them, and I feel that I can be really useful to them. My former hearers were mostly curious and suspicious Dons, and I got tired of writing rhetorical essays to be read to them. Now everything gets into much better shape, and I only hope that next term I may receive my definite appointment. I have now got to the old Latin inscriptions, Columna Rostrata, &c., and it is incredible how little one can rely upon copies ; in almost every edition you find inaccuracies and variations. If only somebody would at last give exact facsimiles.’
A day or two later he writes again to Bunsen, in answer to a letter advising him to give a course of lectures on Greek Literature : —
138 Dr. AufrecMs Baptism [ch. vm
Translation.
‘ I shall have finished my lectures in about a fortnight. The holidays will only last three weeks, then lectures begin again. I dare hardly venture to undertake a course on Greek literature, for my subject must always be more or less in connexion with modern languages. This is possible with tides like “ declension,” “ conjugation,” &c., including a few words about modern formations, and then concen- trating on Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit. But “ history of Greek literature “ would hardly fit into anything. I shall hope to continue next term my lectures on Declension, and to prepare lectures on Italian Ethnology. One has to read up what is fit for the examination ; and the population of Italy according to Livy and Niebuhr belongs to the standing questions. I am getting on better and better with Aufrecht, and I hope in time we shall get on capitally.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, March 5, 1853.
‘ The uncertain weather we are having in Oxford is very unhealthy. And yet I feel better than I have felt for a long time, and my work gets on well. I do not know what the papers have been saying again about me. My position has not as yet changed in the least, but I hope to get my full salary in October. The uncertainty is un- pleasant, but I shall not starve, and everything else can be borne ! My assistant costs a good deal, but that will in time be repaid, and his company, at least for literary discussion, is very useful. Of course there are many difficulties, but in time they will be set right. I corre- spond pretty regularly with Bunsen ; he writes one book after another, but writes too much and too quickly. The events in Milan are terrible. But how can the Austrians imagine that England will interfere.? That England will never give up a poUtical refugee is well understood. England has always been a refuge for dethroned kings and popular leaders, and the English would rather go to war than give up their right.’
In accordance with Dr. Aufrecht’s own wishes about his baptism, Bunsen suggested that his eldest son, the Rev. Henry Bunsen, Rector of Lilleshall, should receive him, and perform the ceremony in his own parish church. This scheme was carried out. On his return Max Miiller writes : —
Translation. 9, Park Place, April 3, 1853.
‘Your Excellency, — We have passed the Easter holidays most
agreeably at Lilleshall, and I, as well as Aufrecht, am most grateful to
you for the great help you have given us in this somewhat difficult
matter. Nowhere could the act have been performed so simply,
1853] Stands for Professorship 139
so solemnly, and so undisturbedly as by your son at Lilleshall. The friendly welcome we received has not missed its impression upon Aufrecht, and I hope that in future matters will improve with him more and more . . .’
To his mother he writes : —
Translation. April.
‘I would gladly go with you to Carlsbad, but after careful con- sideration I see that it is impossible for me to leave my work this year for the whole summer. I have begun several things which have been on my conscience for several years, and I owe it to myself to finish them ; and this I can only do here in England, and in the Long Vacation. And now I am busy with my lectures, and the decision as to my full salary occupies my time too. I have indeed a fair prospect that there will be no opposition ; but of course there is a prejudice against a foreigner, and I must do my best to keep all straight.’
On May 12 Bunsen wrote to urge Max Miiller to join him at St. Leonards, but the Taylorian Professorship was vacant, and it was necessary to be on the spot.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translatio7i. - 9, Park Place, May 15, 1853.
‘ The business is more complicated than I expected, and the steering more difficult the nearer one approaches the harbour. I am prepared for disappointment, but do not give up hope. The new difficulties arise from the fact that the Curators are intending to raise the salary considerably : this would be delightful, if I already had the appointment, but now it brings other interests into play, and entices others to stand as candidates. But still my prospects are good, and my opponents have but one card to play, that they are Englishmen, I not. In Oxford the tables won’t dance. I have wasted some hours in trying my hand at it, but the whole thing seems perfectly useless, especially as it is purely mechanical.
‘Aufrecht is going on all right — he does not wish to return to Germany.’
Bunsen wrote cheerily in reply, and says he had written to his ‘brotherly friend Pusey’ (the squire) to help in the canvass. ‘I know few men so able to give good advice; besides, he is very much attached to you.’
To THE Same.
Translation. 9, Park Place, May 28, 1853.
‘ Contrary to my expectations, my affairs get more hopeless and
involved. The Curators have at last had a meeting, and settled to
140 Uncertainty as to Professorship [ch. vm
postpone the election till after the Long Vacation. It is a hard trial of one’s patience, especially as it is still uncertain whether my election may not after all be opposed, and 1 should then have lost four years’ time and work. For three years I have laid all aside, and given my whole time to this office. I felt Spartam nactus es, hanc exorna, and if I had thus provided for my material wants for the rest of my life, I could well be satisfied, and should have had time and leisure to make up what I had lost. Now I really don’t know what to do, and whether it is not best to return to Germany and finish up and publish what I have already done on the Veda. My friends advise me to stay on here, and they assure me Convocation would veto the election of any one else, if the Curators attempted it. For myself, I am almost indifferent. I shall probably have another year of this uncertainty, of which I have had enough in the past three years. However, such is the world, says John Bull, and tries to console himself. I am doing my best to follow his good advice.’
To this Bunsen replied : —
Translation. May 30.
‘ It is a great trial of patience, but be patient, that is wise. One must never allow the toilsome labour of years of quiet reflection and of utmost exertion for the attainment of one’s aim to be destroyed by an unpropitious event. It is most probably the best for you that the affair should not now be hurried through. Your claims are stronger every quarter, and will certainly become more so in the eyes of the English through good temper and patience under trying circum- stances. I don’t for a moment doubt that you will be elected. Germany would suit you now as little as it would suit me, and we both should not suit Germany. So patience, my dear friend, and with a good will.’
Early in May, Bunsen had written to Max Miiller asking his help in the vv^ork then occupying all his leisure time and thoughts, ‘ The Philosophy of Universal History applied to Language and Religion,’ being Volumes III and IV of Christianity and Mankind. Bunsen says : —
‘ In working over the historical part I put aside a chapter, “ The Primitive Languages in India,” but find out, just as I intended to make you the heros eponymus, that you only dealt in your lecture (before the British Association) with Bengali. . . . Could you not write a little article on this for my book ? The original language in India must have been Turanian, not Semitic ; but we are bound in honour to prove it.’
1853] Essay on Turanian Languages 141
This invitation led to the pamphlet On the Ttiranian Languages, which is now out of print as a separate publica- tion, but it forms, under the title, ‘Last Results of the Turanian Researches,’ the second half of the third volume of Bunsen’s Christianity and Mankind, and though not published till 1854, owing to incessant delays in printing, was almost entirely written in 1853, and involved a constant correspondence with Bunsen through the rest of this year. It is many years since Max Miiller gave up most of the views enunciated in his essay on the Turanian languages of India, views which were disproved as these languages were more fully known and studied. The concluding paragraph is perhaps worth quoting as applicable to all linguistic studies : —
• And now, if we gaze from our native shores over that vast ocean of human speech, with its waves rolling on from continent to continent, rising under the fresh breezes of the morning of history, and slowly heaving in our own more sultry atmosphere, with sails gliding over its surface, and many an oar ploughing through its surf, and the flags of all nations waving joyously together, with its rocks and wrecks, its storms and battles, yet reflecting serenely all that is beneath and above and around it ; if we gaze and hearken to the strange sounds rushing past our ears in unbroken strains, it seems no longer a wild tumult, but we feel as if placed within some ancient cathedral, listening to a chorus of innumerable voices ; and the more intensely we listen, the more all discords melt away into higher harmonies, till at last we hear but one majestic trichord, or a mighty unison, as at the end of a sacred symphony.
‘ Such visions will float through the study of the grammarian, and in the midst of toilsome researches his heart will suddenly beat, as he feels the conviction growing upon him, that men are brethren in the simplest sense of the word — the children of the same father — whatever their country, their colour, their language, and their faith.’
This was the year of Lord Derby’s installation as Chancellor of the University, and Max Miiller resolved to take refuge from all the gaieties with Bunsen, who had long been pressing him to come to Carlton Terrace.
Besides the treatise on the Turanian or nomadic languages of India, Bunsen asked his help in tracing the relationship of the Vcdic language with Zend, urging him to gather the results of his investigations into a separate chapter.
142 Work for Bunsen [ch. vm
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 9, Park V-l.kq,^, July 3, 1853.
‘ ^^’hen you spoke to me in London about printing your work on Egypt, you told me that you expected my contribution in September. I therefore began at once to arrange and carry out the part with regard to the comparison of Egyptian and Aryan roots. The work requires great care, and if the essay is to be printed just as I write it, and under my responsibiHty, I cannot really promise its completion before September. The relation between Egyptian and Aryan is much like that which would exist between Sanskrit and French, did we not possess the connecting links. Mere, pere,frere, and sceur, set against mdtar, pdtar, bhrdtar, and svasiar, show a systematic parallelism and a common origin. But if one had to compare Sanskrit asm with larme, how could one prove their identity without the connecting links ? Well, I will try, but it is quite impossible for me to solve the problem so quickly. Also in the matter of the relation of the Zend and Vedic peoples I will gladly formulate and prove the conclusions at which I have arrived, but I am a slow coach, and fear accidents in an express train. I hope, especially if there is no war, that you may have so many diplomatic occupations, that I may be ready before Egypt comes to be printed. I work every day at the Bodleian from nine till four, at the catalogue of the Sanskrit MSS. ; then I am printing the preface to the second volume of the Veda^ which is ready: then I am writing a treatise on the burning of bodies in the Veda, which is nearly ready (widows were not burnt). Then comes the essay for Lepsius on the Indian alphabet. Then the first volume of the Prolegomena must be printed before the end of the vacation ; and lastly comes a course of lectures for next term. Where am I to find time without robbery? Professor Stenzler, of Breslau, is now here, a very capable man of the last generation, but who advances with modern progress, and has taken refuge from Alexander’s India in Vedic antiquity. He is Weber’s teacher.’
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. Park Place, 7?//^ 7, 1853.
‘ I am sorry that I must again trouble you for an explanation as to
the extent, as well as the sort of essay, on the original inhabitants of
India and the Zend emigrants. You write that it is for your philo-
sophical work. Is that “ The Prophets “ which I saw when I was in
London, or is it an addition to the philosophical Aphorisms of Hippo-
lytus ? If it is for the Aphorisms, it ought to fill a couple of pages at
most ; but if it is for the great work on the “ History of the World,”
1853] Article on Zend A vest a 143
it must be much more diffuse. Or is it another book at which you are working ? ‘
It is not surprising that Max Miiller was puzzled by the multiplicity of Bunsen’s works, for nearly all of which he asked for help from his young friend. At this time he was expecting immediately three separate papers from Max Miiller — on the Zend Avesta, the Rig-veda, and the Turanian languages of India, and later in the year Bunsen hoped for a linguistic chapter for his work on Egypt.
On July II Max Miiller sent Bunsen the chapter on Persian Researches which will be found on p. no of Volume III, CJiristianity and Mankind^ and which was reprinted in the original edition of Chips, Volume I, but was omitted in the last edition as ‘not up to date.’ On July 13 Bunsen writes : —
‘ “ What one desired in youth one obtains in old age.” I felt this as I read your chapter yesterday. It is exactly what I first wished to know myself in order to tell it to my readers. You have done it after my own heart — only a little too briefly, for a concluding sentence on the connexion of the language of the Achaemenian Inscriptions with Zend is wanting.’
On July 30 he writes to his mother : —
Translation.
‘ Sunday is my best day for letter-writing. During the week work goes on from early till late, and my head is so full of Sanskrit I feel quite stupified. I am very glad I stayed here this summer. I had so many books to read and work through, for which I have no time in my lectures, and yet one must keep up with literature, or one would have to sing, like the Austrian militiamen, “ Immer langsam voran.” That it was hard to give up my plans for travelling, you can believe ; but one must remember the duties as well as the enjoyments of life, and so we will look forward to next year, when, please God, we shall be together. I am very well, and the harder I work the better I feel.’
At this time, when his old friend Carus was about to be married, he writes to his mother, who was always exhorting him to follow so good an example, * I have not yet any plans of the sort. I think one has trouble enough in making one’s own way through the world. If such a thing presents itself — well ; but I have no wish to take much trouble in looking about.’
144 Visit to Wales [ch. vm
Max Miiller writes to Bunsen for his birthday : —
Translation. 9, Park Place, August 24.
‘ First of all I wish you joy of this day with all my heart. May this day often return to you in the midst of all your dear ones, and in the full tide of all your work and labour. If to grow a year older means to have completed a new work, we can stand the growing older very well — it is not then a growing older ; but it is growing, working, and getting young again, and our strength grows with every year that has been made use of, and with every work that has been completed. A fresh and powerful Senatus is after all the real strength of a country, the real support of the res publica in politics as well as in spirit. The Juventus is too much occupied with itself, and youth is often more hindering than useful when it comes to losing sight of oneself as much as possible. Allow me to continue to find courage and counsel with you, and have patience with a passenger who would like best to sit still in the carriage corner, and though not asleep would fain close his eyes till he has arrived at the last station.’
The sad tone of the last sentence is fully accounted for in the next letter to Bunsen, written the end of August : —
Translation, August 28.
‘ I feel what the English call knocked up, and I must get some fresh air before I can get to work again. You shall receive an essay on Vedic Antiquity from Wales, where I go to-morrow. It is possible that there may be, among the Persians, people or even races whose forefathers were Turanian or Semitic, but they acquired Persian just as the Normans acquired Saxon, and the Persian language has always remained the same. If it comes to classification of languages, it does not depend on who speaks the languages, just as little as a botanist troubles himself to know whether a potato has grown in Europe or America. I always use the term Aryan instead of Indo-European, Iranian only for Persian and IMedian. Both together I take as the South-Aryan branch, in contrast to all the rest of the Aryans who turned to the north-west. The collection of Hymns of the Rig-veda was completed towards 1000 b.c. That cannot of course be proved like 2 + 2 = 4, hut it is as sure as all our knowledge of these times can be. I enclose a sample translation which is to find a place in the Veda article : do you know of a poet who could Miltonize it a little more ? He must add nothing however, for so far the translation is literal, as far as this is possible with the old thoughts.’
Max Miiller went to the Froudes’ in Wales, but his enjoy-
ment of this visit was spoilt by the weather. He tells his
mother it rained day and night, and the mountains were too
1853] Visit to Scotland 145
wet for any expeditions. On his return to Oxford he writes to Bunsen : —
Trafislatmi. Oxford, September 21, 1853,
‘I returned yesterday. My holiday was longer than I expected, and I hasten to send you the introduction to the Aryan chapter. I went first to Wales to Froude, who is very well, and hard at work. He has just published an article on John Knox in the Weslminster. In the next number there will be an article on Job, and in the Edinburgh one on Spinoza. From Wales I went to Glasgow, where I stayed in Calder Park near the city with my friend Walrond, With him I made excursions to Oban and Ardtornish, then to Inverary, Loch Lomond, the Trossachs, and back to Glasgow, then to Edin-
This attack of illness determined him to follow the advice Bunsen had long given him, and take an assistant for the more mechanical part of his Vedic work. Bunsen seems to have mentioned Dr. Aufrecht from Berlin to him. Max Miiller entered into negotiations with Dr. Aufrecht, who arrived in Oxford in December. Early in that month Max writes to Bunsen : —
‘ . . . I expect Aufrecht daily. You have always advised me to seek help, and I could no longer get through my work alone, with the many interruptions caused by my health. Aufrecht is a very conscientious scholar, and as far as the rest goes that will all be right.’
Max Miiller writes to his mother telling her of the new arrangement : —
Translation. December 19.
‘ Dr. Aufrecht is a very clever man, a Sanskritist,
1852] Dean Church 135
live here. We shall try the plan at first for six months, and I hope it will all go well. It is very pleasant for me to have some one with whom I can talk about literary things, and my time is so filled up that I am very glad to have some one to whom I can leave part of my work : but I must wait awhile to see how it works, and whether it brings me in as much as it costs. I must spend Christmas in Oxford, as I cannot well leave him alone. The weather is dreadful, and I have constant headaches, mostly from severe colds. Otherwise I have got quite accustomed again to the English way of living, and if I would often rather find myself in Germany, you know it is not my way to grumble. We must take life as God sends it, and it would be un- grateful did I not acknowledge the many comforts I have here, and only dwelt on what I miss.’
Aufrecht lived in the same house with his employer.
The following letter alludes to the book known as Church’s
Essays and Reviews^ a title that had not then become
notorious : —
9, Park Place, December 22, 1852.
‘My dear Palgrave, — I thought you would be sure to come to Oxford for the Exeter College election, else I should have written to you before this, and asked whether you would put your name to a testimonial which we intend to present to Church. You know he is going to leave Oxford, and take a small living to marry. Some of his friends are going to ask him to allow them to print a selection of his articles — not theological — and to make him a present of the whole edition. We have already a large subscription, about forty names. The subscription will be £3. Please tell me whether you wish your name to be added. Acland, Donkin, Butler, Marriott, &c., take great interest in the matter, but until the whole expense is secured by sub- scription, it must not be talked about. If you can get some of your friends to join, please write to them. Grant and Sellar have been written to, and have sent their subscriptions. You know probably that Sewell is going to leave Oxford. Why do you never write ? Have you heard from Froude ? He is staying at his father’s, and very happy.’
The early part of this Christmas Vacation was spent by
Max Miiller in Oxford, in order to initiate his secretary
Aufrecht in the work he had to do. The great floods of
1852 had left the place in a very unhealthy state, and before
his lectures began again his friends the George Butlers, who
were spending the vacation with their father Dean Butler at
136 Visit to Dover [ch. vm
Dover, asked him to pay them a visit there. On his return he
writes : —
To Mrs. Butler.
9, Park V-lkc-e., January, 1853.
*I have not had a quiet minute since I came back; there was a friend from Germany waiting to be Honized all over Oxford : then all sorts of people who came to vote, and at the same time to walk and talk : then Aufrecht with lots of questions : then dinner-parties again: and letters to answer, and proofs to correct. I really wish I could sport my oak like an undergraduate, and have done with the world altogether, at least for an hour or two, that I might be able to tell you how much I enjoyed my trip to Dover, and how happy I felt among people who seemed all to be so very happy themselves. Please to translate into as good English as possible my best thanks to the Dean and Mrs. Butler. I am glad to hear that you have had a few fine days ; the weather is getting better at Oxford also. As to the floods, they will not be gone before March, but the late storms have made the atmosphere quite healthy again. I do not know anything about the election ; in fact, I have not seen a paper since I came back. Belle is in the most flourishing condition, so Oxford cannot be such an unhealthy place after all.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. 0\-BOViD, January 30, 1853.
‘. , . My lectures begin next week, and give me a good deal of work ; and then I was away for a week at Dover. Dover was beautiful, especially in the storms. The waves almost beat on my windows. From the laiid a stormy sea looks grand. I would willingly have stayed on, but I could not leave my house companion longer alone. He is a capable man, but a little difficult to get on with. At present he takes up a good deal of my time, as I must tell and explain everything to him ; but I think later he will be an advantage. I must give more time to my lectures, for England expects every man to do his duty. I do not worry about money, and would rather live more economically than let my work suffer. ... I often feel now how much time I lost from my work during my long holiday last year — that must not happen again, life is not long enough for such pauses — and yet when I am with you I always think, “ You can make up the time afterwards in your work; enjoy the time together as long as you can.” . . . We have had a great business here with the Parliamentary election. Gladstone, who was elected, and is now Chancellor of the Exchequer, was here on a visit a few days ago. I have seen and talked with him several times ; he is an interesting man, and a very good speaker.’
1853] Work with Aujrecht 137
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 9, Park Place, February 2, 1853.
‘I get on better with Aufrecht, but not so very well yet. He decidedly desires to be baptized, but he does not feel inclined to talk to others on this point or anything connected with it.
‘ It is possible that when he has once taken this step he may get to feel more inner satisfaction and confidence in friends, which is prevented now by morbid impressions and imaginations. I am convinced he is a true and honest soul, but he is unsympathetic. His knowledge is thoroughly sound and comprehensive. He works well, and he seems to like his position, as he desires to stay in England. But there can be no question about working together, for as soon as one presses him a little hard he draws his head into his shell like a tortoise, and one must then leave him alone. But I still hope that in time things will take a better shape, as they are already far better than they were at first.’
The Deputy Professor u^as to lecture this term on ‘Declension,’ and so popular u^ere his lectures, that he had a large proportion of ladies among his audience, a greater proportion than was convenient in a small lecture-room, and on being asked by a rather pompous Don what the title of his lectures meant exactly, he was ungallant enough to reply, ‘ I wish it might mean that I decline ladies ! ‘ This must have got abroad, to judge from the next letter to Bunsen :
Tramlatmi. 9, Park Place, February 19, 1853?
‘. . . I am very well now and very happy. Aufrecht begins to “ thaw.” My time is almost entirely taken up with my lectures, which for the first time give me great pleasure. I have fifty hearers, all under- graduates, and many of them capable and industrious men. I write nothing, but speak extempore to them, and I feel that I can be really useful to them. My former hearers were mostly curious and suspicious Dons, and I got tired of writing rhetorical essays to be read to them. Now everything gets into much better shape, and I only hope that next term I may receive my definite appointment. I have now got to the old Latin inscriptions, Columna Rostrata, &c., and it is incredible how little one can rely upon copies ; in almost every edition you find inaccuracies and variations. If only somebody would at last give exact facsimiles.’
A day or two later he writes again to Bunsen, in answer to a letter advising him to give a course of lectures on Greek Literature : —
138 Dr. AufrecMs Baptism [ch. vm
Translation.
‘ I shall have finished my lectures in about a fortnight. The holidays will only last three weeks, then lectures begin again. I dare hardly venture to undertake a course on Greek literature, for my subject must always be more or less in connexion with modern languages. This is possible with tides like “ declension,” “ conjugation,” &c., including a few words about modern formations, and then concen- trating on Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit. But “ history of Greek literature “ would hardly fit into anything. I shall hope to continue next term my lectures on Declension, and to prepare lectures on Italian Ethnology. One has to read up what is fit for the examination ; and the population of Italy according to Livy and Niebuhr belongs to the standing questions. I am getting on better and better with Aufrecht, and I hope in time we shall get on capitally.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, March 5, 1853.
‘ The uncertain weather we are having in Oxford is very unhealthy. And yet I feel better than I have felt for a long time, and my work gets on well. I do not know what the papers have been saying again about me. My position has not as yet changed in the least, but I hope to get my full salary in October. The uncertainty is un- pleasant, but I shall not starve, and everything else can be borne ! My assistant costs a good deal, but that will in time be repaid, and his company, at least for literary discussion, is very useful. Of course there are many difficulties, but in time they will be set right. I corre- spond pretty regularly with Bunsen ; he writes one book after another, but writes too much and too quickly. The events in Milan are terrible. But how can the Austrians imagine that England will interfere.? That England will never give up a poUtical refugee is well understood. England has always been a refuge for dethroned kings and popular leaders, and the English would rather go to war than give up their right.’
In accordance with Dr. Aufrecht’s own wishes about his baptism, Bunsen suggested that his eldest son, the Rev. Henry Bunsen, Rector of Lilleshall, should receive him, and perform the ceremony in his own parish church. This scheme was carried out. On his return Max Miiller writes : —
Translation. 9, Park Place, April 3, 1853.
‘Your Excellency, — We have passed the Easter holidays most
agreeably at Lilleshall, and I, as well as Aufrecht, am most grateful to
you for the great help you have given us in this somewhat difficult
matter. Nowhere could the act have been performed so simply,
1853] Stands for Professorship 139
so solemnly, and so undisturbedly as by your son at Lilleshall. The friendly welcome we received has not missed its impression upon Aufrecht, and I hope that in future matters will improve with him more and more . . .’
To his mother he writes : —
Translation. April.
‘I would gladly go with you to Carlsbad, but after careful con- sideration I see that it is impossible for me to leave my work this year for the whole summer. I have begun several things which have been on my conscience for several years, and I owe it to myself to finish them ; and this I can only do here in England, and in the Long Vacation. And now I am busy with my lectures, and the decision as to my full salary occupies my time too. I have indeed a fair prospect that there will be no opposition ; but of course there is a prejudice against a foreigner, and I must do my best to keep all straight.’
On May 12 Bunsen wrote to urge Max Miiller to join him at St. Leonards, but the Taylorian Professorship was vacant, and it was necessary to be on the spot.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translatio7i. - 9, Park Place, May 15, 1853.
‘ The business is more complicated than I expected, and the steering more difficult the nearer one approaches the harbour. I am prepared for disappointment, but do not give up hope. The new difficulties arise from the fact that the Curators are intending to raise the salary considerably : this would be delightful, if I already had the appointment, but now it brings other interests into play, and entices others to stand as candidates. But still my prospects are good, and my opponents have but one card to play, that they are Englishmen, I not. In Oxford the tables won’t dance. I have wasted some hours in trying my hand at it, but the whole thing seems perfectly useless, especially as it is purely mechanical.
‘Aufrecht is going on all right — he does not wish to return to Germany.’
Bunsen wrote cheerily in reply, and says he had written to his ‘brotherly friend Pusey’ (the squire) to help in the canvass. ‘I know few men so able to give good advice; besides, he is very much attached to you.’
To THE Same.
Translation. 9, Park Place, May 28, 1853.
‘ Contrary to my expectations, my affairs get more hopeless and
involved. The Curators have at last had a meeting, and settled to
140 Uncertainty as to Professorship [ch. vm
postpone the election till after the Long Vacation. It is a hard trial of one’s patience, especially as it is still uncertain whether my election may not after all be opposed, and 1 should then have lost four years’ time and work. For three years I have laid all aside, and given my whole time to this office. I felt Spartam nactus es, hanc exorna, and if I had thus provided for my material wants for the rest of my life, I could well be satisfied, and should have had time and leisure to make up what I had lost. Now I really don’t know what to do, and whether it is not best to return to Germany and finish up and publish what I have already done on the Veda. My friends advise me to stay on here, and they assure me Convocation would veto the election of any one else, if the Curators attempted it. For myself, I am almost indifferent. I shall probably have another year of this uncertainty, of which I have had enough in the past three years. However, such is the world, says John Bull, and tries to console himself. I am doing my best to follow his good advice.’
To this Bunsen replied : —
Translation. May 30.
‘ It is a great trial of patience, but be patient, that is wise. One must never allow the toilsome labour of years of quiet reflection and of utmost exertion for the attainment of one’s aim to be destroyed by an unpropitious event. It is most probably the best for you that the affair should not now be hurried through. Your claims are stronger every quarter, and will certainly become more so in the eyes of the English through good temper and patience under trying circum- stances. I don’t for a moment doubt that you will be elected. Germany would suit you now as little as it would suit me, and we both should not suit Germany. So patience, my dear friend, and with a good will.’
Early in May, Bunsen had written to Max Miiller asking his help in the vv^ork then occupying all his leisure time and thoughts, ‘ The Philosophy of Universal History applied to Language and Religion,’ being Volumes III and IV of Christianity and Mankind. Bunsen says : —
‘ In working over the historical part I put aside a chapter, “ The Primitive Languages in India,” but find out, just as I intended to make you the heros eponymus, that you only dealt in your lecture (before the British Association) with Bengali. . . . Could you not write a little article on this for my book ? The original language in India must have been Turanian, not Semitic ; but we are bound in honour to prove it.’
1853] Essay on Turanian Languages 141
This invitation led to the pamphlet On the Ttiranian Languages, which is now out of print as a separate publica- tion, but it forms, under the title, ‘Last Results of the Turanian Researches,’ the second half of the third volume of Bunsen’s Christianity and Mankind, and though not published till 1854, owing to incessant delays in printing, was almost entirely written in 1853, and involved a constant correspondence with Bunsen through the rest of this year. It is many years since Max Miiller gave up most of the views enunciated in his essay on the Turanian languages of India, views which were disproved as these languages were more fully known and studied. The concluding paragraph is perhaps worth quoting as applicable to all linguistic studies : —
• And now, if we gaze from our native shores over that vast ocean of human speech, with its waves rolling on from continent to continent, rising under the fresh breezes of the morning of history, and slowly heaving in our own more sultry atmosphere, with sails gliding over its surface, and many an oar ploughing through its surf, and the flags of all nations waving joyously together, with its rocks and wrecks, its storms and battles, yet reflecting serenely all that is beneath and above and around it ; if we gaze and hearken to the strange sounds rushing past our ears in unbroken strains, it seems no longer a wild tumult, but we feel as if placed within some ancient cathedral, listening to a chorus of innumerable voices ; and the more intensely we listen, the more all discords melt away into higher harmonies, till at last we hear but one majestic trichord, or a mighty unison, as at the end of a sacred symphony.
‘ Such visions will float through the study of the grammarian, and in the midst of toilsome researches his heart will suddenly beat, as he feels the conviction growing upon him, that men are brethren in the simplest sense of the word — the children of the same father — whatever their country, their colour, their language, and their faith.’
This was the year of Lord Derby’s installation as Chancellor of the University, and Max Miiller resolved to take refuge from all the gaieties with Bunsen, who had long been pressing him to come to Carlton Terrace.
Besides the treatise on the Turanian or nomadic languages of India, Bunsen asked his help in tracing the relationship of the Vcdic language with Zend, urging him to gather the results of his investigations into a separate chapter.
142 Work for Bunsen [ch. vm
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 9, Park V-l.kq,^, July 3, 1853.
‘ ^^’hen you spoke to me in London about printing your work on Egypt, you told me that you expected my contribution in September. I therefore began at once to arrange and carry out the part with regard to the comparison of Egyptian and Aryan roots. The work requires great care, and if the essay is to be printed just as I write it, and under my responsibiHty, I cannot really promise its completion before September. The relation between Egyptian and Aryan is much like that which would exist between Sanskrit and French, did we not possess the connecting links. Mere, pere,frere, and sceur, set against mdtar, pdtar, bhrdtar, and svasiar, show a systematic parallelism and a common origin. But if one had to compare Sanskrit asm with larme, how could one prove their identity without the connecting links ? Well, I will try, but it is quite impossible for me to solve the problem so quickly. Also in the matter of the relation of the Zend and Vedic peoples I will gladly formulate and prove the conclusions at which I have arrived, but I am a slow coach, and fear accidents in an express train. I hope, especially if there is no war, that you may have so many diplomatic occupations, that I may be ready before Egypt comes to be printed. I work every day at the Bodleian from nine till four, at the catalogue of the Sanskrit MSS. ; then I am printing the preface to the second volume of the Veda^ which is ready: then I am writing a treatise on the burning of bodies in the Veda, which is nearly ready (widows were not burnt). Then comes the essay for Lepsius on the Indian alphabet. Then the first volume of the Prolegomena must be printed before the end of the vacation ; and lastly comes a course of lectures for next term. Where am I to find time without robbery? Professor Stenzler, of Breslau, is now here, a very capable man of the last generation, but who advances with modern progress, and has taken refuge from Alexander’s India in Vedic antiquity. He is Weber’s teacher.’
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. Park Place, 7?//^ 7, 1853.
‘ I am sorry that I must again trouble you for an explanation as to
the extent, as well as the sort of essay, on the original inhabitants of
India and the Zend emigrants. You write that it is for your philo-
sophical work. Is that “ The Prophets “ which I saw when I was in
London, or is it an addition to the philosophical Aphorisms of Hippo-
lytus ? If it is for the Aphorisms, it ought to fill a couple of pages at
most ; but if it is for the great work on the “ History of the World,”
1853] Article on Zend A vest a 143
it must be much more diffuse. Or is it another book at which you are working ? ‘
It is not surprising that Max Miiller was puzzled by the multiplicity of Bunsen’s works, for nearly all of which he asked for help from his young friend. At this time he was expecting immediately three separate papers from Max Miiller — on the Zend Avesta, the Rig-veda, and the Turanian languages of India, and later in the year Bunsen hoped for a linguistic chapter for his work on Egypt.
On July II Max Miiller sent Bunsen the chapter on Persian Researches which will be found on p. no of Volume III, CJiristianity and Mankind^ and which was reprinted in the original edition of Chips, Volume I, but was omitted in the last edition as ‘not up to date.’ On July 13 Bunsen writes : —
‘ “ What one desired in youth one obtains in old age.” I felt this as I read your chapter yesterday. It is exactly what I first wished to know myself in order to tell it to my readers. You have done it after my own heart — only a little too briefly, for a concluding sentence on the connexion of the language of the Achaemenian Inscriptions with Zend is wanting.’
On July 30 he writes to his mother : —
Translation.
‘ Sunday is my best day for letter-writing. During the week work goes on from early till late, and my head is so full of Sanskrit I feel quite stupified. I am very glad I stayed here this summer. I had so many books to read and work through, for which I have no time in my lectures, and yet one must keep up with literature, or one would have to sing, like the Austrian militiamen, “ Immer langsam voran.” That it was hard to give up my plans for travelling, you can believe ; but one must remember the duties as well as the enjoyments of life, and so we will look forward to next year, when, please God, we shall be together. I am very well, and the harder I work the better I feel.’
At this time, when his old friend Carus was about to be married, he writes to his mother, who was always exhorting him to follow so good an example, * I have not yet any plans of the sort. I think one has trouble enough in making one’s own way through the world. If such a thing presents itself — well ; but I have no wish to take much trouble in looking about.’
144 Visit to Wales [ch. vm
Max Miiller writes to Bunsen for his birthday : —
Translation. 9, Park Place, August 24.
‘ First of all I wish you joy of this day with all my heart. May this day often return to you in the midst of all your dear ones, and in the full tide of all your work and labour. If to grow a year older means to have completed a new work, we can stand the growing older very well — it is not then a growing older ; but it is growing, working, and getting young again, and our strength grows with every year that has been made use of, and with every work that has been completed. A fresh and powerful Senatus is after all the real strength of a country, the real support of the res publica in politics as well as in spirit. The Juventus is too much occupied with itself, and youth is often more hindering than useful when it comes to losing sight of oneself as much as possible. Allow me to continue to find courage and counsel with you, and have patience with a passenger who would like best to sit still in the carriage corner, and though not asleep would fain close his eyes till he has arrived at the last station.’
The sad tone of the last sentence is fully accounted for in the next letter to Bunsen, written the end of August : —
Translation, August 28.
‘ I feel what the English call knocked up, and I must get some fresh air before I can get to work again. You shall receive an essay on Vedic Antiquity from Wales, where I go to-morrow. It is possible that there may be, among the Persians, people or even races whose forefathers were Turanian or Semitic, but they acquired Persian just as the Normans acquired Saxon, and the Persian language has always remained the same. If it comes to classification of languages, it does not depend on who speaks the languages, just as little as a botanist troubles himself to know whether a potato has grown in Europe or America. I always use the term Aryan instead of Indo-European, Iranian only for Persian and IMedian. Both together I take as the South-Aryan branch, in contrast to all the rest of the Aryans who turned to the north-west. The collection of Hymns of the Rig-veda was completed towards 1000 b.c. That cannot of course be proved like 2 + 2 = 4, hut it is as sure as all our knowledge of these times can be. I enclose a sample translation which is to find a place in the Veda article : do you know of a poet who could Miltonize it a little more ? He must add nothing however, for so far the translation is literal, as far as this is possible with the old thoughts.’
Max Miiller went to the Froudes’ in Wales, but his enjoy-
ment of this visit was spoilt by the weather. He tells his
mother it rained day and night, and the mountains were too
1853] Visit to Scotland 145
wet for any expeditions. On his return to Oxford he writes to Bunsen : —
Trafislatmi. Oxford, September 21, 1853,
‘I returned yesterday. My holiday was longer than I expected, and I hasten to send you the introduction to the Aryan chapter. I went first to Wales to Froude, who is very well, and hard at work. He has just published an article on John Knox in the Weslminster. In the next number there will be an article on Job, and in the Edinburgh one on Spinoza. From Wales I went to Glasgow, where I stayed in Calder Park near the city with my friend Walrond, With him I made excursions to Oban and Ardtornish, then to Inverary, Loch Lomond, the Trossachs, and back to Glasgow, then to Edin-
Re: ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
burgh. The scenery was beautiful, and the fine air very enjoyable, and I hope my work will go on all the better for it.’
The expedition to Ardtornish, to stay with the parents of their old friend W. Sellar, nearly proved fatal to Max Miiller and Theodore Walrond. They crossed from Oban, and a sudden storm coming up, the row-boat in which they were was in great danger. The crew, who only spoke Gaelic, to quiet their fears, imbibed so much whisky that they seemed incapable of managing the boat, and both Max and his friend had to lend a hand at the oars. But they were well repaid on their arrival by the beauty of the scenery round Ardtornish, and the next morning, the sea being calm, Max Miiller, who was all his life a good swimmer, ran down to the beach for a dip. Putting his things, as he thought, in safety under some stones, he enjoyed his bath to the full. But he had not calculated on the force of the wind, and on emerging from the waves he found his clothes scattered far and wide, and some gone for ever. The stony beach was covered with a sort of prickly growth, probably a sea-holly, and the search was long and painful, and resulted in the recovery of only a few necessary garments. In this guise he had to make his way back to the house, the hall of which was used for break- fast, and where the family were already assembling. He used to say, in recounting the story, that the horror of the moment always came back upon him in full force.
On September 24 Bunsen writes : —
‘ You have sent me the most beautiful thing you have yet written.
I read your Veda essay yesterday, first to myself and then to my
I L
146 Taylorian Professorship [ch. vm
family circle, including Lady Raffles your great friend in petto, and we were all enchanted with both matter and form.’
The article of which Bunsen speaks will be found on p. 128 of Volume III, CJiristianity and Mankind, and was republished in Chips, Volume I, original edition, but like the Persian chapter was omitted in the last edition. In diction it well deserves the praise bestowed on it by Bunsen.
We constantly at this time, in his letters to Bunsen, find Max Miiller complaining of the dilatoriness and carelessness of even the best London printers, as compared with the University Press at Oxford. In the latter years of his life he would consent to print nowhere else.
The lectures this term were on ‘The Origin of the Romance Languages,’ and he tells Bunsen his ‘audience is larger than ever.’ How he managed to get through all his work is a marvel, for besides his lectures, his Vedic work, the Turanian article for Bunsen, and a new work forced on him by his indefatigable friend, of which we shall hear presently, he was collecting testimonials for the Curators of the Taylor Institution, who had definitely fixed the election to the Professorship for the beginning of the January Term. Meantime they had been so satisfied with the result of the lectures, that, as he tells his mother, he is already receiving this quarter the full salary. The testimonials, the originals of which must ever be a precious treasure for his children, are from Humboldt, Bunsen, Bopp, Lepsius, Canon Jacobson (later Bishop of Chester), W. Thomson (later Arch- bishop of York), Mr. Jowett, Professors Wilson and Donkin. Mr. Jowett says of him, ‘ There are few persons in whom so much judgement is combined with so much imagination. It would be unnecessary to add, except to those who do not know him, that, during his stay at Oxford, he has been universally beloved and respected.’ Mr. Donkin says, ‘ He can be elementary without being (in the bad sense) popular, and scientific without ceasing to be intelligible and interesting to beginners.’
And now we come to an event that was to alter and
influence the whole remainder of Max Miiller’s life, though
for several years to come the outer tenor of it may have
1853] First Meeting with his Wife 147
seemed unchanged, and only one or two intimate friends knew the influence at work within him. On November 26 Max and his future wife met for the first time at her father’s house. Mr. Froude, her uncle by marriage, had often spoken of his clever young German friend, and his brother-in-law asked him to bring Max Muller for a Saturday to Monday visit. Years after, he told her that as soon as he saw her, he felt, ‘ That is my fate.’ The party assembled at Ray Lodge was a pleasant one, and he at once fascinated all present by his brilliant, lively conversation and exquisite music. He was very dark, with regular features, fine bright eyes, and a beautiful countenance full of animation, and it was difficult to reconcile his youthful appearance with his already great reputation. Two days later they met again, this time at Oxford, where the family from Ray Lodge went for a meeting of the leading Church choirs of the Diocese. Max Miiller was their constant guide, and Magdalen, Merton, Christ Church, the Bodleian, &c., were visited in his company. He was asked to spend Christmas at Ray Lodge, but fealty to Bunsen and the work he was engaged in for him kept him at Oxford.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translaimi. Oxford, December 9, 1853.
‘ I gladly accept your invitation for next Tuesday (to meet Kings- ley), and I hope by then the first half of my essay will be printed. Aufrecht is very busy. A week ago he left this house and has taken a lodging for himself. He feels more independent, and I too feel more free. I wish one could find a secure place for him. He has been a year here, and I have never seen a man so totally changed, and certainly only for the better.’
It was almost at the close of the year that Bunsen asked
Max Muller to help him in a scheme which was occupying
his own mind a good deal, i.e. a Uniform Alphabet to be
used by missionaries in reducing languages to writing for the
first time. Lepsius had been occupied with this problem for
some time, but his alphabet seemed too complicated for cheap
printing. Max Muller at once took up the subject, and so
hard did he work that his pamphlet. Proposals for a Uniform
Missionary Alphabet, was ready to lay before the first
L 2
148 Missionary Alphabet
conference held on the subject at Bunsen’s house early in January, 1854. Max Miiller’s alphabet was very simple, employing italics for the modifications of the usual alphabet, whereas Lepsius’s plans represented these modifications by signs, in some cases as many as three, over each letter. In one letter to Bunsen, Max Muller says, ‘ If we come to a common understanding with regard to the thirty-five definable consonants, and the twelve to fourteen vowels, let us thank God.’ And again, ‘ If conferences are first to be held, I think it would be best I should not appear, but ask you to play the part of pleader. I have spoilt so many things through undue eagerness, that I prefer managing everything by writing. But I await your orders. If my proposals are not likely to be accepted, it is not worth the trouble of printing. If it is accepted, I am ready to publish them in golden letters on parchment ! I promise Lepsius that if his alphabet is accepted, I will not print a word but in that, even if each letter has three accents.’ So carefully and thoroughly did Max Miiller go into the whole question, that he spent several days dissecting throats with Dr. Acland. ‘I could give the whole alphabet anatomically drawn,’ he says. In the Life of Baron Bunsen we find some extracts from the diary of one of his daughters : —
‘ To breakfast came Sir C. Trevelyan, Sir J. Herschell, Mr. Arthur, Professor Owen, afterwards Mr. Venn and several missionaries and men of learning, to take part in the long-planned conference on the comparative merits of two systems of transcription for all alphabets. According to that of Max Muller, italics would take the place of all accents, lines, dots, used by Lepsius. The conference lasted uninter- ruptedly till half-past one o’clock.
‘ Bishop Thirlwall dined with us, and the conversation was ani- mated between him and Lepsius (who arrived on the 27th) and Max Muller and my father. The alphabetical conferences take place every day.
‘ Lepsius has returned to Berlin. The last conference to-day leaves the matter undecided.’
And so it remained, after all the labour and time Bunsen and Max Miiller had expended. The English missionary societies now mostly follow a system used by the Bible Society, but there is not entire unanimity.
CHAPTER IX
1854-1855
Professor of Modem Languages. Second volume of j??z>-7/ Paris. Dresden. M.A. by decree. Renan.
The year opened darkly with rumours of war. Writing to Bunsen for the New Year, Max Miiller says :—
Translation. 9, Park Vh^c^, January i.
‘ Above all, my best congratulations for the New Year : may it be a calm and blessed one for you and yours ; and may it above all things teach the Russians and the Russophiles, that Europe will not be Cossacked nor Kossuthed, and that she would prefer to see the Crescent at Petersburg to the Russian Cross at Constantinople.
• My best thanks for your kind testimonial, which arrived just at the right time ; I hope it will have had its good effect in about a fortnight or three weeks’ time ; if not, I am just as ready to go to India as
Botticher is,’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxso^ii, January 26, 1854.
‘ Since Christmas I have not had a quiet moment, though it is our
vacation. ... I have had to go constantly to London to talk to
missionaries and others. The alphabet is now printed, and yesterday
we had a general conference at Bunsen’s, where all missionary
societies were represented. There are many difficulties, and I am
tired of the whole thing, for it takes up so much of my time, and it is
difficult to fit all missionaries with the same cap ! I was quite alone
here in Oxford at Christmas, to write my treatise on the alphabet,
which had to be printed before the New Year. Since then I have
been living between Oxford and London, and have thus met many
interesting people, which is always a good thing. Bunsen now begins
150 Loss of MSS. [cH. IX
to believe in war, but always says, if the Russians can find a back door, they will yield. But England begins to feel it has had enough, and when they once begin war here, diplomacy can do nothing ; for it is the people that make war here, not the sovereign and ministers. It was very cold early in January and I had some skating. How curious that you should just have been at Jessnitz when the old grandmother died ! One need not lament her death, for her soul must have longed to be free from its old body. No doubt the soul must find it difficult in childhood to accustom itself to the human body, and it takes many years before it is quite at home. Then for a time all goes well, and the soul hardly knows it is hidden in a strange garment, till the body begins to be weakly, and can no longer do all the soul wishes, and presses it everywhere, so that the soul appears to lose all outward freedom and movement. Then one can well understand that we long to be gone, and death is a true deliverance. God always knows best, when the right time comes. I have just been reading Riickert’s poems ; they are very beautiful in spite of a certain weakness, and his latest home poems are full of natural feeling.’
Though much time and thought had been given to the
missionary alphabet, Max MUller’s real interest was with the
second volume of the Rig-veda, which was published early in
this year. The preface is dated Christmas, 1853, and the
printing had been finished by that date, but there was always
some delay about the binding and publishing, which were not
in Max Muller’s hands. With the text of the Hymns in this
volume there had not been much difficulty, but the MSS. of
Sayana’s Commentary were most defective. Max MUller,
before finishing the first volume, had written to India to obtain,
at his own expense, new MSS. for the second. After long
delay he heard that the MSS. which Dr. Roer had secured for
him in Calcutta had been lost by shipwreck. Fortunately,
Professor Wilson received just at this time a complete copy of
the Commentary from Benares, the most ancient copy of Sayana
that had then come to Europe. This he generously gave to
his young friend. It contained many emendations and correc-
tions, which greatly simplified the editor’s labour. The task
had been further lightened by the work of other Vedic scholars,
who, since Max Miiller had begun his edition, had published
many of the works alluded to by Sayana, which, for his first
volume. Max had had to copy and collate for himself, before he
1854] Death of Burnoiif 151
could verify the innumerable quotations. The Sdma-veda had been published by Benfey, and the Yajitr-veda by Weber, whilst Stenzler, Roth, and Whitney had all been active in this field of Sanskrit literature. To all these writers Max MUller acknowledges his indebtedness, and also gratefully men- tions the assistance and active co-operation of his secretary, Dr. Aufrecht, in the latter part of Vol. II — ‘ my learned friend,’ as he calls him, and adds, * The benefit of his services cannot be too highly valued.’ The preface ends with an eloquent tribute to his master and friend, Eugene Burnouf, whose death in 1852 had been an almost irreparable personal loss to Max Miiller, as well as to all Sanskrit students : —
‘ In losing Burnouf we have lost, not only an indefatigable fellow labourer, not only a disinterested teacher, but a most respected judge; in his approval valued by all, in his censure feared, in his verdict distinguished unfailingly by fairness and by truth. . . . When I heard of his death I felt — and I believe that many engaged in similar studies shared the feeling — as if our work had lost much of its charm and its purpose. “ What will Burnouf say ? “ was my earliest thought on completing the first volume of the Rig-veda. And now as I finish the second, in its turn submitted to the judgement of so many scholars whose friendship I value, and whose learning I admire, my thoughts turn again to him who is no longer among us, and I think, not without sadness, of what his judgement would have been.’
Early in February the long uncertainty about the Taylorian Professorship was brought to a close by Max MUller’s nomi- nation by the Curators, confirmed by Convocation on February 21. The Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Cotton, in writing to announce the unanimous election by the Curators, adds, ‘ I feel great satisfaction in the consideration that so eminent and talented a Professor has been elected.’ He hastens to announce his success : —
To F. Palgrave, Esq.
February 8, 1854.
‘ The Professorship has been settled at last, and I got it. I cannot
tell you how happy I feel, after the long suspense, to have at last
a TToC aju) for the rest of this life, and to be able to look on quietly
till the moving panorama comes to an end. I feel now more than
ever that it is owing to the kindness of those who first received me at
Oxford that I owe my further success and my present position — ce
T52 Full Professorship [ch. ix
n’est que le premier pas qui cofite, aud after I was once in the right boat, I was sure to get into harbour sooner or later. I shall write to old Joe. I wish we could all meet again and have a jolly party, as we used to have five or six years ago, when I little thought of what was looming in the future. I hope we shall manage a little gathering after Froude is able to come. He has taken a cottage at Babbicombe for the next year. I was in London for a week, kept from day to day by alphabetic conferences, where I had to act as secretary and to write generally till 3 o’clock in the morning. I had not an hour to myself, and after it was over I had to go to Oxford in order to see that all was going right about the ship. Now it is launched, and I hope to have a pleasant cruise in it.
‘ Ever yours, M. M.’
Bunsen wrote at once to congratulate : —
Translation. February 8.
‘ . . . Your position in Hfe now rests on a firm foundation, . . . and that in this heaven-blest, secure, free island, and at a moment when it is hard to say whether the thrones of princes or the freedom of nations is in greatest danger. With true affection, yours.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, March 10.
‘ I am living in such a turmoil that I can settle to nothing, and
have hardly time to write a letter. I have been made full Professor
this term, and so there have been endless invitations and parties of all
sorts. I am rather tired of it all, and wish I lived some miles out of
Oxford, so as to have my time to myself. You can imagine I was not
a little pleased when everything was definitely settled, but when one
waits so long for a thing it does not give one the same pleasure as
when it comes unexpectedly. But I heartily thank God that my
future is now entirely secured, as far as food and raiment are con-
cerned ! At present I shall stay where I am, and I shall be very sorry
to leave, but I know I must take a larger house in time. I shall stay
here till the Summer Vacation, and then when I come back I will
furnish a small house, in which you can perhaps help me. Or
perhaps you will pay me a visit in the vacation here, instead of my
going to Dresden } I have still a good deal of correspondence with
missionaries, who are not always easy to deal with. Aufrecht is still
working for me, but he lives in another house for himself, and gives
private lessons. He is happy here, and very useful to me, but it is
rather expensive. I shall not want for money, when I think with how
little I managed once. I enclose a little proof of my Professorship ;
you will know what use to make of it. If you want to buy a book,
1854] Languages of the Seat of War 153
I would recommend Tauler’s Sermons ; they are very beautiful, but you must get an edition in modernized German. We already begin to feel the war. Everything is dearer, and the taxes will be doubled. It can’t be helped, and there is no doubt as to the result.’
On March 2J, three days before war was declared against Russia, Max Mliller received a letter from Sir Charles Trevelyan, then Assistant-Secretary to the Treasury, begging officially for his help in directing the officers proceeding to the East how to study the languages of the northern division of the Turkish Empire and the adjoining provinces of Russia. Some private letters had already passed between Sir Charles and the Professor of Modern European Languages, and Max Miiller had written :
‘ That corner of Europe between the North of Italy and Turkey and along the Danube is a real linguistic rookery. All the lost daughters of the European families of languages have taken refuge there ; and they exhibit, each, the lowest degradation and corruption of grammar that can be imagined. In the Albanian we recognize the noble features of Greek ; in Wallachian, those of Latin ; in Bulgarian, those of the Old Slavonic language ; but all sadly distorted and disfigured. Very little has been done toward a literary culture of these dialects, and even grammars are scarce ; there are certainly none in English, as far as I am aware.’
He had prepared a list of elementary grammars and a few
simple instructions, which Sir Charles had imparted to all the
commissariat officers. But the letter, dated March 20, states
that something more than this should be attempted, and adds,
‘ If you agree with me in this, you will at once feel that there
is a call upon you to help in this good work ‘ ; and Sir Charles
entreats Max Mliller to prepare at once a treatise, showing
what languages are spoken in that part of the world, their
general structure, and the alphabets used, and what would be
the most useful books on the respective languages. Sir Charles
concludes thus : ‘ I have only two further suggestions to make,
(i) That whatever you do should be done quickly. Every
part of this great effort is under war pressure. (2) That you
should tell us at once what you know now^ leaving the rest to
be perfected hereafter.’ So heartily did Max Mliller respond
to the call, that by May 16 he was able to send Sir Charles
154 Oriental Studies [ch. ix
his Suggestions for the Assistance of Officers in learning the Languages of the Seat of War in the East. A second edition was required within a year.
In his introductory letter to Sir Charles he first called attention to a subject that continued to occupy his thoughts almost to the end of his life. He writes : —
‘ It is undoubtedly high time that something should be done to encourage the study of Oriental languages in England. At the very outset of this war, it has been felt how much this branch of studies — in emergencies hke the present so requisite — has been neglected in the system of our education. In all other countries which have any political, commercial, or religious connexions with the East, provision has been made, by Government or otherwise, to encourage young men to devote themselves to this branch of studies. Russia has always been a most liberal patron of Oriental philology. In the Academy of St. Petersburg there is a chair for every branch of Oriental literature. The French Government has founded a school, ‘ L’&ole pour les langues orientales vivantes.’ At Vienna there is an Oriental seminary. Prussia finds it expedient to give encouragement to young Oriental scholars, employed afterwards with advantage as consuls and interpreters. In England alone, where the most vital interests are involved in a free intercourse with the East, hardly anything is done to foster Oriental studies.’
Just before the publication of his book, Max writes to Bunsen : —
Translation. Park Place, 1854.
• I am busy with my lectures, and am printing my book on the Languages of the Seat of War, 100 pages, with a very fine map by Petermann, so that I never get to bed before 2 a.m.’
To his mother he writes : —
Translation. Park Place, April ji.
‘ I am so engrossed with work, that I have hardly a free minute, and that will go on till vacation. I cannot feel certain about my plans for travelling. I must spend part of the vacation in Paris, as I must work at a IMS. in the library there. The only thing that draws me to Germany is Auguste, who cannot well leave Chemnitz, otherwise life in Dresden or Dessau is not very attractive, and we might all meet nicely in Paris, if Emilia would come there.
Time becomes more precious every year, and a quarter of a year
is now as important to one as a year was formerly. This shows one
r854] Btmsen’s Resignation 155
is no longer young. One becomes economical with one’s time, and life is so serious just now, one has no right to think of pleasure, when so many men are suffering. And yet it is a war that could not
The expedition to Ardtornish, to stay with the parents of their old friend W. Sellar, nearly proved fatal to Max Miiller and Theodore Walrond. They crossed from Oban, and a sudden storm coming up, the row-boat in which they were was in great danger. The crew, who only spoke Gaelic, to quiet their fears, imbibed so much whisky that they seemed incapable of managing the boat, and both Max and his friend had to lend a hand at the oars. But they were well repaid on their arrival by the beauty of the scenery round Ardtornish, and the next morning, the sea being calm, Max Miiller, who was all his life a good swimmer, ran down to the beach for a dip. Putting his things, as he thought, in safety under some stones, he enjoyed his bath to the full. But he had not calculated on the force of the wind, and on emerging from the waves he found his clothes scattered far and wide, and some gone for ever. The stony beach was covered with a sort of prickly growth, probably a sea-holly, and the search was long and painful, and resulted in the recovery of only a few necessary garments. In this guise he had to make his way back to the house, the hall of which was used for break- fast, and where the family were already assembling. He used to say, in recounting the story, that the horror of the moment always came back upon him in full force.
On September 24 Bunsen writes : —
‘ You have sent me the most beautiful thing you have yet written.
I read your Veda essay yesterday, first to myself and then to my
I L
146 Taylorian Professorship [ch. vm
family circle, including Lady Raffles your great friend in petto, and we were all enchanted with both matter and form.’
The article of which Bunsen speaks will be found on p. 128 of Volume III, CJiristianity and Mankind, and was republished in Chips, Volume I, original edition, but like the Persian chapter was omitted in the last edition. In diction it well deserves the praise bestowed on it by Bunsen.
We constantly at this time, in his letters to Bunsen, find Max Miiller complaining of the dilatoriness and carelessness of even the best London printers, as compared with the University Press at Oxford. In the latter years of his life he would consent to print nowhere else.
The lectures this term were on ‘The Origin of the Romance Languages,’ and he tells Bunsen his ‘audience is larger than ever.’ How he managed to get through all his work is a marvel, for besides his lectures, his Vedic work, the Turanian article for Bunsen, and a new work forced on him by his indefatigable friend, of which we shall hear presently, he was collecting testimonials for the Curators of the Taylor Institution, who had definitely fixed the election to the Professorship for the beginning of the January Term. Meantime they had been so satisfied with the result of the lectures, that, as he tells his mother, he is already receiving this quarter the full salary. The testimonials, the originals of which must ever be a precious treasure for his children, are from Humboldt, Bunsen, Bopp, Lepsius, Canon Jacobson (later Bishop of Chester), W. Thomson (later Arch- bishop of York), Mr. Jowett, Professors Wilson and Donkin. Mr. Jowett says of him, ‘ There are few persons in whom so much judgement is combined with so much imagination. It would be unnecessary to add, except to those who do not know him, that, during his stay at Oxford, he has been universally beloved and respected.’ Mr. Donkin says, ‘ He can be elementary without being (in the bad sense) popular, and scientific without ceasing to be intelligible and interesting to beginners.’
And now we come to an event that was to alter and
influence the whole remainder of Max Miiller’s life, though
for several years to come the outer tenor of it may have
1853] First Meeting with his Wife 147
seemed unchanged, and only one or two intimate friends knew the influence at work within him. On November 26 Max and his future wife met for the first time at her father’s house. Mr. Froude, her uncle by marriage, had often spoken of his clever young German friend, and his brother-in-law asked him to bring Max Muller for a Saturday to Monday visit. Years after, he told her that as soon as he saw her, he felt, ‘ That is my fate.’ The party assembled at Ray Lodge was a pleasant one, and he at once fascinated all present by his brilliant, lively conversation and exquisite music. He was very dark, with regular features, fine bright eyes, and a beautiful countenance full of animation, and it was difficult to reconcile his youthful appearance with his already great reputation. Two days later they met again, this time at Oxford, where the family from Ray Lodge went for a meeting of the leading Church choirs of the Diocese. Max Miiller was their constant guide, and Magdalen, Merton, Christ Church, the Bodleian, &c., were visited in his company. He was asked to spend Christmas at Ray Lodge, but fealty to Bunsen and the work he was engaged in for him kept him at Oxford.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translaimi. Oxford, December 9, 1853.
‘ I gladly accept your invitation for next Tuesday (to meet Kings- ley), and I hope by then the first half of my essay will be printed. Aufrecht is very busy. A week ago he left this house and has taken a lodging for himself. He feels more independent, and I too feel more free. I wish one could find a secure place for him. He has been a year here, and I have never seen a man so totally changed, and certainly only for the better.’
It was almost at the close of the year that Bunsen asked
Max Muller to help him in a scheme which was occupying
his own mind a good deal, i.e. a Uniform Alphabet to be
used by missionaries in reducing languages to writing for the
first time. Lepsius had been occupied with this problem for
some time, but his alphabet seemed too complicated for cheap
printing. Max Muller at once took up the subject, and so
hard did he work that his pamphlet. Proposals for a Uniform
Missionary Alphabet, was ready to lay before the first
L 2
148 Missionary Alphabet
conference held on the subject at Bunsen’s house early in January, 1854. Max Miiller’s alphabet was very simple, employing italics for the modifications of the usual alphabet, whereas Lepsius’s plans represented these modifications by signs, in some cases as many as three, over each letter. In one letter to Bunsen, Max Muller says, ‘ If we come to a common understanding with regard to the thirty-five definable consonants, and the twelve to fourteen vowels, let us thank God.’ And again, ‘ If conferences are first to be held, I think it would be best I should not appear, but ask you to play the part of pleader. I have spoilt so many things through undue eagerness, that I prefer managing everything by writing. But I await your orders. If my proposals are not likely to be accepted, it is not worth the trouble of printing. If it is accepted, I am ready to publish them in golden letters on parchment ! I promise Lepsius that if his alphabet is accepted, I will not print a word but in that, even if each letter has three accents.’ So carefully and thoroughly did Max Miiller go into the whole question, that he spent several days dissecting throats with Dr. Acland. ‘I could give the whole alphabet anatomically drawn,’ he says. In the Life of Baron Bunsen we find some extracts from the diary of one of his daughters : —
‘ To breakfast came Sir C. Trevelyan, Sir J. Herschell, Mr. Arthur, Professor Owen, afterwards Mr. Venn and several missionaries and men of learning, to take part in the long-planned conference on the comparative merits of two systems of transcription for all alphabets. According to that of Max Muller, italics would take the place of all accents, lines, dots, used by Lepsius. The conference lasted uninter- ruptedly till half-past one o’clock.
‘ Bishop Thirlwall dined with us, and the conversation was ani- mated between him and Lepsius (who arrived on the 27th) and Max Muller and my father. The alphabetical conferences take place every day.
‘ Lepsius has returned to Berlin. The last conference to-day leaves the matter undecided.’
And so it remained, after all the labour and time Bunsen and Max Miiller had expended. The English missionary societies now mostly follow a system used by the Bible Society, but there is not entire unanimity.
CHAPTER IX
1854-1855
Professor of Modem Languages. Second volume of j??z>-7/
The year opened darkly with rumours of war. Writing to Bunsen for the New Year, Max Miiller says :—
Translation. 9, Park Vh^c^, January i.
‘ Above all, my best congratulations for the New Year : may it be a calm and blessed one for you and yours ; and may it above all things teach the Russians and the Russophiles, that Europe will not be Cossacked nor Kossuthed, and that she would prefer to see the Crescent at Petersburg to the Russian Cross at Constantinople.
• My best thanks for your kind testimonial, which arrived just at the right time ; I hope it will have had its good effect in about a fortnight or three weeks’ time ; if not, I am just as ready to go to India as
Botticher is,’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxso^ii, January 26, 1854.
‘ Since Christmas I have not had a quiet moment, though it is our
vacation. ... I have had to go constantly to London to talk to
missionaries and others. The alphabet is now printed, and yesterday
we had a general conference at Bunsen’s, where all missionary
societies were represented. There are many difficulties, and I am
tired of the whole thing, for it takes up so much of my time, and it is
difficult to fit all missionaries with the same cap ! I was quite alone
here in Oxford at Christmas, to write my treatise on the alphabet,
which had to be printed before the New Year. Since then I have
been living between Oxford and London, and have thus met many
interesting people, which is always a good thing. Bunsen now begins
150 Loss of MSS. [cH. IX
to believe in war, but always says, if the Russians can find a back door, they will yield. But England begins to feel it has had enough, and when they once begin war here, diplomacy can do nothing ; for it is the people that make war here, not the sovereign and ministers. It was very cold early in January and I had some skating. How curious that you should just have been at Jessnitz when the old grandmother died ! One need not lament her death, for her soul must have longed to be free from its old body. No doubt the soul must find it difficult in childhood to accustom itself to the human body, and it takes many years before it is quite at home. Then for a time all goes well, and the soul hardly knows it is hidden in a strange garment, till the body begins to be weakly, and can no longer do all the soul wishes, and presses it everywhere, so that the soul appears to lose all outward freedom and movement. Then one can well understand that we long to be gone, and death is a true deliverance. God always knows best, when the right time comes. I have just been reading Riickert’s poems ; they are very beautiful in spite of a certain weakness, and his latest home poems are full of natural feeling.’
Though much time and thought had been given to the
missionary alphabet, Max MUller’s real interest was with the
second volume of the Rig-veda, which was published early in
this year. The preface is dated Christmas, 1853, and the
printing had been finished by that date, but there was always
some delay about the binding and publishing, which were not
in Max Muller’s hands. With the text of the Hymns in this
volume there had not been much difficulty, but the MSS. of
Sayana’s Commentary were most defective. Max MUller,
before finishing the first volume, had written to India to obtain,
at his own expense, new MSS. for the second. After long
delay he heard that the MSS. which Dr. Roer had secured for
him in Calcutta had been lost by shipwreck. Fortunately,
Professor Wilson received just at this time a complete copy of
the Commentary from Benares, the most ancient copy of Sayana
that had then come to Europe. This he generously gave to
his young friend. It contained many emendations and correc-
tions, which greatly simplified the editor’s labour. The task
had been further lightened by the work of other Vedic scholars,
who, since Max Miiller had begun his edition, had published
many of the works alluded to by Sayana, which, for his first
volume. Max had had to copy and collate for himself, before he
1854] Death of Burnoiif 151
could verify the innumerable quotations. The Sdma-veda had been published by Benfey, and the Yajitr-veda by Weber, whilst Stenzler, Roth, and Whitney had all been active in this field of Sanskrit literature. To all these writers Max MUller acknowledges his indebtedness, and also gratefully men- tions the assistance and active co-operation of his secretary, Dr. Aufrecht, in the latter part of Vol. II — ‘ my learned friend,’ as he calls him, and adds, * The benefit of his services cannot be too highly valued.’ The preface ends with an eloquent tribute to his master and friend, Eugene Burnouf, whose death in 1852 had been an almost irreparable personal loss to Max Miiller, as well as to all Sanskrit students : —
‘ In losing Burnouf we have lost, not only an indefatigable fellow labourer, not only a disinterested teacher, but a most respected judge; in his approval valued by all, in his censure feared, in his verdict distinguished unfailingly by fairness and by truth. . . . When I heard of his death I felt — and I believe that many engaged in similar studies shared the feeling — as if our work had lost much of its charm and its purpose. “ What will Burnouf say ? “ was my earliest thought on completing the first volume of the Rig-veda. And now as I finish the second, in its turn submitted to the judgement of so many scholars whose friendship I value, and whose learning I admire, my thoughts turn again to him who is no longer among us, and I think, not without sadness, of what his judgement would have been.’
Early in February the long uncertainty about the Taylorian Professorship was brought to a close by Max MUller’s nomi- nation by the Curators, confirmed by Convocation on February 21. The Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Cotton, in writing to announce the unanimous election by the Curators, adds, ‘ I feel great satisfaction in the consideration that so eminent and talented a Professor has been elected.’ He hastens to announce his success : —
To F. Palgrave, Esq.
February 8, 1854.
‘ The Professorship has been settled at last, and I got it. I cannot
tell you how happy I feel, after the long suspense, to have at last
a TToC aju) for the rest of this life, and to be able to look on quietly
till the moving panorama comes to an end. I feel now more than
ever that it is owing to the kindness of those who first received me at
Oxford that I owe my further success and my present position — ce
T52 Full Professorship [ch. ix
n’est que le premier pas qui cofite, aud after I was once in the right boat, I was sure to get into harbour sooner or later. I shall write to old Joe. I wish we could all meet again and have a jolly party, as we used to have five or six years ago, when I little thought of what was looming in the future. I hope we shall manage a little gathering after Froude is able to come. He has taken a cottage at Babbicombe for the next year. I was in London for a week, kept from day to day by alphabetic conferences, where I had to act as secretary and to write generally till 3 o’clock in the morning. I had not an hour to myself, and after it was over I had to go to Oxford in order to see that all was going right about the ship. Now it is launched, and I hope to have a pleasant cruise in it.
‘ Ever yours, M. M.’
Bunsen wrote at once to congratulate : —
Translation. February 8.
‘ . . . Your position in Hfe now rests on a firm foundation, . . . and that in this heaven-blest, secure, free island, and at a moment when it is hard to say whether the thrones of princes or the freedom of nations is in greatest danger. With true affection, yours.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, March 10.
‘ I am living in such a turmoil that I can settle to nothing, and
have hardly time to write a letter. I have been made full Professor
this term, and so there have been endless invitations and parties of all
sorts. I am rather tired of it all, and wish I lived some miles out of
Oxford, so as to have my time to myself. You can imagine I was not
a little pleased when everything was definitely settled, but when one
waits so long for a thing it does not give one the same pleasure as
when it comes unexpectedly. But I heartily thank God that my
future is now entirely secured, as far as food and raiment are con-
cerned ! At present I shall stay where I am, and I shall be very sorry
to leave, but I know I must take a larger house in time. I shall stay
here till the Summer Vacation, and then when I come back I will
furnish a small house, in which you can perhaps help me. Or
perhaps you will pay me a visit in the vacation here, instead of my
going to Dresden } I have still a good deal of correspondence with
missionaries, who are not always easy to deal with. Aufrecht is still
working for me, but he lives in another house for himself, and gives
private lessons. He is happy here, and very useful to me, but it is
rather expensive. I shall not want for money, when I think with how
little I managed once. I enclose a little proof of my Professorship ;
you will know what use to make of it. If you want to buy a book,
1854] Languages of the Seat of War 153
I would recommend Tauler’s Sermons ; they are very beautiful, but you must get an edition in modernized German. We already begin to feel the war. Everything is dearer, and the taxes will be doubled. It can’t be helped, and there is no doubt as to the result.’
On March 2J, three days before war was declared against Russia, Max Mliller received a letter from Sir Charles Trevelyan, then Assistant-Secretary to the Treasury, begging officially for his help in directing the officers proceeding to the East how to study the languages of the northern division of the Turkish Empire and the adjoining provinces of Russia. Some private letters had already passed between Sir Charles and the Professor of Modern European Languages, and Max Miiller had written :
‘ That corner of Europe between the North of Italy and Turkey and along the Danube is a real linguistic rookery. All the lost daughters of the European families of languages have taken refuge there ; and they exhibit, each, the lowest degradation and corruption of grammar that can be imagined. In the Albanian we recognize the noble features of Greek ; in Wallachian, those of Latin ; in Bulgarian, those of the Old Slavonic language ; but all sadly distorted and disfigured. Very little has been done toward a literary culture of these dialects, and even grammars are scarce ; there are certainly none in English, as far as I am aware.’
He had prepared a list of elementary grammars and a few
simple instructions, which Sir Charles had imparted to all the
commissariat officers. But the letter, dated March 20, states
that something more than this should be attempted, and adds,
‘ If you agree with me in this, you will at once feel that there
is a call upon you to help in this good work ‘ ; and Sir Charles
entreats Max Mliller to prepare at once a treatise, showing
what languages are spoken in that part of the world, their
general structure, and the alphabets used, and what would be
the most useful books on the respective languages. Sir Charles
concludes thus : ‘ I have only two further suggestions to make,
(i) That whatever you do should be done quickly. Every
part of this great effort is under war pressure. (2) That you
should tell us at once what you know now^ leaving the rest to
be perfected hereafter.’ So heartily did Max Mliller respond
to the call, that by May 16 he was able to send Sir Charles
154 Oriental Studies [ch. ix
his Suggestions for the Assistance of Officers in learning the Languages of the Seat of War in the East. A second edition was required within a year.
In his introductory letter to Sir Charles he first called attention to a subject that continued to occupy his thoughts almost to the end of his life. He writes : —
‘ It is undoubtedly high time that something should be done to encourage the study of Oriental languages in England. At the very outset of this war, it has been felt how much this branch of studies — in emergencies hke the present so requisite — has been neglected in the system of our education. In all other countries which have any political, commercial, or religious connexions with the East, provision has been made, by Government or otherwise, to encourage young men to devote themselves to this branch of studies. Russia has always been a most liberal patron of Oriental philology. In the Academy of St. Petersburg there is a chair for every branch of Oriental literature. The French Government has founded a school, ‘ L’&ole pour les langues orientales vivantes.’ At Vienna there is an Oriental seminary. Prussia finds it expedient to give encouragement to young Oriental scholars, employed afterwards with advantage as consuls and interpreters. In England alone, where the most vital interests are involved in a free intercourse with the East, hardly anything is done to foster Oriental studies.’
Just before the publication of his book, Max writes to Bunsen : —
Translation. Park Place, 1854.
• I am busy with my lectures, and am printing my book on the Languages of the Seat of War, 100 pages, with a very fine map by Petermann, so that I never get to bed before 2 a.m.’
To his mother he writes : —
Translation. Park Place, April ji.
‘ I am so engrossed with work, that I have hardly a free minute, and that will go on till vacation. I cannot feel certain about my plans for travelling. I must spend part of the vacation in Paris, as I must work at a IMS. in the library there. The only thing that draws me to Germany is Auguste, who cannot well leave Chemnitz, otherwise life in Dresden or Dessau is not very attractive, and we might all meet nicely in Paris, if Emilia would come there.
Time becomes more precious every year, and a quarter of a year
is now as important to one as a year was formerly. This shows one
r854] Btmsen’s Resignation 155
is no longer young. One becomes economical with one’s time, and life is so serious just now, one has no right to think of pleasure, when so many men are suffering. And yet it is a war that could not
Re: ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
be avoided. The Russian lust of conquest and the whole influence of Russia in Europe, especially in Germany, must be thrown back on its own borders, or we should have to fight the battles which are now being fought on the Danube, on the Elbe or Rhine. It will be a terrible war, but one cannot doubt the issue, for England, when war once begins, puts forth her whole strength, and the feeling that you are fighting for a just cause keeps up the courage even in disaster.’
But whilst realizing the necessity of the war. Max MUller was to be indirectly one of the many sufferers from it. His friend and patron, Bunsen, could not approve the attitude of Prussia, and it was widely known that his recall from England was imminent. George Bunsen, Max MUUer’s most intimate friend of all Bunsen’s sons, writes to him :
Carlton Terrace, April 14.
‘ Dearest Friend, — So it is. My father has not up to this moment received a recall. On the other hand, we expect to-morrow the reply to an answer sent by my father to a renewed and very impetuous offer of leave of absence. In this answer my father made his accepting leave of absence dependent on certain conditions guaranteeing his poli- tical honour. If the reply to-morrow does not contain those con- ditions, nothing remains but for my father to send in his resignation.’
To F. Palgrave, Esq.
9, Park Place, April i8, 1854.
‘ . . . I should like to have seen you when you heard of Scott’s appointment. I am afraid you did not use quite parliamentary language on the occasion; I neither, particularly as, up to the last, Jowett’s chances seemed as clear and certain as could be, without downright bargaining. I am sorry to see that Jowett feels it very much, and I think just now some testimonial from his friends, like the one you contemplated some time ago, would be very opportune.
Could you persuade Richmond to do his portrait ? I think it might be
done for about £100, and I am sure we could get as much from his
friends. What do you say ? Vacation is nearly over, and I have not
yet been away, though I intended to go to the seaside and get fresh
air. But I have to do some work for the Government, and have been
at it day and night, working against time. I hope we shall hear
something from the Black Sea soon. The slowness of these people
156 Work for Bunsen [ch. ix
is intolerable ; they are always a day too late. I congratulate Bunsen on having got out of the claws of the Black Eagle. I dare say he will get the next vacant seat on the Episcopal bench in England !
‘ Ever yours, M. M.’
Besides the work for the Government, Max Miiller was busy-
in printing his essay on the Turanian languages for Bunsen’s
book, which had grown under his hands, and had had to be
put aside whilst the missionary alphabet was printing. The
dilatoriness of the printers in London caused him and Bunsen
much trouble, as the work had to be finished before Bunsen
left England, and though Max Miiller worked through half
the night whenever a proof-sheet appeared, his letters are full
of despair. Bunsen writes on May 10, ‘ The work presses,’
but did not seem to realize that the delay was not with Max
nor in Oxford. In the same letter the Minister, writing for
the last time from Carlton Terrace, says, ‘ The house is
deserted, but the heart rejoices, and the soul already spreads
its wings.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, May 12.
‘ Bunsen’s resignation is a real loss to me. I saw him in London — the house is now empty. Yet one can only congratulate him on having saved his good name, at the right moment. His leaving gave me a great deal of work and disturbance. He is just bringing out a new book in seven volumes. I had various things to write for him, and as it had to be ready by the twentieth, I never got to bed be ore two. Now I have undertaken a work for Government, which is just printed. Then came the lectures, and the Veda above all, so that I really have not a moment to think of or do anything else, and can say nothing about my plans for summer.’
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. Oxford, May 22.
‘ I cannot believe that you think of leaving England. Surely the
Prussian crisis cannot last much longer, and when it is over, you will
have to return to Carlton Terrace. Whilst writing the word believe,
I think of a question I meant to ask. To believe, as far as I know,
means “to be “ — lieben ; Lat. liber e and lubereJ
To THE Same.
Translation. Oxford, June 8.
‘ Are you really leaving as soon as Acland tells me ? If this is so,
I must go to London on Saturday or Sunday, the only days I can get
1854] Bunsen leaves England 157
away, as I am giving my lectures. I still wait, and still hope, a new Prussia will arise, which cannot do without you here in England. England begins to feel like a strange land to me, when I think that you are really going. Will you not wait till Hippolytus is out ? The printer does not seem in any hurry.’
On June 12 Bunsen, writing to his wife, who had gone to Heidelberg to settle his future home, mentions that he had had ‘a delightful day with Max Miiller.’ Five days later, this faithful friend left England, and Max felt as if stranded in a foreign land. Too much occupied at this time with his work to write more than very short letters to his mother, in all of them he expresses his sense of loss. Bunsen’s house in London had been a second home to him, where he was always sure of a welcome, always sure of encouragement and sym- pathy, of intellectual intercourse, and of that intelligent interest in his work and the far-reaching problems which it unfolded, which he missed so sorely in his daily life in Oxford, where hardly any one understood the work on which he was engaged, or took a real interest in it, or were capable of discussing it with him scientifically.
‘ In all my researches,’ he writes in ihe Autobiography, ‘no one took a livelier interest or encouraged me more than Bunsen. When some of my translations of the Vedic Hymns seemed fairly satisfactory, I used to take them to him, and he was always delighted at seeing a little more of that ancient Aryan torso, though ... he was more especially interested in Egyptian chronology and archaeology. Often when I was alone with him, we discussed the chronological and psycho- logical dates of Egyptian and Aryan antiquity.’
The last left of the daughters of that large and happy family writes : —
To Mrs. Max MiJller.
Carlsruhe, December 13, 1901.
‘ My memory now only recalls impressmis of your dear husband.
The charm of his whole being, his beautiful, almost Greek profile, his
wonderful playing, specially of Mendelssohn and Chopin, and delightful
power of interesting and fascinating one by his conversation, all that
is still very clear and warm in my recollection ; and we girls all fully
understood my father’s admiration, and fatherly love, and interest in
him. . . . He did not live in Carlton Terrace with us, only came
in and out, and of course was chiefly closeted with my father in his
158 Nehemiah Nilkanth [ch. ix
library below ; and we only saw him at meals, or when he had time
to look us up in the drawing-rooms, and there, I well remember, we
tried as soon as possible to get him to sit at the pianoforte and play
to us. ‘Very truly yours,
‘Emilia von Bunsen.’
It was soon after the parting with his friend and patron that Max Miiller heard from Sir Charles Trevelyan that he was thoroughly satisfied with his treatise : ‘ I cannot bestow higher praise upon it than by saying that it appears to me com- pletely to answer the important object for which it was written.’ Bunsen, too, wrote : ‘ I read your book . . . with real delight and sincere admiration.’
The following letter from Dr. John Muir, the editor of Original Sanskrit Texts, or the Origin and History of the People of India, and later the munificent founder of the San- skrit Professorship in Edinburgh, then just returned from twenty-five years’ service in India, contains the first mention of a man of whom Max Miiller always spoke with reverential affection : —
33, Sussex Gardens, /z^«(? 26, 1854.
‘ My dear Sir, — It may interest you to know that there is at present in London a Pundit from Benares, though he has become a Christian. He has come to England with the Maharaja Duleep Singh, as a sort of tutor or companion to His Highness. His name is Nehemiah Nilkanth, the former appellative having been adopted by him according to his own wish on the occasion of his baptism. He was not a pro- fessed Pundit in the sense of being a teacher of Sanskrit Grammar, or of any of the Six Darsanas or any other branch, but he is a Sanskrit scholar, being able to write the language accurately and fluently, and having a general knowledge of the philosophical schools. At the commencement of his inquiries into Christianity, he wrote an answer to one of my tracts (a former edition of the Mataparikshd), composed in Sanskrit verse. After long and painful inquiries and struggles, he became convinced of the truth of Christianity, which he accordingly embraced. He has latterly been employed as a catechist ; and when Dr. Login (who has charge of the Maharaja) was leaving India, he brought Nilkanth along with him.
‘ If, therefore, you are curious to see a specimen of a Pundit without
going beyond London, your wish can be gratified, and if you desire
1854] Visit to Germany 159
it, I shall be glad to go with you to Dr. Login at Mivart’s in Brook Street, if you are likely to be soon in London. Nilkanth, since his conversion, has written a tract in Hindoo against the Vcddnla, which is interesting as an exposition of what he considers the doctrine of that school. He knew some English when I last saw him, and is probably improved in his knowledge of it now.
‘ Believe me, yours very faithfully,
‘ John Muir.’
Nehemiah Goreh came to Oxford to see Max MUller, and they became, after a short time, very intimate. Nehemiah had suffered cruelly for his change of religion, and on his return to India his mind seems to have lost its balance, and after some years of asceticism and complete renunciation of the world, he joined the branch of the Cowley Fathers estab- lished in India. Up to that time, he had written to and heard from Max Mliller from time to time. When he revisited England and Oxford many years later, he was so completely under the discipline of the Brotherhood, that it was only the very day that he left Oxford, where he had spent many weeks, that he was allowed to visit his old friend for a few moments, and the visit gave little pleasure to either. ‘ He was steeped in the Christianity of the Church,’ which Max always distin- guished from ‘ the Christianity of Christ.’
In July Max MUller went to Germany, and with his mother revisited his sister and many other relations.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. CnEumTZ, July 30, 1854.
‘I received your last friendly letter from Heidelberg, just as I had
struck my tent in Oxford, and was on my way to Germany. Since
then I have been always on the move from place to place, and never
had any rest or a moment for writing. Now I have finished my visits,
and am going on a few longer expeditions, and your kind invitation
draws me westward to Heidelberg, and thence I hope to go to
Switzerland, North Italy, Venice, and Vienna. My plan is to start
in a few days with my mother, to pay a few visits on the way, to see
Riickert and reach Heidelberg about the middle of August. I hope
to stay there with my mother for a fortnight, and as it is not so far
from Heidelberg to your house as from the City to the West End,
I hope to renew the happy hours which, only a short time ago,
i6o Visit to Heidelberg [ch. ix
I could spend with you in Carlton Terrace. I do not know Heidel- berg, and your account has made me long to see the Academia Nicorina. Then I hope we shall be reconciled about Aryans or Iranians, about which I do not care to speak from Chemnitz, as no philological wind blows here. The middle of August I expect some friends in Heidelberg, perhaps Jowett, and we may go on together to Italy and Vienna. Unfortunately I must be back by October i, as the Election takes place then. I have not yet heard whether the Bill has been sent back to the Commons, and what changes have been made in it, but I fear I must be at my post by the beginning of term. The parties are nearly equal, and each vote tells. Dissenters are admitted, but Gladstone has done much harm, and the Commissioners are very much restricted in carrying out the needed reforms, at least in what concerns the colleges. The advance of public opinion in Oxford is remarkable, when one thinks how quickly it has come.’
After a pleasant time in Heidelberg, where he was able to introduce to his friends his dearly loved mother, of whom Bunsen writes later as ‘ your remarkable mother,’ Max Miiller joined his old friend Baron Hagedorn, and with him visited Worms, Speyer, Baden-Baden, and the Black Forest, and went on alone to spend a week at Vienna with his friend Robert Morier, then secretary at the English Embassy. Italy had to be given up on account of cholera. From Vienna he went again for a time to his mother in Dresden, and finally returned to Oxford early in October, where he tells his mother he had a rapturous welcome from his little dog Belle. He writes on his return that he is feeling so very well that he has no qualms of conscience over his three months’ idleness, and adds, ‘ If we can be together three months in the year, free from all cares, we can bear the other nine months, and if the parting is always very painful, it is made up for by the joy of meeting.’
During the summer. Max MUller received from time to time, through Sir Charles Trevelyan, letters from officers, consuls, and others on his Languages of the Seat of War, many of them containing valuable corrections which he embodied in the second edition. The consul at Mitylene wrote, ‘ I have received Miiller’s admirable memoir, and must thank him for the pleasure and instruction it has afforded me. It is like letting in broad daylight on a subject which had been hitherto explored by a farthing rushlight.’
1854] Fronde and Kingsley 161
To HIS Mother.
Translation. November ii, 1854.
‘ I tried on your birthday to play a little, but I have no time now for such things. I have a great deal of work in prospect, and however great the delight I feel in music and art, my work comes before everything else. My free time I must give to walking, which is most necessary; and to get stronger exercise I play racquets, which makes one perspire even more than camomile tea. When one is nearly thirty-one, one must be economical of one’s time, and give up many things that are a pleasure, but for which one’s time is loo precious. How many things I would like to read, but there is no time, and I must be content. One’s delight in music always lasts, and I owe the old instrument so much — not only the enjoyment one has had, and the use my music has been as an introduction in a foreign place, but also the happy frame of mind which music unconsciously produces in one, and it smooths many little roughnesses which one often sees in those who have no taste for music. People who cannot sing are almost as badly off as people who cannot cry, but one does not always want to cry, nor always to sing ; if we know that we can, it is enough.’
In this same letter he mentions that the cholera had been so bad in Oxford — worse than anywhere else in England — that the lectures had, many of them, been postponed.
To THE Same.
Translation. Oxford, December 10.
‘ I must thank you for all your love, which is the best of birthday gifts. As I took up your birthday letter, I wondered where the smell of violets came from, and when I opened it and found them, the scent was as fresh as if they were just picked ; and even now, as your letter lies on my table, they have not lost it. Your letter too is full of love and goodness, which remains ever fresh. But I must tell you I was ‘ not in Oxford on my birthday, but in Bideford. I was first with Froude, who lives at Torquay, and then I went with him to Bideford to stay with Kingsley. He is a well-known writer, and his last novel Hypatia has made a great sensation. He is married to a sister of Fronde’s wife, and they are both charming. I played to them on my birthday, and thought of you. ... I shall probably be quietly in Oxford at Christmas, unless I go to George Bunsen’s wedding; he is engaged to an English lady. . . . Here one hears of nothing but the war . . . the losses are very great. Taxes are very high, six per cent, now, and we are to be prepared for ten per cent.’
I M
i62 Macaiday [ch. ix
To THE Same.
Translatiott. Oxford, December 28.
‘ I spent Christmas quietly here, for I had wasted so much time that it was high time to begin my work again. On Monday, as I was drinking my coffee, came your letter, and soon after I received your picture, which I like very much. ... I made acquaintance this time in London with Macaulay, and had a long conversation with him on the teaching necessary for the young men who are sent out to India. He is very clear headed, and extraordinarily eloquent.’
This must be the interview so humorously described in Auld Lang Syne ^ vv^here the young Professor, primed with every possible argument in favour of Oriental studies, had to sit silent for an hour whilst the historian poured forth his dia- metrically opposite views, and then dismissed his visitor, who had tried in vain to utter a single word. ‘ I went back to Oxford,’ says Max MUller, ‘a sadder, and, I hope, a wiser man.’
The New Year found Max Miiller quietly at work in Oxford. He had been to London, intending to accompany his friend George Bunsen to Norfolk for his wedding, but serious illness in the bride’s family prevented any but the nearest relatives from being present. Max’s mother had been urging him to follow his friend’s example — a favourite them.e with her — and she amused herself from time to time in recommending him a wife.
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, January.
‘ That you are so anxious to find me a wife is very good of you ! But I am afraid there are difficulties, and in such things we must take life as God sends it. A happy marriage must be a great blessing, but how few marriages are happy. I have no opportunity of really knowing and observing young girls, as one can if one lives at home, and where families know each other, and live much together. I should not fall in love with a merely pretty face, and for a mariage de convenance there is plenty of time. Elise, who delighted you so much in Carlsbad, seemed to me pleasant enough ; but, as I had no opportunity of knowing her better, I have never thought more about her. If you are writing, greet her kindly, but don’t make any pro- posals for her hand ! Perhaps if Krug sends you this year to Carlsbad, you can tell me if she is the sort of daughter-in-law you would like.
1855] Reforms in Oxford 163
Sunday is my best day for writing letters, as I get up early, and go at eight o’clock to our chapel, and have the whole day then to myself. Getting up so early at this time of the year is not pleasant ; but the chapels here in the colleges are so beautiful, so warm, and so well arranged that one is far more comfortable in them than in our large cold churches.’
Bunsen had written to him earlier in the month to express his pleasure that Max Miiller ‘ would undertake to bring the last sevenfold child of my English love ‘ {Christianity and Mankind^ in seven volumes) ‘ into public notice. You know better than any one what is the unity of the seven volumes, and what is the aim and result. Your own is certainly an important and independent part of it. But you have, with old affection, worked and thought yourself into the whole, even when the particulars were of less interest to you.’ To this the following answer was sent : —
Translation. 9, Park Place, OxYom), January 14, 1855.
‘Philip Pusey seems quite unexpectedly better. Acland had very little hope, but thinks it quite possible now that his life will be spared. He is living still with his brother in Oxford, and as I have had little intercourse with the latter, I cannot call there to inquire. His brother has engaged a tutor for Sidney, who now reads with him, but his chief studies are Pusey’s folios, the Patres and the Haeretici. Oxford is in a sad condition ; the reform has done nothing, and we are worse off than before. Balliol has declared that Dissenters will not be admitted ; but the minority has appealed to the Bishop of Lincoln, who has cancelled the resolution. Gladstone’s Bill has introduced a com- plicated and impractical system, which suffocates all proposals for the better. There is only one chance of salvation for Oxford — fellowships open to all and no clerical restrictions. If this were done we should have a very different Oxford in about twenty years. At present lay- fellows are only admitted as fellows for a certain period — if they are admitted to an open fellowship at all. What remains therefore is nothing but the coffee-grounds which nobody desires to have — clergy- men without a parish and scholars without scholarships ! I often long to get away. I cannot, especially as a German, take part in these things ; my old friends leave, and I have no wish to make new ones, and so the MSS. of the Veda are my one consolation.
T have written a review on the philological part of your work; I told Dasent ^ about it a fortnight ago, but I have had no answer so far.
• Editor of the Times.
M Q,
164 Dr. Pusey [ch. ix
‘Aufrecht has at last made up his mind to go to London. I have written to Dr. Jelf, who may probably secure for him the Sanskrit Professorship at King’s College, I shall look out for some- body later on, who will do the mechanical work of copying and compiling, so that I shall only have the constructing of the text to do. Aufrecht was too good for this mechanical work. I do hope he will succeed better in London than here. ... I think of going to Paris in the summer, to study there, and to get acquainted with the people, if only there were no Exhibition. And what about the war ? — I hope there will be no peace till Sebastopol has fallen.’
(Continuation on Mojiday.)
*I received your letter this morning, which made me reflect, Alea iada est, but where and how ? The old Prussia is lost, and a new one can only rise from a Protestant, constitutional Germany. The hour for that must soon be at hand, for I do not believe in the peace negotiations. If once the struggle becomes widespread, it will be the voice of the people that will secure the welfare of the Fatherland. In war and in peace, in death and in life, the people must have a voice, and it could never wait for the word of command to emanate from one family. Peace now would be a great disaster.
‘ I wish the notice of your book had fallen into better hands. Dasent told me that the second part of his review of the first edition had not passed the censor \ and so had never been printed. After hearing this, I did what I could, i.e. I explained the connexion of the whole — but it is for the Times, and the times are bad ! ‘
It will be observed that in the beginning of this letter
Max Miiller speaks of having had little intercourse with
Dr. Pusey. When he was made an M.A. of Christ Church,
he attended chapel regularly, and Dr. Pusey at once an-
nounced that he would never administer the Holy Communion
to him, as he had only been confirmed in the Lutheran Church
• not by a bishop ! The Dean, Dr. Gaisford, at once said that he had no scruples of the sort. This, of course, made a feel- ing of estrangement for some years between Dr. Pusey and the young Professor ; but it passed away gradually, and in i860, at the time of the election to the Sanskrit Professorship, it IS well known that Max MUller had no warmer supporter or more energetic canvasser than Dr. Pusey, who sat up
^ Mr. Walter, proprietor of the Times, saw almost all articles that touched on religious subjects.
1855] Dr. Piisey 165
many nights writing letters in his favour. Max always remembered and alluded to this with gratitude. His feelings about Pusey form some of the most interesting passages in the AiitobiograpJiy. Their religious views were far asunder. Max Muller, who, as he tells us, had learnt his practical religion from his mother, which remained unshaken amidst all storms, could not sympathize with the utter terror with which Dr. Pusey looked back on his own religious difficulties, as if they were in themselves a crime. Max always felt that ‘ religion, in order to be real religion, a man’s own religion, must be searched for, must be discovered, must be conquered. If it is simply inherited, or accepted as a matter of course, it often happens that in later years it falls away, and has either to be reconquered, or to be replaced by another religion.’
How completely all distrust of Max Muller had passed from Dr. Pusey’s mind, is shown by the following extract from a letter from his daughter, Mrs. Brine : —
‘ . . , I remember well the happy walks my father and I used to have through the Parks up to your house, when he wanted to consult Professor ]\Iax Muller on some abstruse questions. You know the very high esteem in which my father held the Professor.’
In February Bunsen writes to Max MUller: —
Translation.
‘I am delighted to hear that your Veda gets on. If you would only not allow yourself to be frightened from the attempt to let others work for you in mere handicraft. You have now fixed your impress on the work, and any one with the will, and with the necessary knowledge of the tools, could not go far wrong under your eye. I should so like to see you free for other work. Only do not leave Oxford. You would not like Germany, and Germany could offer you no sphere of activity that could be compared ever so distantly with your present position. So do not be low-spirited, my dear M., or impatient. It is not so much the fault of England, as of yourself, that you do not feel settled and at home. You have now as good a position as a young man of intellect, and with a future before him, could possibly have anywhere, either in England or Germany. Make a home for yourself. Since I saw your remarkable mother, I have been convinced that, unlike many mothers, she would not stand in the way of your domestic happiness, even were it contrary to her own views.’
t66 Crimean Winter [ch. ix
To HIS Mother.
Translation. February 25, 1855.
But whilst realizing the necessity of the war. Max MUller was to be indirectly one of the many sufferers from it. His friend and patron, Bunsen, could not approve the attitude of Prussia, and it was widely known that his recall from England was imminent. George Bunsen, Max MUUer’s most intimate friend of all Bunsen’s sons, writes to him :
Carlton Terrace, April 14.
‘ Dearest Friend, — So it is. My father has not up to this moment received a recall. On the other hand, we expect to-morrow the reply to an answer sent by my father to a renewed and very impetuous offer of leave of absence. In this answer my father made his accepting leave of absence dependent on certain conditions guaranteeing his poli- tical honour. If the reply to-morrow does not contain those con- ditions, nothing remains but for my father to send in his resignation.’
To F. Palgrave, Esq.
9, Park Place, April i8, 1854.
‘ . . . I should like to have seen you when you heard of Scott’s appointment. I am afraid you did not use quite parliamentary language on the occasion; I neither, particularly as, up to the last, Jowett’s chances seemed as clear and certain as could be, without downright bargaining. I am sorry to see that Jowett feels it very much, and I think just now some testimonial from his friends, like the one you contemplated some time ago, would be very opportune.
Could you persuade Richmond to do his portrait ? I think it might be
done for about £100, and I am sure we could get as much from his
friends. What do you say ? Vacation is nearly over, and I have not
yet been away, though I intended to go to the seaside and get fresh
air. But I have to do some work for the Government, and have been
at it day and night, working against time. I hope we shall hear
something from the Black Sea soon. The slowness of these people
156 Work for Bunsen [ch. ix
is intolerable ; they are always a day too late. I congratulate Bunsen on having got out of the claws of the Black Eagle. I dare say he will get the next vacant seat on the Episcopal bench in England !
‘ Ever yours, M. M.’
Besides the work for the Government, Max Miiller was busy-
in printing his essay on the Turanian languages for Bunsen’s
book, which had grown under his hands, and had had to be
put aside whilst the missionary alphabet was printing. The
dilatoriness of the printers in London caused him and Bunsen
much trouble, as the work had to be finished before Bunsen
left England, and though Max Miiller worked through half
the night whenever a proof-sheet appeared, his letters are full
of despair. Bunsen writes on May 10, ‘ The work presses,’
but did not seem to realize that the delay was not with Max
nor in Oxford. In the same letter the Minister, writing for
the last time from Carlton Terrace, says, ‘ The house is
deserted, but the heart rejoices, and the soul already spreads
its wings.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, May 12.
‘ Bunsen’s resignation is a real loss to me. I saw him in London — the house is now empty. Yet one can only congratulate him on having saved his good name, at the right moment. His leaving gave me a great deal of work and disturbance. He is just bringing out a new book in seven volumes. I had various things to write for him, and as it had to be ready by the twentieth, I never got to bed be ore two. Now I have undertaken a work for Government, which is just printed. Then came the lectures, and the Veda above all, so that I really have not a moment to think of or do anything else, and can say nothing about my plans for summer.’
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. Oxford, May 22.
‘ I cannot believe that you think of leaving England. Surely the
Prussian crisis cannot last much longer, and when it is over, you will
have to return to Carlton Terrace. Whilst writing the word believe,
I think of a question I meant to ask. To believe, as far as I know,
means “to be “ — lieben ; Lat. liber e and lubereJ
To THE Same.
Translation. Oxford, June 8.
‘ Are you really leaving as soon as Acland tells me ? If this is so,
I must go to London on Saturday or Sunday, the only days I can get
1854] Bunsen leaves England 157
away, as I am giving my lectures. I still wait, and still hope, a new Prussia will arise, which cannot do without you here in England. England begins to feel like a strange land to me, when I think that you are really going. Will you not wait till Hippolytus is out ? The printer does not seem in any hurry.’
On June 12 Bunsen, writing to his wife, who had gone to Heidelberg to settle his future home, mentions that he had had ‘a delightful day with Max Miiller.’ Five days later, this faithful friend left England, and Max felt as if stranded in a foreign land. Too much occupied at this time with his work to write more than very short letters to his mother, in all of them he expresses his sense of loss. Bunsen’s house in London had been a second home to him, where he was always sure of a welcome, always sure of encouragement and sym- pathy, of intellectual intercourse, and of that intelligent interest in his work and the far-reaching problems which it unfolded, which he missed so sorely in his daily life in Oxford, where hardly any one understood the work on which he was engaged, or took a real interest in it, or were capable of discussing it with him scientifically.
‘ In all my researches,’ he writes in ihe Autobiography, ‘no one took a livelier interest or encouraged me more than Bunsen. When some of my translations of the Vedic Hymns seemed fairly satisfactory, I used to take them to him, and he was always delighted at seeing a little more of that ancient Aryan torso, though ... he was more especially interested in Egyptian chronology and archaeology. Often when I was alone with him, we discussed the chronological and psycho- logical dates of Egyptian and Aryan antiquity.’
The last left of the daughters of that large and happy family writes : —
To Mrs. Max MiJller.
Carlsruhe, December 13, 1901.
‘ My memory now only recalls impressmis of your dear husband.
The charm of his whole being, his beautiful, almost Greek profile, his
wonderful playing, specially of Mendelssohn and Chopin, and delightful
power of interesting and fascinating one by his conversation, all that
is still very clear and warm in my recollection ; and we girls all fully
understood my father’s admiration, and fatherly love, and interest in
him. . . . He did not live in Carlton Terrace with us, only came
in and out, and of course was chiefly closeted with my father in his
158 Nehemiah Nilkanth [ch. ix
library below ; and we only saw him at meals, or when he had time
to look us up in the drawing-rooms, and there, I well remember, we
tried as soon as possible to get him to sit at the pianoforte and play
to us. ‘Very truly yours,
‘Emilia von Bunsen.’
It was soon after the parting with his friend and patron that Max Miiller heard from Sir Charles Trevelyan that he was thoroughly satisfied with his treatise : ‘ I cannot bestow higher praise upon it than by saying that it appears to me com- pletely to answer the important object for which it was written.’ Bunsen, too, wrote : ‘ I read your book . . . with real delight and sincere admiration.’
The following letter from Dr. John Muir, the editor of Original Sanskrit Texts, or the Origin and History of the People of India, and later the munificent founder of the San- skrit Professorship in Edinburgh, then just returned from twenty-five years’ service in India, contains the first mention of a man of whom Max Miiller always spoke with reverential affection : —
33, Sussex Gardens, /z^«(? 26, 1854.
‘ My dear Sir, — It may interest you to know that there is at present in London a Pundit from Benares, though he has become a Christian. He has come to England with the Maharaja Duleep Singh, as a sort of tutor or companion to His Highness. His name is Nehemiah Nilkanth, the former appellative having been adopted by him according to his own wish on the occasion of his baptism. He was not a pro- fessed Pundit in the sense of being a teacher of Sanskrit Grammar, or of any of the Six Darsanas or any other branch, but he is a Sanskrit scholar, being able to write the language accurately and fluently, and having a general knowledge of the philosophical schools. At the commencement of his inquiries into Christianity, he wrote an answer to one of my tracts (a former edition of the Mataparikshd), composed in Sanskrit verse. After long and painful inquiries and struggles, he became convinced of the truth of Christianity, which he accordingly embraced. He has latterly been employed as a catechist ; and when Dr. Login (who has charge of the Maharaja) was leaving India, he brought Nilkanth along with him.
‘ If, therefore, you are curious to see a specimen of a Pundit without
going beyond London, your wish can be gratified, and if you desire
1854] Visit to Germany 159
it, I shall be glad to go with you to Dr. Login at Mivart’s in Brook Street, if you are likely to be soon in London. Nilkanth, since his conversion, has written a tract in Hindoo against the Vcddnla, which is interesting as an exposition of what he considers the doctrine of that school. He knew some English when I last saw him, and is probably improved in his knowledge of it now.
‘ Believe me, yours very faithfully,
‘ John Muir.’
Nehemiah Goreh came to Oxford to see Max MUller, and they became, after a short time, very intimate. Nehemiah had suffered cruelly for his change of religion, and on his return to India his mind seems to have lost its balance, and after some years of asceticism and complete renunciation of the world, he joined the branch of the Cowley Fathers estab- lished in India. Up to that time, he had written to and heard from Max Mliller from time to time. When he revisited England and Oxford many years later, he was so completely under the discipline of the Brotherhood, that it was only the very day that he left Oxford, where he had spent many weeks, that he was allowed to visit his old friend for a few moments, and the visit gave little pleasure to either. ‘ He was steeped in the Christianity of the Church,’ which Max always distin- guished from ‘ the Christianity of Christ.’
In July Max MUller went to Germany, and with his mother revisited his sister and many other relations.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. CnEumTZ, July 30, 1854.
‘I received your last friendly letter from Heidelberg, just as I had
struck my tent in Oxford, and was on my way to Germany. Since
then I have been always on the move from place to place, and never
had any rest or a moment for writing. Now I have finished my visits,
and am going on a few longer expeditions, and your kind invitation
draws me westward to Heidelberg, and thence I hope to go to
Switzerland, North Italy, Venice, and Vienna. My plan is to start
in a few days with my mother, to pay a few visits on the way, to see
Riickert and reach Heidelberg about the middle of August. I hope
to stay there with my mother for a fortnight, and as it is not so far
from Heidelberg to your house as from the City to the West End,
I hope to renew the happy hours which, only a short time ago,
i6o Visit to Heidelberg [ch. ix
I could spend with you in Carlton Terrace. I do not know Heidel- berg, and your account has made me long to see the Academia Nicorina. Then I hope we shall be reconciled about Aryans or Iranians, about which I do not care to speak from Chemnitz, as no philological wind blows here. The middle of August I expect some friends in Heidelberg, perhaps Jowett, and we may go on together to Italy and Vienna. Unfortunately I must be back by October i, as the Election takes place then. I have not yet heard whether the Bill has been sent back to the Commons, and what changes have been made in it, but I fear I must be at my post by the beginning of term. The parties are nearly equal, and each vote tells. Dissenters are admitted, but Gladstone has done much harm, and the Commissioners are very much restricted in carrying out the needed reforms, at least in what concerns the colleges. The advance of public opinion in Oxford is remarkable, when one thinks how quickly it has come.’
After a pleasant time in Heidelberg, where he was able to introduce to his friends his dearly loved mother, of whom Bunsen writes later as ‘ your remarkable mother,’ Max Miiller joined his old friend Baron Hagedorn, and with him visited Worms, Speyer, Baden-Baden, and the Black Forest, and went on alone to spend a week at Vienna with his friend Robert Morier, then secretary at the English Embassy. Italy had to be given up on account of cholera. From Vienna he went again for a time to his mother in Dresden, and finally returned to Oxford early in October, where he tells his mother he had a rapturous welcome from his little dog Belle. He writes on his return that he is feeling so very well that he has no qualms of conscience over his three months’ idleness, and adds, ‘ If we can be together three months in the year, free from all cares, we can bear the other nine months, and if the parting is always very painful, it is made up for by the joy of meeting.’
During the summer. Max MUller received from time to time, through Sir Charles Trevelyan, letters from officers, consuls, and others on his Languages of the Seat of War, many of them containing valuable corrections which he embodied in the second edition. The consul at Mitylene wrote, ‘ I have received Miiller’s admirable memoir, and must thank him for the pleasure and instruction it has afforded me. It is like letting in broad daylight on a subject which had been hitherto explored by a farthing rushlight.’
1854] Fronde and Kingsley 161
To HIS Mother.
Translation. November ii, 1854.
‘ I tried on your birthday to play a little, but I have no time now for such things. I have a great deal of work in prospect, and however great the delight I feel in music and art, my work comes before everything else. My free time I must give to walking, which is most necessary; and to get stronger exercise I play racquets, which makes one perspire even more than camomile tea. When one is nearly thirty-one, one must be economical of one’s time, and give up many things that are a pleasure, but for which one’s time is loo precious. How many things I would like to read, but there is no time, and I must be content. One’s delight in music always lasts, and I owe the old instrument so much — not only the enjoyment one has had, and the use my music has been as an introduction in a foreign place, but also the happy frame of mind which music unconsciously produces in one, and it smooths many little roughnesses which one often sees in those who have no taste for music. People who cannot sing are almost as badly off as people who cannot cry, but one does not always want to cry, nor always to sing ; if we know that we can, it is enough.’
In this same letter he mentions that the cholera had been so bad in Oxford — worse than anywhere else in England — that the lectures had, many of them, been postponed.
To THE Same.
Translation. Oxford, December 10.
‘ I must thank you for all your love, which is the best of birthday gifts. As I took up your birthday letter, I wondered where the smell of violets came from, and when I opened it and found them, the scent was as fresh as if they were just picked ; and even now, as your letter lies on my table, they have not lost it. Your letter too is full of love and goodness, which remains ever fresh. But I must tell you I was ‘ not in Oxford on my birthday, but in Bideford. I was first with Froude, who lives at Torquay, and then I went with him to Bideford to stay with Kingsley. He is a well-known writer, and his last novel Hypatia has made a great sensation. He is married to a sister of Fronde’s wife, and they are both charming. I played to them on my birthday, and thought of you. ... I shall probably be quietly in Oxford at Christmas, unless I go to George Bunsen’s wedding; he is engaged to an English lady. . . . Here one hears of nothing but the war . . . the losses are very great. Taxes are very high, six per cent, now, and we are to be prepared for ten per cent.’
I M
i62 Macaiday [ch. ix
To THE Same.
Translatiott. Oxford, December 28.
‘ I spent Christmas quietly here, for I had wasted so much time that it was high time to begin my work again. On Monday, as I was drinking my coffee, came your letter, and soon after I received your picture, which I like very much. ... I made acquaintance this time in London with Macaulay, and had a long conversation with him on the teaching necessary for the young men who are sent out to India. He is very clear headed, and extraordinarily eloquent.’
This must be the interview so humorously described in Auld Lang Syne ^ vv^here the young Professor, primed with every possible argument in favour of Oriental studies, had to sit silent for an hour whilst the historian poured forth his dia- metrically opposite views, and then dismissed his visitor, who had tried in vain to utter a single word. ‘ I went back to Oxford,’ says Max MUller, ‘a sadder, and, I hope, a wiser man.’
The New Year found Max Miiller quietly at work in Oxford. He had been to London, intending to accompany his friend George Bunsen to Norfolk for his wedding, but serious illness in the bride’s family prevented any but the nearest relatives from being present. Max’s mother had been urging him to follow his friend’s example — a favourite them.e with her — and she amused herself from time to time in recommending him a wife.
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, January.
‘ That you are so anxious to find me a wife is very good of you ! But I am afraid there are difficulties, and in such things we must take life as God sends it. A happy marriage must be a great blessing, but how few marriages are happy. I have no opportunity of really knowing and observing young girls, as one can if one lives at home, and where families know each other, and live much together. I should not fall in love with a merely pretty face, and for a mariage de convenance there is plenty of time. Elise, who delighted you so much in Carlsbad, seemed to me pleasant enough ; but, as I had no opportunity of knowing her better, I have never thought more about her. If you are writing, greet her kindly, but don’t make any pro- posals for her hand ! Perhaps if Krug sends you this year to Carlsbad, you can tell me if she is the sort of daughter-in-law you would like.
1855] Reforms in Oxford 163
Sunday is my best day for writing letters, as I get up early, and go at eight o’clock to our chapel, and have the whole day then to myself. Getting up so early at this time of the year is not pleasant ; but the chapels here in the colleges are so beautiful, so warm, and so well arranged that one is far more comfortable in them than in our large cold churches.’
Bunsen had written to him earlier in the month to express his pleasure that Max Miiller ‘ would undertake to bring the last sevenfold child of my English love ‘ {Christianity and Mankind^ in seven volumes) ‘ into public notice. You know better than any one what is the unity of the seven volumes, and what is the aim and result. Your own is certainly an important and independent part of it. But you have, with old affection, worked and thought yourself into the whole, even when the particulars were of less interest to you.’ To this the following answer was sent : —
Translation. 9, Park Place, OxYom), January 14, 1855.
‘Philip Pusey seems quite unexpectedly better. Acland had very little hope, but thinks it quite possible now that his life will be spared. He is living still with his brother in Oxford, and as I have had little intercourse with the latter, I cannot call there to inquire. His brother has engaged a tutor for Sidney, who now reads with him, but his chief studies are Pusey’s folios, the Patres and the Haeretici. Oxford is in a sad condition ; the reform has done nothing, and we are worse off than before. Balliol has declared that Dissenters will not be admitted ; but the minority has appealed to the Bishop of Lincoln, who has cancelled the resolution. Gladstone’s Bill has introduced a com- plicated and impractical system, which suffocates all proposals for the better. There is only one chance of salvation for Oxford — fellowships open to all and no clerical restrictions. If this were done we should have a very different Oxford in about twenty years. At present lay- fellows are only admitted as fellows for a certain period — if they are admitted to an open fellowship at all. What remains therefore is nothing but the coffee-grounds which nobody desires to have — clergy- men without a parish and scholars without scholarships ! I often long to get away. I cannot, especially as a German, take part in these things ; my old friends leave, and I have no wish to make new ones, and so the MSS. of the Veda are my one consolation.
T have written a review on the philological part of your work; I told Dasent ^ about it a fortnight ago, but I have had no answer so far.
• Editor of the Times.
M Q,
164 Dr. Pusey [ch. ix
‘Aufrecht has at last made up his mind to go to London. I have written to Dr. Jelf, who may probably secure for him the Sanskrit Professorship at King’s College, I shall look out for some- body later on, who will do the mechanical work of copying and compiling, so that I shall only have the constructing of the text to do. Aufrecht was too good for this mechanical work. I do hope he will succeed better in London than here. ... I think of going to Paris in the summer, to study there, and to get acquainted with the people, if only there were no Exhibition. And what about the war ? — I hope there will be no peace till Sebastopol has fallen.’
(Continuation on Mojiday.)
*I received your letter this morning, which made me reflect, Alea iada est, but where and how ? The old Prussia is lost, and a new one can only rise from a Protestant, constitutional Germany. The hour for that must soon be at hand, for I do not believe in the peace negotiations. If once the struggle becomes widespread, it will be the voice of the people that will secure the welfare of the Fatherland. In war and in peace, in death and in life, the people must have a voice, and it could never wait for the word of command to emanate from one family. Peace now would be a great disaster.
‘ I wish the notice of your book had fallen into better hands. Dasent told me that the second part of his review of the first edition had not passed the censor \ and so had never been printed. After hearing this, I did what I could, i.e. I explained the connexion of the whole — but it is for the Times, and the times are bad ! ‘
It will be observed that in the beginning of this letter
Max Miiller speaks of having had little intercourse with
Dr. Pusey. When he was made an M.A. of Christ Church,
he attended chapel regularly, and Dr. Pusey at once an-
nounced that he would never administer the Holy Communion
to him, as he had only been confirmed in the Lutheran Church
• not by a bishop ! The Dean, Dr. Gaisford, at once said that he had no scruples of the sort. This, of course, made a feel- ing of estrangement for some years between Dr. Pusey and the young Professor ; but it passed away gradually, and in i860, at the time of the election to the Sanskrit Professorship, it IS well known that Max MUller had no warmer supporter or more energetic canvasser than Dr. Pusey, who sat up
^ Mr. Walter, proprietor of the Times, saw almost all articles that touched on religious subjects.
1855] Dr. Piisey 165
many nights writing letters in his favour. Max always remembered and alluded to this with gratitude. His feelings about Pusey form some of the most interesting passages in the AiitobiograpJiy. Their religious views were far asunder. Max Muller, who, as he tells us, had learnt his practical religion from his mother, which remained unshaken amidst all storms, could not sympathize with the utter terror with which Dr. Pusey looked back on his own religious difficulties, as if they were in themselves a crime. Max always felt that ‘ religion, in order to be real religion, a man’s own religion, must be searched for, must be discovered, must be conquered. If it is simply inherited, or accepted as a matter of course, it often happens that in later years it falls away, and has either to be reconquered, or to be replaced by another religion.’
How completely all distrust of Max Muller had passed from Dr. Pusey’s mind, is shown by the following extract from a letter from his daughter, Mrs. Brine : —
‘ . . , I remember well the happy walks my father and I used to have through the Parks up to your house, when he wanted to consult Professor ]\Iax Muller on some abstruse questions. You know the very high esteem in which my father held the Professor.’
In February Bunsen writes to Max MUller: —
Translation.
‘I am delighted to hear that your Veda gets on. If you would only not allow yourself to be frightened from the attempt to let others work for you in mere handicraft. You have now fixed your impress on the work, and any one with the will, and with the necessary knowledge of the tools, could not go far wrong under your eye. I should so like to see you free for other work. Only do not leave Oxford. You would not like Germany, and Germany could offer you no sphere of activity that could be compared ever so distantly with your present position. So do not be low-spirited, my dear M., or impatient. It is not so much the fault of England, as of yourself, that you do not feel settled and at home. You have now as good a position as a young man of intellect, and with a future before him, could possibly have anywhere, either in England or Germany. Make a home for yourself. Since I saw your remarkable mother, I have been convinced that, unlike many mothers, she would not stand in the way of your domestic happiness, even were it contrary to her own views.’
t66 Crimean Winter [ch. ix
To HIS Mother.
Translation. February 25, 1855.
Re: ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
‘ There has not been such a winter in England for twenty years — even the Thames is frozen over, and here in Oxford the cold was un- bearable, for the open fires are not as warm as a German stove. The one pleasure is the skating, which one generally gets for a couple of days only — this frost has lasted for weeks. You must have felt the cold, if you have carried out your stove-economies, and used a lamp instead of fire. I am very busy with my lectures, and am printing a second edition of my Languages of the Seat of War, and there are many other things which fill up my time. The war becomes more complicated, but we must hope that they will not make peace hurriedly, so that the victims will have fallen in vain. Here people are very much excited, chiefly from the constant change of Ministers and the incapacity of the highest officials. It is a real revolution, only such crises pass over quietly here, but the effect is the same. The aristocratic party must yield before it comes to street fighting. I have made no plans for the summer. I must stay here during vacation, unless I go to Paris for work. If you have really meanwhile found a wife for me, that may make a difference, but I am not at all inclined for one ! ‘
In March, Max MUller tells his mother of a visit to London, where he had made acquaintance with Lord Ashburton, ‘ one of the richest peers in England, and a patron of literature.’ He stayed with his friend George Bunsen, and laments that his pleasant, amiable, and rich wife has no sister to take the place of Elise of Carlsbad, who was going to be married, much to his mother’s disappointment ! True to his determination to spare his mother all anxiety, he never betrayed what his real feelings were.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 9, Park Place, Oxford, April 15, 1855.
‘ . . . I chiefly work at the Veda now, and have just sent an essay on Vedic burials to the German Oriental fournal. It is always the same story with Aufrecht, and, alas, no position seems to turn up for him. Jowett has been in London for the whole term ; his Commentary is printed and is to appear soon. I expect few facts, but free and open treatment of the matter. Tischendorff” appeared here in Oxford with all his various Orders and MSS. I hope to get the latter accepted by the Bodleian. Are they really worth £800 after having been collated and edited ? ‘
1855] Kosmos of Language 167
On April 17 Bunsen wrote to thank Max Muller for an article on his Outlines : —
Tra7islati07i.
‘ You have so thoroughly adopted the English disguise that it will not be easy for any one to suspect you of having written this “ curious article.” It especially dehghts me to see how ingeniously you contrive to say what you announce you do not wish to discuss, i.e. the purport of the theology. In short, we are all of opinion that your cousin was right when she said of you in Paris to Neukomm, that you ought to be in the diplomatic service ! ‘
The letter goes on to sketch out a new work in which Bunsen was anxious for Max MUller’s co-operation, The Kosmos of Language, in four volumes — the second and fourth volumes to be entirely the work of Max Miiller, and half of volume three — and Bunsen asks his friend to Heidelberg, or to Nice in the winter, to discuss the whole scheme.
Translation. 9, Park Place, Oxford, April 26, 1855.
‘ Alas ! I cannot send any definite answer to your kind proposals. My news from home are bad. My mother has been very ill and her recovery is very slow. She is ordered to go to Carlsbad in the summer, and wishes me to go with her, and this seems almost im- possible. Last year even I meant to go to Paris to study there, and to occupy myself with the collation and copying of various MSS. I have been hindered for several years in concluding and finishing various works of mine by not knowing these said MSS. My plan therefore is to spend the summer in Paris, and to give some years entirely to the close study of the Veda, and therefore meanwhile to let the Science 0/ Language alone. The second part of the review in the Times has after all appeared amidst cries and wailing. Nobody seems to know in the least who is the writer of the article, and I have already assisted in various Common Rooms to abuse it, without betraying myself by the movement of a muscle. The gloom here is widespread. As it was said of France in 1847, “La France s’ennuie,” so it may be said here now, John Bull is sulky. He has still thought it possible that men like Aberdeen, Clarendon, Palmerston, &c., could at least have brought Austria round. But as he sees that even that could not be managed, he turns disagreeable. Parliament will have to be dissolved, and a numerous national party will choose statesmen like Layard, Lowe, Bright, Cobden, &c. Whigs and Tories are done for.’
It was in this spring that Max Miiller joined in a delightful
geological excursion to Malvern, which he often mentioned
i68 Geology round Malvern [ch. ix
later with unfeigned delight. The following account is from one of the party, Canon Farrar : —
‘ It was in 1855 that I had the opportunity of knowing Max Miiller more closely, and seeing his mind employed on a new subject, Geology, in an interesting excursion to the Malvern Hills under the guidance of Professor Phillips, who wisely proposed to utilize the three days’ vacation which at that time separated the two summer terms at Whitsuntide, by taking a party to visit the igneous formations of the Malvern Hills. The party was of graduates, except one gentleman commoner. The only survivor besides myself is the Rev. H. F. Tozer.
We hired a country hotel at IVIalvern Wells, and thence made
excursions under the Professor’s guidance. Miiller was one of the
party. He had only lately taken up the subject of Geology ; the
practical application of it in field work was new to him, and therefore
he afforded unintentionally to us the means of watching the workings
of his mind, both in observation and reflection. I recall at the interval
of forty-six years his looks of surprise and of intelligent delight. He
was amazed by the mineralogical transformations, but what struck
him most was the odd fragments which were indications of obliterated
rock formations. He was fascinated by the inferences which Phillips
drew. I cannot but suspect that there was in his mind the perception
of the close analogy offered by his own favourite study of the history
of language. These fragments of early strata were parallel to the
presence of roots or old forms of words embedded in later linguistic
strata. The second day of our stay was Sunday : most of the party
gave themselves a holiday, and did not go to church. But Phillips
and Miiller accompanied me and some others to the Abbey Church of
Great Malvern. I hope that I am not lifting indelicately the veil
from sacred acts, if I say that it being Whit- Sunday, and there being
Communion, to my surprise both Miiller and Phillips stopped to
partake of the Communion. I name this, for the reason that I suppose
that in Oxford it would have been thought that the two men just
named were, though Christians in life, most indefinite in their religious
views, and probably suspected of excessive broadness. The sight of
these two laymen, whose stay at the Eucharist must of course have
been prompted solely by sincere religious principle, impressed me
much ; it was a rebuke to many of us clergymen, and led me to a life-
long conviction that a depth of Christian purpose without formal
profession exists in many a heart, undiscovered by man, and I often
thought of this occurrence, when Miiller, at the time of his rejection
for the Sanskrit chair, was unfairly charged with the irrelevant question
of Rationalism. After the service, our small party mounted to the
1855] Examiner for Indian Civil Service 169
top of the hills and listened to PhiUips pointing out not only the physical and topographical geography of the vast panorama, but explaining the reasons by which he reproduced the probable con- figuration of the country, of land and sea, at the distant period of the elevation of the hills. This again seemed to impress Miiller deeply. While he revelled in the beauty of the scene, he had never before heard physical geography in a large landscape connected with geology, with the extinct flora and fauna made to live again in Phillips’ description. Our next day, Monday, was spent in a fatiguing walk along the southern half of the hills. Here MuUer had for the first time the opportunity of seeing two British camps ; one of them, the Herefordshire beacon, of gigantic size and remarkable construc- tion, to which ancient German camps offer hardly any parallel. IMiiller showed an equal interest in archaeological as in geological history.’
For the May Term of this year Max Miiller announced for the first time a course of reading and working lectures, ‘ sine ulla solennitate,’ and from this time onwards gave one such course each year. This first class was for reading extracts from German classics to illustrate the history of German literature. His lectures continued to be well attended ; there are above seventy names of undergraduates in one term for certificates of attendance, and the more private classes were also very popular. The wide range of investigation which Max Miiller contrived to bring within the scope of modern languages and literature and the vivacity and picturesqueness with which every subject was treated were totally unlike the usual professorial lecture, and he continued to attract large audiences till tutorial teaching gradually destroyed the attendance at Professors’ lectures.
Early in June, Max Miiller was placed on the commission for the examination of the candidates for the Civil Service of India, and appointed examiner in Sanskrit. The pre- liminary meetings he found very interesting, and the constant visits to London gave him opportunities of seeing many old friends. He was busy with the examination in July, and wa^ then asked to undertake the German and French examinations for commissions in the Engineers and Artillery, which included the history and literature as well as the grammar of both languages.
lyo Visit to Paris [ch. ix
The middle of August Max Miiller settled himself in Paris, glad to have the change from England and all the work he had been doing. He found Gathy and other old friends there, and began to work at collating and copying the MSS. he had specially come to see. His mother, however, when she knew that the sea no longer separated them, became impatient to see him, and the end of the month he started for Dresden, where he stayed a fortnight.
On his return from Dresden he found Paris so full for the Exhibition that it was with difficulty he secured a room for himself, and an apartment for his cousin Emilie and her husband Prince Wilhelm. Princess Friedrich of Anhalt- Dessau and her two daughters were also in Paris, and, as Max Miiller soon found, he was expected to act as cicerone to the whole party ; so he gave up all idea of work, and spent the short time that remained before his return to England in a round of amusements. He tells his mother he was never quiet from morning till night, and that he had explored Paris again from end to end. There were delightful excursions to Fontainebleau and Versailles, constant visits to the Exhibition, whilst almost every evening was spent at the theatre. The princesses, accustomed to a stiff little German court, were delighted with the freedom of the life, the dinners at the cafes, and the gaiety of the city, and were very pleasant and amused at everything. Max Miiller, however, was not sorry when the arrival of the old family friend, Baron Hagedorn, set him free to return to his busy, yet quiet, life in England.
To his mother he writes before leaving Paris : —
Translation.
‘ It is tiresome, though, that my plans for work were all upset, but it can’t be helped ; one must take life as it comes, and do one’s duty by others, when it is necessary. The summer has been a happy one, and I am quite satisfied. We had a happy time together in Dresden — happier than I had dared to hope for.’
On his return home, Max Miiller found himself involved in
a controversy on the examinations for the Indian Civil
Service. He entirely agreed that the first examination
should be a test of that liberal education which can be
obtained at our schools and universities, and that a small
i855] Death of Belle 171
number of marks should then be given for Arabic or Sanskrit. But in the second examination he was anxious that high marks should be given for Sanskrit as the origin of nearly- all the spoken languages of India, and that the vernaculars should be studied in India, when a man knew in which presidency his life would be passed, and which vernaculars he would really require. In Mr. Lowe’s reconstruction of Macaulay’s scheme, Sanskrit had been set aside in favour of vernaculars. Max Miiller wished to see 1,000 marks for Oriental languages divided into 800 for Sanskrit and 2co for one vernacular.
The lectures this term were on ‘The History of the Lan- guages of Europe,’ with again a good attendance. Great part of the term was spent in looking for a house, as the lodgings where he had lived since the autumn of 1848 were now too small for his rapidly growing library, though it had not yet attained the dimensions of later years, some 13,000 volumes. The choice of houses was very limited in those days : none of those to the north of St. Giles’ Church then existed, except some half-dozen in Park Town, which was considered an impossible distance from Oxford for a Professor!
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, November 9.
• Everything goes on again as usual. Lectures, work, parties, and one day follows another without anything special to mark it. But a holiday does one good, and one’s work goes on all the better after a time of thorough idleness. Only think, my poor Belle has been very ill ever since I came home, and cannot die ; she is a perfect skeleton. The people say I ought to give her poison, but I can’t do it, though she is hopelessly ill. ... I have long had fires, and the weather is cold and disagreeable, just like England, and then every night I must make myself wretched with a heavy English dinner, whilst in Paris one never felt one had eaten anything. Yet Emilie will tell you we did not live so badly there ! ‘
The end of November his faithful little companion for seven years, little Belle the terrier, so well known to his old friends, died. Max tells his mother that it had made him very unhappy, and he missed the little creature terribly.
Max MUller, who had been made an honorary M.A., as we
I
172 M.A. by Decree [ch.
IX
have seen, in December, 1851, was made M.A. by Decree of Convocation on December 13 of this year.
To HIS Mother.
Translatmi. 9, Park Place, December 28.
‘ There is little to tell you about my Christmas. Oxford is nearly empty in the vacation, so one does not see much festivity. But the week before Christmas I enjoyed myself very much. I went to a friend (Augustus Vansittart) in Cambridge, which I had not yet seen, and most beautiful it is, in some points more beautiful than Oxford, which is saying a great deal. Everybody was very hospitable, and for a whole week I had to eat four dinners daily, for breakfast, luncheon, dinner, and supper were all like a gala dinner in Germany. Four times a day roast pheasant, and never in bed before 2 o’clock. It was real feasting, and I am only surprised that I could eat my way through without headaches. I came back through London, and dined with one of the Ministers, where I met . . . Sir Colin Campbell, the English general from the Crimea ; and then I went to the Latin Play by the scholars of Westminster School. So you see one can amuse oneself here, if not at Christmas, but beforehand.’
Towards the close of this year Renan wrote a sharp attack on Max Muller’s Turanian article in Bunsen’s Christianity and Mankind. The attack appeared in Renan’s Histoire gi^nerale des langues shnitiqnes. Max Miiller complained bitterly of the passage in a letter to Stanislas Julien, which he, with childlike innocence, showed to Renan, who wrote a long explanatory letter to Max Miiller, in which he re- peated the very point that was really the cause of offence, i. e. that in that essay Max had been under the influence of Bunsen, and had written it more to command than from con- viction. Owing to the indiscretion of Stanislas Julien, the quarrel threatened to become serious, as Max Miiller could not but feel that his honour as a writer had been called in question. He wrote a review of Renan’s Gravimaire Simitiqtie which amounted to a fierce attack upon the book. Bunsen wrote to Max Miiller : —
Translation. December 2, 1855.
‘ I send you these lines ... to stop if possible your wrath against
Renan. He confesses in his letter “ Ma plume m’a trahi” ; he has partly
said what he thinks, and partly said what he does not think But his
1855] Controversy with Renan 173
note is not that of an enemy. You must deal gently with him. You will do it, will you not, for my sake ? ‘
Renan, too, wrote : ‘ Pardonnez-moi. Je n’ai pas compris ce que vous vouliez dire.’ On this Max Miiller suppressed the pamphlet, though already printed, and they gradually became great friends.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. December 25, 1855.
‘ . . . Your next work, God in History, will be a joy to read, for the
beginning of the God-consciousness in the Veda has much occupied
me of late, and has made me enter into depths of human consciousness
hitherto unknown to me. The Veda alone of all works I know treats
of a genesis of God-consciousness, compared to which the Theogony
of Hesiod is like a worn-out creature. We see it grow slowly and
gradually with all its contradictions, its sudden terrors, its amazements,
and its triumphs. As God reveals His Being in nature, in her order,
her wisdom, her indestructibility, in the eternal victory of light over
darkness, of spring over winter, in the eternally returning course of
the sun and the stars, so man has gradually spelt out of nature the
Being of God, and after trying a thousand names for God in vain,
we find him in the Veda already saying : They call Him Indra, Mitra,
Varun(2; then they call Him the Heavenly, the bird with beautiful
wings; — that which is One they call in various ways; they call it
Agni, Sama, IMatarisvan. The belief in Immortality is only the other
side as it were of the God-consciousness, and both are originally
natural to the Aryan race. “ As the sun sets, yet never dies, but “h* j
returns,” says the old Aryan, “ neither shall I go into non-existence, I
but I shall live with the sun.” The non-existence he denies as often as he can, and in the Veda the a sat is the night of nature, which is nothing, though it frightens man and torments him, but just on account of that very thing makes him most sensitive to belief in and to hope of the ever-returning light. The Veda is inexhaustible, and the more I long to get to a close, the more I feel how much there remains still to be done, and yet I feel it a great blessing that such work has been given to me to do as the daily occupation of my life — and then everything seems to become indifferent, even if Monsieur Renan reviles me !
‘ In Oxford everything proceeds slowly but well. Liddell has been made Dean ; he has a difficult position, but he is surely planted, and nobody will succeed in moving him away again. It is said that the Prince of Wales will be with him, but that may only be a report.
Secondly, Jowett is established, and Pusey gets angry about him, and
174
Sir B. Brodie
is sure to accuse him of heresy, and so secure him much greater influence. Pusey is very dangerous, and his influence is again on the increase. He seems to have designs on me, and I am on my guard. Then there is Thomson, Provost of Queen’s, honest and friendly. Vaughan is also to come to Oxford. Brodie has been made Professor without signing the Articles, my own case preceding his, but he had a stronger case, being an Englishman. Everything was tried against him, even secret surprises at the voting, after making it known that no contest would take place. Everybody was afraid of a sudden attack at nightfall ; the guards were called out, and the ambuscade found itself confronted by a picket which towered above them. Everything cannot go exactly as we wish, but the avalanche rolls in the right direction.
‘ What a beautiful speech Prince Albert made in Birmingham ! He ought not to show his cards too readily ; he has to play the Brutus with the EngHsh, or else he will be treated as was Aristides. Excuse this long letter, but it is so rarely that one can speak to anybody about one’s thoughts and feelings, that when I write to you my pen runs away with me.’
Bunsen later thanked Max Miiller for his just, but sharply expressed and nohly suppressed, essay against Renan.
CHAPTER X
1856-1857
Comparative Mythology. Commemoration. His mother in England.
Volume III of Veda. Curator of Bodleian. Christmas at Glasgow.
Deiitsche Liebe. Buddhist pilgrims. Examination at Exeter.
Visit to Froude. Germany. Manchester Exhibition.
In the last days of the old year, Max Miiller had found a house, ^S, St. John’s Street, and so hard did he work that he was settled before term began, as the notice of his lectures is dated from his new house. His course was on the ‘ History of the German Language, and its relation to Greek and Latin.’ He writes to tell his mother how comfortably he is settled, and how much he hopes she will visit him in the summer, to see his home and life in England, though at the same time he cautions her not to expect much amuse- ment, as he is far too busy to travel about with her, or give up much time to her, as he has daily work at the Bodleian, besides all his work at home. To Bunsen he writes : —
Translation. 55, St. John’s Street, March 14.
• Everything progresses well in Oxford ; it seems to me there is no other country in the world so pliable as England. At the right time we shall get everything in Oxford that we wished for, and the whole academical phraseology changes visibly. Of course Jowett is preached against every Sunday ; it does not hurt him in the least, however, and he is occupied with a second edition \ The essay in the Quarterly is by Conybeare; I have not read it, for that sort of thing does not matter. When we grow older here in England we leave the talking and writing to others, and we occupy ourselves with the “ doing “ ; and as I am now a member of Convocation and Congregation the committee- work and report-writing begin to occupy all my time. So I retire as
^ Commentary on the Thessalonians, &c.
In March, Max MUller tells his mother of a visit to London, where he had made acquaintance with Lord Ashburton, ‘ one of the richest peers in England, and a patron of literature.’ He stayed with his friend George Bunsen, and laments that his pleasant, amiable, and rich wife has no sister to take the place of Elise of Carlsbad, who was going to be married, much to his mother’s disappointment ! True to his determination to spare his mother all anxiety, he never betrayed what his real feelings were.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 9, Park Place, Oxford, April 15, 1855.
‘ . . . I chiefly work at the Veda now, and have just sent an essay on Vedic burials to the German Oriental fournal. It is always the same story with Aufrecht, and, alas, no position seems to turn up for him. Jowett has been in London for the whole term ; his Commentary is printed and is to appear soon. I expect few facts, but free and open treatment of the matter. Tischendorff” appeared here in Oxford with all his various Orders and MSS. I hope to get the latter accepted by the Bodleian. Are they really worth £800 after having been collated and edited ? ‘
1855] Kosmos of Language 167
On April 17 Bunsen wrote to thank Max Muller for an article on his Outlines : —
Tra7islati07i.
‘ You have so thoroughly adopted the English disguise that it will not be easy for any one to suspect you of having written this “ curious article.” It especially dehghts me to see how ingeniously you contrive to say what you announce you do not wish to discuss, i.e. the purport of the theology. In short, we are all of opinion that your cousin was right when she said of you in Paris to Neukomm, that you ought to be in the diplomatic service ! ‘
The letter goes on to sketch out a new work in which Bunsen was anxious for Max MUller’s co-operation, The Kosmos of Language, in four volumes — the second and fourth volumes to be entirely the work of Max Miiller, and half of volume three — and Bunsen asks his friend to Heidelberg, or to Nice in the winter, to discuss the whole scheme.
Translation. 9, Park Place, Oxford, April 26, 1855.
‘ Alas ! I cannot send any definite answer to your kind proposals. My news from home are bad. My mother has been very ill and her recovery is very slow. She is ordered to go to Carlsbad in the summer, and wishes me to go with her, and this seems almost im- possible. Last year even I meant to go to Paris to study there, and to occupy myself with the collation and copying of various MSS. I have been hindered for several years in concluding and finishing various works of mine by not knowing these said MSS. My plan therefore is to spend the summer in Paris, and to give some years entirely to the close study of the Veda, and therefore meanwhile to let the Science 0/ Language alone. The second part of the review in the Times has after all appeared amidst cries and wailing. Nobody seems to know in the least who is the writer of the article, and I have already assisted in various Common Rooms to abuse it, without betraying myself by the movement of a muscle. The gloom here is widespread. As it was said of France in 1847, “La France s’ennuie,” so it may be said here now, John Bull is sulky. He has still thought it possible that men like Aberdeen, Clarendon, Palmerston, &c., could at least have brought Austria round. But as he sees that even that could not be managed, he turns disagreeable. Parliament will have to be dissolved, and a numerous national party will choose statesmen like Layard, Lowe, Bright, Cobden, &c. Whigs and Tories are done for.’
It was in this spring that Max Miiller joined in a delightful
geological excursion to Malvern, which he often mentioned
i68 Geology round Malvern [ch. ix
later with unfeigned delight. The following account is from one of the party, Canon Farrar : —
‘ It was in 1855 that I had the opportunity of knowing Max Miiller more closely, and seeing his mind employed on a new subject, Geology, in an interesting excursion to the Malvern Hills under the guidance of Professor Phillips, who wisely proposed to utilize the three days’ vacation which at that time separated the two summer terms at Whitsuntide, by taking a party to visit the igneous formations of the Malvern Hills. The party was of graduates, except one gentleman commoner. The only survivor besides myself is the Rev. H. F. Tozer.
We hired a country hotel at IVIalvern Wells, and thence made
excursions under the Professor’s guidance. Miiller was one of the
party. He had only lately taken up the subject of Geology ; the
practical application of it in field work was new to him, and therefore
he afforded unintentionally to us the means of watching the workings
of his mind, both in observation and reflection. I recall at the interval
of forty-six years his looks of surprise and of intelligent delight. He
was amazed by the mineralogical transformations, but what struck
him most was the odd fragments which were indications of obliterated
rock formations. He was fascinated by the inferences which Phillips
drew. I cannot but suspect that there was in his mind the perception
of the close analogy offered by his own favourite study of the history
of language. These fragments of early strata were parallel to the
presence of roots or old forms of words embedded in later linguistic
strata. The second day of our stay was Sunday : most of the party
gave themselves a holiday, and did not go to church. But Phillips
and Miiller accompanied me and some others to the Abbey Church of
Great Malvern. I hope that I am not lifting indelicately the veil
from sacred acts, if I say that it being Whit- Sunday, and there being
Communion, to my surprise both Miiller and Phillips stopped to
partake of the Communion. I name this, for the reason that I suppose
that in Oxford it would have been thought that the two men just
named were, though Christians in life, most indefinite in their religious
views, and probably suspected of excessive broadness. The sight of
these two laymen, whose stay at the Eucharist must of course have
been prompted solely by sincere religious principle, impressed me
much ; it was a rebuke to many of us clergymen, and led me to a life-
long conviction that a depth of Christian purpose without formal
profession exists in many a heart, undiscovered by man, and I often
thought of this occurrence, when Miiller, at the time of his rejection
for the Sanskrit chair, was unfairly charged with the irrelevant question
of Rationalism. After the service, our small party mounted to the
1855] Examiner for Indian Civil Service 169
top of the hills and listened to PhiUips pointing out not only the physical and topographical geography of the vast panorama, but explaining the reasons by which he reproduced the probable con- figuration of the country, of land and sea, at the distant period of the elevation of the hills. This again seemed to impress Miiller deeply. While he revelled in the beauty of the scene, he had never before heard physical geography in a large landscape connected with geology, with the extinct flora and fauna made to live again in Phillips’ description. Our next day, Monday, was spent in a fatiguing walk along the southern half of the hills. Here MuUer had for the first time the opportunity of seeing two British camps ; one of them, the Herefordshire beacon, of gigantic size and remarkable construc- tion, to which ancient German camps offer hardly any parallel. IMiiller showed an equal interest in archaeological as in geological history.’
For the May Term of this year Max Miiller announced for the first time a course of reading and working lectures, ‘ sine ulla solennitate,’ and from this time onwards gave one such course each year. This first class was for reading extracts from German classics to illustrate the history of German literature. His lectures continued to be well attended ; there are above seventy names of undergraduates in one term for certificates of attendance, and the more private classes were also very popular. The wide range of investigation which Max Miiller contrived to bring within the scope of modern languages and literature and the vivacity and picturesqueness with which every subject was treated were totally unlike the usual professorial lecture, and he continued to attract large audiences till tutorial teaching gradually destroyed the attendance at Professors’ lectures.
Early in June, Max Miiller was placed on the commission for the examination of the candidates for the Civil Service of India, and appointed examiner in Sanskrit. The pre- liminary meetings he found very interesting, and the constant visits to London gave him opportunities of seeing many old friends. He was busy with the examination in July, and wa^ then asked to undertake the German and French examinations for commissions in the Engineers and Artillery, which included the history and literature as well as the grammar of both languages.
lyo Visit to Paris [ch. ix
The middle of August Max Miiller settled himself in Paris, glad to have the change from England and all the work he had been doing. He found Gathy and other old friends there, and began to work at collating and copying the MSS. he had specially come to see. His mother, however, when she knew that the sea no longer separated them, became impatient to see him, and the end of the month he started for Dresden, where he stayed a fortnight.
On his return from Dresden he found Paris so full for the Exhibition that it was with difficulty he secured a room for himself, and an apartment for his cousin Emilie and her husband Prince Wilhelm. Princess Friedrich of Anhalt- Dessau and her two daughters were also in Paris, and, as Max Miiller soon found, he was expected to act as cicerone to the whole party ; so he gave up all idea of work, and spent the short time that remained before his return to England in a round of amusements. He tells his mother he was never quiet from morning till night, and that he had explored Paris again from end to end. There were delightful excursions to Fontainebleau and Versailles, constant visits to the Exhibition, whilst almost every evening was spent at the theatre. The princesses, accustomed to a stiff little German court, were delighted with the freedom of the life, the dinners at the cafes, and the gaiety of the city, and were very pleasant and amused at everything. Max Miiller, however, was not sorry when the arrival of the old family friend, Baron Hagedorn, set him free to return to his busy, yet quiet, life in England.
To his mother he writes before leaving Paris : —
Translation.
‘ It is tiresome, though, that my plans for work were all upset, but it can’t be helped ; one must take life as it comes, and do one’s duty by others, when it is necessary. The summer has been a happy one, and I am quite satisfied. We had a happy time together in Dresden — happier than I had dared to hope for.’
On his return home, Max Miiller found himself involved in
a controversy on the examinations for the Indian Civil
Service. He entirely agreed that the first examination
should be a test of that liberal education which can be
obtained at our schools and universities, and that a small
i855] Death of Belle 171
number of marks should then be given for Arabic or Sanskrit. But in the second examination he was anxious that high marks should be given for Sanskrit as the origin of nearly- all the spoken languages of India, and that the vernaculars should be studied in India, when a man knew in which presidency his life would be passed, and which vernaculars he would really require. In Mr. Lowe’s reconstruction of Macaulay’s scheme, Sanskrit had been set aside in favour of vernaculars. Max Miiller wished to see 1,000 marks for Oriental languages divided into 800 for Sanskrit and 2co for one vernacular.
The lectures this term were on ‘The History of the Lan- guages of Europe,’ with again a good attendance. Great part of the term was spent in looking for a house, as the lodgings where he had lived since the autumn of 1848 were now too small for his rapidly growing library, though it had not yet attained the dimensions of later years, some 13,000 volumes. The choice of houses was very limited in those days : none of those to the north of St. Giles’ Church then existed, except some half-dozen in Park Town, which was considered an impossible distance from Oxford for a Professor!
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, November 9.
• Everything goes on again as usual. Lectures, work, parties, and one day follows another without anything special to mark it. But a holiday does one good, and one’s work goes on all the better after a time of thorough idleness. Only think, my poor Belle has been very ill ever since I came home, and cannot die ; she is a perfect skeleton. The people say I ought to give her poison, but I can’t do it, though she is hopelessly ill. ... I have long had fires, and the weather is cold and disagreeable, just like England, and then every night I must make myself wretched with a heavy English dinner, whilst in Paris one never felt one had eaten anything. Yet Emilie will tell you we did not live so badly there ! ‘
The end of November his faithful little companion for seven years, little Belle the terrier, so well known to his old friends, died. Max tells his mother that it had made him very unhappy, and he missed the little creature terribly.
Max MUller, who had been made an honorary M.A., as we
I
172 M.A. by Decree [ch.
IX
have seen, in December, 1851, was made M.A. by Decree of Convocation on December 13 of this year.
To HIS Mother.
Translatmi. 9, Park Place, December 28.
‘ There is little to tell you about my Christmas. Oxford is nearly empty in the vacation, so one does not see much festivity. But the week before Christmas I enjoyed myself very much. I went to a friend (Augustus Vansittart) in Cambridge, which I had not yet seen, and most beautiful it is, in some points more beautiful than Oxford, which is saying a great deal. Everybody was very hospitable, and for a whole week I had to eat four dinners daily, for breakfast, luncheon, dinner, and supper were all like a gala dinner in Germany. Four times a day roast pheasant, and never in bed before 2 o’clock. It was real feasting, and I am only surprised that I could eat my way through without headaches. I came back through London, and dined with one of the Ministers, where I met . . . Sir Colin Campbell, the English general from the Crimea ; and then I went to the Latin Play by the scholars of Westminster School. So you see one can amuse oneself here, if not at Christmas, but beforehand.’
Towards the close of this year Renan wrote a sharp attack on Max Muller’s Turanian article in Bunsen’s Christianity and Mankind. The attack appeared in Renan’s Histoire gi^nerale des langues shnitiqnes. Max Miiller complained bitterly of the passage in a letter to Stanislas Julien, which he, with childlike innocence, showed to Renan, who wrote a long explanatory letter to Max Miiller, in which he re- peated the very point that was really the cause of offence, i. e. that in that essay Max had been under the influence of Bunsen, and had written it more to command than from con- viction. Owing to the indiscretion of Stanislas Julien, the quarrel threatened to become serious, as Max Miiller could not but feel that his honour as a writer had been called in question. He wrote a review of Renan’s Gravimaire Simitiqtie which amounted to a fierce attack upon the book. Bunsen wrote to Max Miiller : —
Translation. December 2, 1855.
‘ I send you these lines ... to stop if possible your wrath against
Renan. He confesses in his letter “ Ma plume m’a trahi” ; he has partly
said what he thinks, and partly said what he does not think But his
1855] Controversy with Renan 173
note is not that of an enemy. You must deal gently with him. You will do it, will you not, for my sake ? ‘
Renan, too, wrote : ‘ Pardonnez-moi. Je n’ai pas compris ce que vous vouliez dire.’ On this Max Miiller suppressed the pamphlet, though already printed, and they gradually became great friends.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. December 25, 1855.
‘ . . . Your next work, God in History, will be a joy to read, for the
beginning of the God-consciousness in the Veda has much occupied
me of late, and has made me enter into depths of human consciousness
hitherto unknown to me. The Veda alone of all works I know treats
of a genesis of God-consciousness, compared to which the Theogony
of Hesiod is like a worn-out creature. We see it grow slowly and
gradually with all its contradictions, its sudden terrors, its amazements,
and its triumphs. As God reveals His Being in nature, in her order,
her wisdom, her indestructibility, in the eternal victory of light over
darkness, of spring over winter, in the eternally returning course of
the sun and the stars, so man has gradually spelt out of nature the
Being of God, and after trying a thousand names for God in vain,
we find him in the Veda already saying : They call Him Indra, Mitra,
Varun(2; then they call Him the Heavenly, the bird with beautiful
wings; — that which is One they call in various ways; they call it
Agni, Sama, IMatarisvan. The belief in Immortality is only the other
side as it were of the God-consciousness, and both are originally
natural to the Aryan race. “ As the sun sets, yet never dies, but “h* j
returns,” says the old Aryan, “ neither shall I go into non-existence, I
but I shall live with the sun.” The non-existence he denies as often as he can, and in the Veda the a sat is the night of nature, which is nothing, though it frightens man and torments him, but just on account of that very thing makes him most sensitive to belief in and to hope of the ever-returning light. The Veda is inexhaustible, and the more I long to get to a close, the more I feel how much there remains still to be done, and yet I feel it a great blessing that such work has been given to me to do as the daily occupation of my life — and then everything seems to become indifferent, even if Monsieur Renan reviles me !
‘ In Oxford everything proceeds slowly but well. Liddell has been made Dean ; he has a difficult position, but he is surely planted, and nobody will succeed in moving him away again. It is said that the Prince of Wales will be with him, but that may only be a report.
Secondly, Jowett is established, and Pusey gets angry about him, and
174
Sir B. Brodie
is sure to accuse him of heresy, and so secure him much greater influence. Pusey is very dangerous, and his influence is again on the increase. He seems to have designs on me, and I am on my guard. Then there is Thomson, Provost of Queen’s, honest and friendly. Vaughan is also to come to Oxford. Brodie has been made Professor without signing the Articles, my own case preceding his, but he had a stronger case, being an Englishman. Everything was tried against him, even secret surprises at the voting, after making it known that no contest would take place. Everybody was afraid of a sudden attack at nightfall ; the guards were called out, and the ambuscade found itself confronted by a picket which towered above them. Everything cannot go exactly as we wish, but the avalanche rolls in the right direction.
‘ What a beautiful speech Prince Albert made in Birmingham ! He ought not to show his cards too readily ; he has to play the Brutus with the EngHsh, or else he will be treated as was Aristides. Excuse this long letter, but it is so rarely that one can speak to anybody about one’s thoughts and feelings, that when I write to you my pen runs away with me.’
Bunsen later thanked Max Miiller for his just, but sharply expressed and nohly suppressed, essay against Renan.
CHAPTER X
1856-1857
Comparative Mythology. Commemoration. His mother in England.
Volume III of Veda. Curator of Bodleian. Christmas at Glasgow.
Deiitsche Liebe. Buddhist pilgrims. Examination at Exeter.
Visit to Froude. Germany. Manchester Exhibition.
In the last days of the old year, Max Miiller had found a house, ^S, St. John’s Street, and so hard did he work that he was settled before term began, as the notice of his lectures is dated from his new house. His course was on the ‘ History of the German Language, and its relation to Greek and Latin.’ He writes to tell his mother how comfortably he is settled, and how much he hopes she will visit him in the summer, to see his home and life in England, though at the same time he cautions her not to expect much amuse- ment, as he is far too busy to travel about with her, or give up much time to her, as he has daily work at the Bodleian, besides all his work at home. To Bunsen he writes : —
Translation. 55, St. John’s Street, March 14.
• Everything progresses well in Oxford ; it seems to me there is no other country in the world so pliable as England. At the right time we shall get everything in Oxford that we wished for, and the whole academical phraseology changes visibly. Of course Jowett is preached against every Sunday ; it does not hurt him in the least, however, and he is occupied with a second edition \ The essay in the Quarterly is by Conybeare; I have not read it, for that sort of thing does not matter. When we grow older here in England we leave the talking and writing to others, and we occupy ourselves with the “ doing “ ; and as I am now a member of Convocation and Congregation the committee- work and report-writing begin to occupy all my time. So I retire as
^ Commentary on the Thessalonians, &c.
Re: ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
176 Article on Comparative Mythology [ch. x
much as possible and rejoice when something is really accomplished. It looks disgraceful in Prussia; the whole morality begins to be bankrupt.
‘ I am so glad to know that your great work ^ is to be concluded before the great war breaks out. I should have liked to send you my little contribution about the Veda, but Easter approaches, and till then I am actually glued to my table day after day, as I have promised Brockhaus, by contract, to hand over to him the MS. at the end of ]\Iarch. I am sending him a Vedic grammar as introduction to the first volume of the German edition of the Rig-veda. The text was printed some time ago, and therefore he presses me to send him the preface. So you see it is absolutely impossible to answer your questions now.
‘ The Flood-legend does not occur in the Hymns of the Veda, but in the Brahmanas. Burnouf considers it borrowed, and he may be right, as it only occurs in a modern Brahmana. The Fall is hinted at, not morally but only metaphysically. . . . The keynote which runs through the whole always is : We do not know ; who looked on when God made the world ? To whom did he mention it ? I mean to stay here for the summer, and expect my mother to pay me a visit.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, March 23.
‘ You must lead a very quiet life, and not anger and excite yourself. The things that annoy us in life are after all very trifling things, if we always bear in mind for what purpose we are here. And even in the heavier trials, one knows, or one should know, that all is sent by a higher Power, and in the end must be for our best interests. It is true we cannot understand it, but we can understand that God rules in the world in the smallest and in the largest events, and he who keeps that ever in mind has the peace of God, and enjoys his Hfe as long as it lasts. I am sure that a quiet, contented mind is better than all medicine and Carlsbad. I dare say a change of air will be good for you, and life in England is very healthy, if you will hve quietly. We cannot travel about much, for it is too expensive and requires younger legs, but Oxford itself is sure to please you, and you will see what my hfe here is.’
This spring Max Miiller’s article on Comparative Mytho-
logy appeared in the Oxford Essays. It has been reprinted
in both editions of the Chips. A contemporary writer speaks
of the ‘ great impression made by Max Muller’s essay on
1 EgypL
1856] Indian Chronology 177
Comparative Mythology, published in the Oxford Essays, in
which he applied the rules of comparative philology to the
elucidation of Aryan myths, in a manner at once scientific
and popular.’ ‘ Max Miiller,’ says Professor Macdonell in his
obituary notice in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,
‘ was a pioneer in this country of the Science of Comparative Mytho- logy, founded by Adalbert Kuhn. . . . Beginning with his essay on Comparative Mythology, which appeared in 1856, he wrote a number of papers on mythological subjects. . . . His mythological method, based on linguistic equations, has but few adherents in the present day, for most of his identifications . . . have been rejected owing to the more stringent application of phonetic laws which now prevails in Comparative Philology. . . . Nevertheless, his writings have proved valuable in this field also by stimulating mythological investigations even beyond the range of Aryan-speaking nations.’
Of this essay a friend wrote many years later to Max Miiller :—
‘ When I was young I remember you were my ideal hero — the magician who admitted me into a gorgeous fairy-land. I can remember as if it were yesterday, in the early sixties, how I read tAe Oxford essay in the British Museum, and walked home to Clapham westward facing a glorious sunset, hardly conscious that I was a creature of this planet ! And later on a new book of yours was an event in my life ! ‘
Bunsen was busying himself at this time with questions of Indian chronology, in which Max Miiller could not sympathize, feeling the ground too insecure for any real historical treat- ment. In one letter he says: —
Translation. April, 1856.
‘ I only recognize one chronology for India, the four literary
periods of the Veda, which bring us to at least 1 500 b. c., and even at
that time show us a formulated system of divinities and even priest-
craft. Before this time the schism of Brahmans and Zoroastrians
had taken place. And long before this, even, the schism between the
Aryans tracking north-eastward and those tracking southwards took
place ; and before the nomadic Greeks separated from the nomadic
Indians, centuries must have passed. There seems no doubt that
the South Aryans (later on divided into Indians and Zoroastrians) had
settled together in Bactria. . . . The alphabet on the Aryan coins in
the north of India is no doubt Semitic. The Sanskrit alphabet has
I N
178 Megasthenes [ch. x
its origin from elsewhere, and I believe I shall be able to trace it to the Himyaritic. When it reached India is the great question, and that I am unable to answer. “ Ophir “ proves how old the commerce between India and Phoenicia must have been ; for “ Ophir “ is Abhiva on the Indus. So you see the oldest date of the name Ophir occurring in the Bible is the latest time in which the Aryans were already settled by the sea, and at the time of the Veda they had not yet settled there. Could it be proved that Solomon knew the name Ophir, it would of course be a terminus a quo. His lion-throne made of ivory reminds one of the Sanskrit lion-seat, i. e. throne. Lassen has established the Sanskrit etymology of the products of Ophir. I am now printing my old Vedic grammar — ^just think that 400 B.C. each syllable of the Rig-veda had been counted, each lengthened syllable had been carefully marked, and each metrical inaccuracy had been carefully registered. But it is an awful work, and I long to return to my mythology.’
This letter crossed one from Bunsen, in which he tells Max Miiller, ‘ It would be a great pleasure to you, my dear friend, if you could see the enthusiasm of my reawakened love for India, which possessed me in 181 1-4, and which now daily overpowers me.’ The letter ends, ‘ Send me a letter, only without “ Your Excellency.” I beg you will always write to me as friend to friend.’
To this friendly invitation Max Miiller replies : —
Translation. 55, St. John Street, Oxford, April 25, 1856.
‘ Your Excellency, — Allow me to continue to call you so ; it is an old habit, and reminds me of the time when first I entered your study to have my passport to Germany vise’^d, in a despairing mood as I was then, without an aim, without means to carry out the one scheme which I had clearly planned for myself! How much has happened since then ! Oh, when I think how I have to thank you, your encouragement, your sympathy, for the whole turn of my fate, if I consider that, I know of no other word which would better express my veneration for you, my love and my gratitude, than the one by which I addressed you with German awkwardness at the first visit I paid you, a word which, like many another one, has been much misused, but has nevertheless not yet lost its true meaning !
‘ With regard to Megasthenes \ I do not know how I can help you.
As far as I have occupied myself with the chronological question,
^ Greek envoy from Seleucus Nicator (306-298 B.C.) to Chandra-gupta (Sandrocottus). He wrote a work on India.
1856] Froude’s History 179
which has never been a passion with me, I do not see in the least how Megasthenes cozild know more than Wilford or Sir W. Jones. Mega- sthenes could not know anything but what we know, for though we know nothing of Indian history, we know the history of Indian litera- ture sufficiently well to be able to ascertain that no annals have ever been lost, simply because none ever existed. We have the most distinct traces in the Rig-veda of the schism between the Brahmans and the followers of the Zend-Avesta.
‘ I intend very soon to publish something about this, perhaps in the Long Vacation, when Mrs. Liddell, &c., will have no more music parties, when there are no more examinations in London and no more lectures in Oxford, and when the third volume of the Veda has been published. Now I feel so hunted that I can accomplish nothing. I have so many claims on my time during term, that I often have to do the most necessary work in the middle of the night. Froude’s History is out ; I have devoured the first volume, and have put the second on one side for later on. It seems to me very good. Jowett has not yet been burnt ; instead of that he thinks of publishing Plato’s Republic. Examinations, education, are the ordre du jour \ in a very short time all positions will be open for competition. What a social revolution that is ! It would have drawn blood in other lands. Much of it is due to Trevelyan. Gladstone made a manful speech last night — how much that means. Ever yours.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, May 6.
‘ I have been in London again for a week and have made many interesting acquaintances. Life in England is so grand, and I wish you could see me at such a dinner as lately at Lord Denbigh’s — such pictures all round the room ! I am in no want of work to do, and with all the interruptions here, I can hardly get on. ... I hear occa- sionally from Bunsen. I do ‘not believe he means to return to England. As to your journey here, you must inquire whether any acquaintances are coming to England. I shall certainly stay in Oxford this summer, as I have a good deal of work before me. Oxford in summer during the vacation is delightful. In a fortnight I must go again to London. I shall be staying with friends in one of the best houses — very pleasant, and cheap. Then I shall hear Jenny Lind, and in a month she is coming to Oxford to give two concerts, and we shall have grand festivities ; Peace festival, &c.’
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 55, St. John Street, Oxford, May 4, 1856.
‘Your Excellency, — Your last letter awaited me in Oxford, as
N a
i8o Meets his Wife again [ch. x
I spent all last week in London to examine there. The more I see how deeply you penetrate into Indian chronology, the more I regret that I cannot follow you as I did formerly. It would indeed be a great work if you could find a secure historical foundation for the Indian traditions. I am still at the previous question — i.e. Could Megasthenes make any discovery besides that which we have made from Sanskrit literature ? This question must be answered, and there I am afraid Megasthenes with his total ignorance of Sanskrit will have the worst of it, as compared with Manetho and his knowledge of hieroglyphics, and Berosus with his knowledge of cuneiform. How- ever, I am ignorant, and therefore unprejudiced, and I am willing to learn and to believe. My passion is now Mythology ; and I see you cannot serve two masters, for at present I cannot get away from it, though so many other things claim my attention. I long for the Long Vacation, and I expect a visit from my mother, and therefore I shall not go to Germany. I hope to write something more about Mythology. I find that John Bull has taken a bite and asks for more. At present I am working at my grammar, and I am also working at a German Historical Reader, which I could not refuse on account of my Professorship. Forgive me, therefore, that I do not throw myself into Indian chronology, but I can do nothing unless I can do it with all my heart. Confident of your kind indulgence, I always remain, much honoured friend, master and benefactor, your faithful 1\I.M.’
In April of this year Max MUller had again met his future wife, and during six weeks they saw each other constantly at her home, and in London, and at the Grand Commemoration and Peace festivities in Oxford ; little foreseeing the painful three years of total silence and separation that they had to go through before their marriage was allowed. In the first days of July Max’s mother arrived, accompanied by Emilie von Stolzenberg, and the faithful family friend Baron Hage- dorn. They spent two or three weeks in London, seeing all the sights, going to the Opera, dining at Richmond. The mother, cousin, and Hagedorn went from London to the Isle of Wight without Max, who returned to Oxford. After the visit to the Isle of Wight, Hagedorn returned to Germany, the mother and cousin going to Oxford. From there the Baroness visited Scotland, and the whole party then returned to London, and devoted themselves to sight-seeing, till Emilie went to Germany towards the end of August, leaving the mother to enjoy her son to herself for two months longer.
1856] Visit of his Cousin and Mother 181
On July 17 Bunsen writes to congratulate Max Muller on the visit of his mother and cousin : —
Translation.
‘ You know it was a letter of the la//er which first told me o/jou, and made me wish to see you. And then you came jyourse//, and all that I prophesied of you after the first conversation in London, and your first visit to us in the country, has been richly fulfilled — yes, beyond my boldest hopes. You have won an honourable position in the first English University, not only for yourself, but for the Fatherland, and you have richly returned the love which I felt for you from the first moment, and have faithfully reciprocated a friendship which con- stitutes an essential portion of my happiness.’
On August 25 Max Muller sent his usual birthday con- gratulations to Bunsen. It must be remembered that birth- days are much more observed in Germany than in England, hence the constant references in Max Miiller’s letters to his own birthday or those of his mother and sister. In after- years the birthdays in his own home circle were specially marked and joyful days.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 55, St. John Street, Oxford, August 25, 1856.
‘ I have thought of you with much feeling to-day, and send forth my hearty congratulations, as I think of the beautiful old age, vigorous in mind and body, with which Heaven has blest you. May this day return many a time, and find you surrounded by all dear to you ; and may your Hfe, perfect as it has been, be a pattern and comfort to the world at large. I am looking forward to the concluding part of Egypt, especially to the mythological part of it. I can well imagine that you have found a more comprehensive form of mythological consciousness. I had only just knocked at the door with my essay.
I intended to prove that the mythical form was unavoidable. In the
great regions of God-consciousness we ourselves still think and feel
mythically, that is, language runs away with our thoughts. I\Iy essay
has called forth some opposition, which makes me glad ; for I thought
the matter so evident, that nothing further could be said about it ;
instead of which I perceive that not only has a hole to be made
through the wall, but that the whole wall has to be pulled down and
each barricade to be got rid of. Whether / shall be able to do this is
doubtful, for with all my love for antiquity and the past, my dreams
for the future return again and again, and I feel somewhat drawn to
India — a desire difficult to resist in the end. Only I do not know how
i82 IVtsk to go to India [ch. x
to get there ; but my life here seems so aimless and unfruitful that I shall not be able to bear it for very much longer. I thought the other day whether I could not manage to go to India with the Maharajah Dhulip Singh. He is very well spoken of, and he returns next year after having learnt in England what good things he may do some day for his Fatherland in India. It seems to me it would form the natural nucleus of a small Indo-Christian colony, and it is only necessary to create such a centre in order to exercise one’s power of attraction on all sides. After the last annexation the territorial con- quest of India ceases — what follows next is the struggle in the realm of religion and of spirit, in which, of course, centres the interests of the nations. India is much riper for Christianity than Rome or Greece were at the time of St. Paul. The rotten tree has for some time had artificial supports, because its fall would have been inconvenient for the Government. But if the Englishman comes to see that the tree piust fall, sooner or later, then the thing is done, and he will mind no sacrifice either of blood or of land. For the good of this struggle I should like to lay down my life, or at least to lend my hand to bring about this struggle, Dhulip Singh is much at Court, and is evidendy destined to play a political part in India. I wish I could get in touch with him in some qtiite natural way. Could it be managed with the help of Prince Albert, or would you help me to it ? I do not at all like to go to India as a missionary, that makes one dependent on the parsons ; nor do I care to go as a Civil Servant, as that would make me dependent on the Government. I should like to live for ten years quite quietly and learn the language, try to make friends, and then see whether I was fit to take part in a work, by means of which the old mischief of Indian priestcraft could be overthrown and the way opened for the entrance of simple Christian teaching, that entrance which this teaching finds into every human heart, which is freed from the ensnaring powers of priests and from the obscuring influence of philosophers. Whatever finds root in India soon overshadows the whole of Asia, and nowhere could the vital power of Christianity more gloriously realize itself than if the world saw it spring up there for a second time, in a very different form from that in the West, but still essentially the same.
• Much more could be said about this ; a wide world opens before one, for which it is well worth while to give one’s life. And what is to be done here ? here in England ? here in Oxford ? — nothing but to help polish up a few ornaments on a cathedral which is rotten at the base. But enough for to-day ! My mother and my cousin have been with me for about eight weeks, and some other friends. With the exception of my mother, who is going to stay on with me, they left
1856] Third Volume of Rig-veda 183
a few days ago, and I have set to work again ; my work was inter- rupted for so long. I long for Germany; and how I should like to come to you to Heidelberg, but that is impossible this year, and next year I hope to see you in England. In faithful friendship, yours.’
The poor mother who in her Diary speaks of the quiet time in Oxford alone with her son as ‘ unclouded happiness,’ had little idea of all these thoughts poured out to his fatherly friend !
Meantime the third volume of the Rig-veda had been published, the last volume that was brought out under the auspices of the old East India Company, and dedicated to them. There had been in the previous year some doubt whether it would be possible to finish this great work. The first calculation of the extent of the work, and therefore of its cost, had been based on defective MSS., consequently when the third volume was ready for printing, it was found that this only completed half of the work, whilst exhausting a great deal more than half of the money voted for the whole, and it was with some difficulty and after many anxious months that, owing to the influence which Professor Wilson possessed over the Board of Directors, the additional funds were voted. The preface to this volume therefore ends with an expression of the editor’s gratitude to the Directors ‘for having sanctioned the continuation of the work and granted funds necessary for its completion ; an act of enlightened liberality which will be applauded by all persons interested in the history of India, and in the history of mankind, and by which one of the most important monuments of antiquity will be rescued from oblivion and restored in its integrity.’ Max Miiller was able in his preface to speak of the growing interest the work was exciting among scholars, as being —
• found to shed the most unexpected light on the darkest periods in the history of the most prominent nations of antiquity. Thus, though not yet known in its completeness, the Veda has assumed an importance which no other literary production of India could ever have claimed ; and we may rest convinced that as long as a man cherishes the records of his family, in the widest sense of the word, these simple songs will maintain their place among the most natural annals of ancient history.
One class of readers may have been disappointed [in the Veda] : men
who study ancient literature less on account of its historical than its
1 1
184 His Mother leaves him [ch. x
practical value. But the true historian values facts ancient and genuine, and a corroded copper As of the Roman Republic is of greater value to him than an imperial gold medal of the most exquisite work- manship. ... I must confess that I could have wished that the ancient poets of the Veda and their Indian commentators had been less diffuse; for though I believe that no edition of any author in Sanskrit, or any other language, for which MSS. had first to be copied, others to be collated, innumerable references to be verified, and an index to be made of every word, has ever been brought out so rapidly as this edition of the Rig-veda ; yet I feel that ten years of my life are gone, and I know not whether I shall have suflftcient time left to finish a work which I once undertook perhaps with too m-uch confidence.
Yet even if I should not see the completion of this work, I should not
be sorry for the time I have spent on it ; and nothing will ever induce
me to change the principles which I have hitherto followed, and to
give a hasty copy of a MS. instead of a critical edition of the text and
commentary of the Rig-veda^
Max Miiller again acknowledges the valuable assistance of his learned friend Dr. Aufrecht, and his sincere ‘ regret that he should no longer^ enjoy this advantage, as much of the correctness and accuracy of the last volumes was due to his conscientious co-operation.’
The lectures this term were on ‘ The History of German Civilization and Literature, from the earliest times to the reign of Charlemagne.’
On October 30 Max parted with his mother, who left under care of a friend, going by boat from London to Antwerp, and so to Chemnitz to her daughter.
That afternoon Max writes to his mother : —
Translatio7i.
‘ Our happy time is over, and the winter will not bring me much pleasure. But I beg you to enjoy your time in Chemnitz, . . . and you must tell them how happy we have been here together. I cannot thank God enough for the happiness that I had in your visit, even if I did not talk much about it. You know that one feels most when one says least.’
In several of his letters to Bunsen, Max Miiller refers to
Mr. Jowett, whose orthodoxy was at this time suspected by
^ See p. 164.
1856] M. M.’s Orthodoxy questioned 185
many of the leading people in Oxford, and his intimacy with whom brought Max himself into ill odour with several of his more narrow-minded friends. He received early in the autumn a letter from a friend Avhose good opinion and affection he highly valued — a letter questioning the orthodoxy of his religious views. He answered it thus : —
To ..
55, St. John Street, October 4, 1856.
‘Your letter has been in my hands for some time, and I have thought about it many times, and I have tried to make it clear to myself why you should have written that letter — but at last I felt con- vinced that, though you must have known that it would give me much pain, you wrote it from the kindest motives, and with that anxiety which we feel for a friend only. I see clearly that in your own heart you do not believe the charge which somebody unknown to me has brought against me. For if you did, you would not have written to me, you would not have asked me. For how can I defend myself against such a charge, except by telling you it is not true, and if you believe in me, do not believe it ? If I have said or written anything that has given offence to your friend, let me know it, and I shall then be able to defend myself But if some one, without giving any proof, without giving even his name, tells you that I am an unbeliever, that I do not believe in the Bible, that I do not believe in Christ our Lord and Saviour, I need not fear him. I know that there are not a few who treat our faith as such a light matter that they think nothing of charging a man with infidelity, though they would shrink from charging him with dishonesty. And some of them are honourable men, who act from pure and high motives, and whose only fault is too much confidence in themselves and too little confidence in others. But, I say again, I need not fear them. I have many friends who know me, and know my religious convictions; and though I have always avoided theological controversy, I have never avoided expressing my faith in the doctrines of Christianity, when I felt called upon to do so.
I am not a theologian, and though I have been occupied for many
years with the study of the ancient forms of religion, and though
I have followed with a deep interest the histor}’ of our own Church
from the earliest times, I do not feel competent to lay down the law,
or even to express an opinion on all points, where even the best and
wisest have stumbled, because thev endeavoured to fathom with their
human reason the depths of a Divine mystery. If you read the history
of the Church, you will find that this has been the source of all heresy,
and that all divisions and persecutions in the Church have arisen from
i86 Visit from Fontane [ch. x
the attempts of theologians to substitute their own thoughts and their own expressions for the simple language in which Christianity has been revealed to us in the Bible. And if we know the dangers of religious controversy, if we see how it is opposed to the very spirit of Chris- tianity, how it appeals to the worst passions and destroys every feeling of charity, we ought to pity the priest or theologian who, like a physician, must enter into this pest-house ; but surely we have a right to refuse to follow him, and to be dragged into it against our will. And if he tells us that we are ourselves infected with heresy, it is a serious charge indeed, but we may appeal to our friends and to a higher tribunal, and we may at least remind our accuser of one of the last commandments ; nay, we may tell him that at a time when Christianity was a crime, Roman Emperors who had no scruple in making martyrs of all who professed the name of Christ, thought it fair to pass a law by which informers who could not substantiate their charge of Christianity against a Roman citizen were liable to a severe, even capital, punishment. I must say no more, for I do not wish to offend you by saying anything harsh against one who is your friend, and who may have been induced by a feeling of kindness towards you to disregard a duty which, as Christians, we owe to all men, even to a mere stranger. . . . Whatever our hearts may feel, and whatever our fleeting passions may say against it, there is no true, no lasting love, unless it has its source and life in God. . . . Through my whole life I have learnt this one lesson, that nothing can happen to us unless it be the will of God, and this I believe now more than ever. My life has been a happy one, and seeing that all I wanted, and much more, was given me, I began to think that there could be no disappointment in life. I have learnt better, and yet I feel again that there can be no disappointment in life, if we but learn to submit our will to the will of God. . . . We ought to remember also that our faith is not our faith, but that, like everything else, it is given us. Therefore we should not glory in our faith, or look down upon others whom we think poor in faith, or who may seem to differ from us. Let us wait for a little while — and to those whose eyes are turned to God and eternity the longest life is but a little while — let us wait then in faith, hope, and charity ; these three abide, but the greatest of these is charity.’
Soon after his mother had left him. Max Miiller was cheered by a visit from his old friend Fontane, who had been wandering about England, collecting materials for two works which he afterwards published under the titles, England, Studies in English Art, &c., and Beyond the Tweed. Fontane writes of this visit : —
1856-7] Curator of Bodleian 187
Translation.
‘In the autumn of 1856 I paid a visit to Miiller. I wanted to see the “ heart of England,” the midland counties, . . . and Oxford was to be my first halting-place. I was with him for two days, and count these days among the pleasantest in my memory, for the sake of Miiller and the place itself I have seen a large number of the cities of Western Europe, but none have made so powerful, so enchanting an impression on me. It is difficult to say in what the superiority of Oxford consists. It is not merely its architecture. . . . But in a peculiar mingling ... of beautiful architecture, beautiful landscape, and rich historical recollections it stands alone. Since the day I left Oxford I have not seen Miiller again in England.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. London, December 6.
‘ I cannot write much to-day, as I am not quietly at home, but am staying with Walrond, and I have but a minute to tell you that I have entered my new year well, and of good courage. God has helped me hitherto, and will surely further help me and all of us, and whatever happens to us is always the best for us, even if we do not at once understand and perceive it.’
Max Miiller was appointed a Curator of the Bodleian in this year, and always took great interest in the Curators’ meetings. He was a keen advocate for more liberal arrange- ments in lending out MSS. under proper precautions, a privi- lege accorded by so many of the leading foreign libraries.
Christmas was spent at Calder Park, near Glasgow, with the parents of his friend Walrond. Max Miiller writes from there to thank his mother for her beautiful Christmas gift, the fine bust of Goethe, which his friends will remember always stood on the top of the bookcase opposite the writing- table at which he spent so many hours of his life, and he would often look up at it as if to imbibe fresh courage for his work from the strong and noble features of the mighty master.
The year 1857 was devoted by Max Miiller to the Rig-veda,
and to the preparation of his German Classics. He was far
from well the whole year, and out of spirits, and though
forced to enter into society by his many kind friends, it is
evident from his Diary, resumed this year, that it was mere
weariness to him, and he buried himself as much as possible
in his work. The correspondence with Bunsen was not very
1 88 Bunsen’s God in History [ch. x
constant, and his general correspondence not as voluminous as usual throughout this year.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 55, St. John ^tke^t, January 24, 1857.
‘ I have through this week been in such constant intercourse with you, have heard and learnt so much from you, and have so often thought of the happy time when your real presence made a home for me in a strange land, that although I have nothing to tell you, or to complain of, I must at least thank you for the mental enjoyment your book God in History has brought me. Your book is a fact, and as such must produce an effect, if there is any life left in mankind, if the retrospective look does not blind the spirit, and the eyes of the present generation are not obstinately closed to all glimpses into the future. You have said afresh what is old, unveiled what is hidden, and made dead things live. You have placed the Bible within the focus of history, so that men can perceive its real greatness, whilst to most people this book stands so close they cannot see it, or so far they cannot reach it. I can form no judgement on many single points, and I am glad of this for the present, as the whole has therefore a greater effect on me. But if I find that my strength lasts out, I too must enter on this study, when my other work is finished, which I have undertaken, and must carry out. But in that too lies many a problem, which must be solved, and I cannot reconcile it to myself, to draw the limits of God-inspired mankind so narrowly as you do in many passages in your last work. The men in India were not forsaken by God, and if we cannot join in their prayers, the fault is ours. The heart is too narrow, the spirit too proud. I do not yet despair of discovering the chord by which the dissonance of the Veda and Zend-Avesta and the Chinese Kings will be brought into unison with the key-note of the Bible. There can be nothing accidental, nothing inharmonious on earth and in history ; the unresolved discords in the East must find their solution, and we dare not leave off till we have discovered the why and the wherefore. You will come to treat of this in your second volume, where the Greek dissonance resolves itself in the Apostle of the Gentiles, and it is a pity your completed work has not appeared at once. This must at all events be the case in England. I had already read the book before I received the copy you have yourself sent me, and for which I send my warmest thanks. Of my useless life here I have nothing to tell you. I am weary and worn out, perhaps things may yet go better. I remain, in true affection and gratitude, yours ever, ‘ M. IM.’
To this his fatherly friend replied : —
1857] Music 189
Translation. January 29.
• I am not at all easy at what you tell me about yourself and your feelings. But why are you unhappy ? You have gained for yourself a delightful position in life. You are getting on with your gigantic work. You (like me) have won a Fatherland in England without losing your German home, the ever excellent. You have a beautiful future before you. You can at any moment give yourself a comfortable and soul-satisfying family circle. If many around you are philistines, you know that already ; still they are worth something in their own line. Only step boldly forward into life.’
Max Miiller seems to have given more time again to music this year, and he tells his mother early in February, ‘ The two Miss Jelfs are here, and we have had a great deal of music, and have studied and sung Mendelssohn’s Forty-second Psahn with chorus. It went very well, but I had a good deal to do in practising the choir. We were sixteen voices.’ Mrs. Thomson ^ writes of these parties : —
‘ Your husband kindly conducted my concerts in the Hall at Queen’s, where we got up the Lobgesang and the Forty-second Psalm by Mendelssohn, sung by amateurs. Thanks to his kindness, they were a very great success, and sounded so well in the Hall, which was furnished as a drawing-room, with palms and sofas and rugs. He seemed much pleased with the result.’
There is a photograph taken by Professor Maskelyne and Dr. Thomson of Max Miiller and several members of his choir; all gone now, except Mrs. Thomson and one other friend. Max Miiller tells us in the Autobiography that Mendelssohn’s music was still despised by some of the old school, and that one evening Dr. Elwes, the old organist of New College, who had been listening to the Hymn of Praise^ ‘walked up to me — to thank me, as I thought — but no, he burst out into a torrent of real and somewhat coarse abuse of me for venturing to introduce such flimsy music into Oxford.’
It was in the February of this year that Deutsche Liebe was published by Brockhaus in Leipzig. It had been written in the autumn, whilst Max Miiller ‘s mother was still with him. So much has been written
much as possible and rejoice when something is really accomplished. It looks disgraceful in Prussia; the whole morality begins to be bankrupt.
‘ I am so glad to know that your great work ^ is to be concluded before the great war breaks out. I should have liked to send you my little contribution about the Veda, but Easter approaches, and till then I am actually glued to my table day after day, as I have promised Brockhaus, by contract, to hand over to him the MS. at the end of ]\Iarch. I am sending him a Vedic grammar as introduction to the first volume of the German edition of the Rig-veda. The text was printed some time ago, and therefore he presses me to send him the preface. So you see it is absolutely impossible to answer your questions now.
‘ The Flood-legend does not occur in the Hymns of the Veda, but in the Brahmanas. Burnouf considers it borrowed, and he may be right, as it only occurs in a modern Brahmana. The Fall is hinted at, not morally but only metaphysically. . . . The keynote which runs through the whole always is : We do not know ; who looked on when God made the world ? To whom did he mention it ? I mean to stay here for the summer, and expect my mother to pay me a visit.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, March 23.
‘ You must lead a very quiet life, and not anger and excite yourself. The things that annoy us in life are after all very trifling things, if we always bear in mind for what purpose we are here. And even in the heavier trials, one knows, or one should know, that all is sent by a higher Power, and in the end must be for our best interests. It is true we cannot understand it, but we can understand that God rules in the world in the smallest and in the largest events, and he who keeps that ever in mind has the peace of God, and enjoys his Hfe as long as it lasts. I am sure that a quiet, contented mind is better than all medicine and Carlsbad. I dare say a change of air will be good for you, and life in England is very healthy, if you will hve quietly. We cannot travel about much, for it is too expensive and requires younger legs, but Oxford itself is sure to please you, and you will see what my hfe here is.’
This spring Max Miiller’s article on Comparative Mytho-
logy appeared in the Oxford Essays. It has been reprinted
in both editions of the Chips. A contemporary writer speaks
of the ‘ great impression made by Max Muller’s essay on
1 EgypL
1856] Indian Chronology 177
Comparative Mythology, published in the Oxford Essays, in
which he applied the rules of comparative philology to the
elucidation of Aryan myths, in a manner at once scientific
and popular.’ ‘ Max Miiller,’ says Professor Macdonell in his
obituary notice in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,
‘ was a pioneer in this country of the Science of Comparative Mytho- logy, founded by Adalbert Kuhn. . . . Beginning with his essay on Comparative Mythology, which appeared in 1856, he wrote a number of papers on mythological subjects. . . . His mythological method, based on linguistic equations, has but few adherents in the present day, for most of his identifications . . . have been rejected owing to the more stringent application of phonetic laws which now prevails in Comparative Philology. . . . Nevertheless, his writings have proved valuable in this field also by stimulating mythological investigations even beyond the range of Aryan-speaking nations.’
Of this essay a friend wrote many years later to Max Miiller :—
‘ When I was young I remember you were my ideal hero — the magician who admitted me into a gorgeous fairy-land. I can remember as if it were yesterday, in the early sixties, how I read tAe Oxford essay in the British Museum, and walked home to Clapham westward facing a glorious sunset, hardly conscious that I was a creature of this planet ! And later on a new book of yours was an event in my life ! ‘
Bunsen was busying himself at this time with questions of Indian chronology, in which Max Miiller could not sympathize, feeling the ground too insecure for any real historical treat- ment. In one letter he says: —
Translation. April, 1856.
‘ I only recognize one chronology for India, the four literary
periods of the Veda, which bring us to at least 1 500 b. c., and even at
that time show us a formulated system of divinities and even priest-
craft. Before this time the schism of Brahmans and Zoroastrians
had taken place. And long before this, even, the schism between the
Aryans tracking north-eastward and those tracking southwards took
place ; and before the nomadic Greeks separated from the nomadic
Indians, centuries must have passed. There seems no doubt that
the South Aryans (later on divided into Indians and Zoroastrians) had
settled together in Bactria. . . . The alphabet on the Aryan coins in
the north of India is no doubt Semitic. The Sanskrit alphabet has
I N
178 Megasthenes [ch. x
its origin from elsewhere, and I believe I shall be able to trace it to the Himyaritic. When it reached India is the great question, and that I am unable to answer. “ Ophir “ proves how old the commerce between India and Phoenicia must have been ; for “ Ophir “ is Abhiva on the Indus. So you see the oldest date of the name Ophir occurring in the Bible is the latest time in which the Aryans were already settled by the sea, and at the time of the Veda they had not yet settled there. Could it be proved that Solomon knew the name Ophir, it would of course be a terminus a quo. His lion-throne made of ivory reminds one of the Sanskrit lion-seat, i. e. throne. Lassen has established the Sanskrit etymology of the products of Ophir. I am now printing my old Vedic grammar — ^just think that 400 B.C. each syllable of the Rig-veda had been counted, each lengthened syllable had been carefully marked, and each metrical inaccuracy had been carefully registered. But it is an awful work, and I long to return to my mythology.’
This letter crossed one from Bunsen, in which he tells Max Miiller, ‘ It would be a great pleasure to you, my dear friend, if you could see the enthusiasm of my reawakened love for India, which possessed me in 181 1-4, and which now daily overpowers me.’ The letter ends, ‘ Send me a letter, only without “ Your Excellency.” I beg you will always write to me as friend to friend.’
To this friendly invitation Max Miiller replies : —
Translation. 55, St. John Street, Oxford, April 25, 1856.
‘ Your Excellency, — Allow me to continue to call you so ; it is an old habit, and reminds me of the time when first I entered your study to have my passport to Germany vise’^d, in a despairing mood as I was then, without an aim, without means to carry out the one scheme which I had clearly planned for myself! How much has happened since then ! Oh, when I think how I have to thank you, your encouragement, your sympathy, for the whole turn of my fate, if I consider that, I know of no other word which would better express my veneration for you, my love and my gratitude, than the one by which I addressed you with German awkwardness at the first visit I paid you, a word which, like many another one, has been much misused, but has nevertheless not yet lost its true meaning !
‘ With regard to Megasthenes \ I do not know how I can help you.
As far as I have occupied myself with the chronological question,
^ Greek envoy from Seleucus Nicator (306-298 B.C.) to Chandra-gupta (Sandrocottus). He wrote a work on India.
1856] Froude’s History 179
which has never been a passion with me, I do not see in the least how Megasthenes cozild know more than Wilford or Sir W. Jones. Mega- sthenes could not know anything but what we know, for though we know nothing of Indian history, we know the history of Indian litera- ture sufficiently well to be able to ascertain that no annals have ever been lost, simply because none ever existed. We have the most distinct traces in the Rig-veda of the schism between the Brahmans and the followers of the Zend-Avesta.
‘ I intend very soon to publish something about this, perhaps in the Long Vacation, when Mrs. Liddell, &c., will have no more music parties, when there are no more examinations in London and no more lectures in Oxford, and when the third volume of the Veda has been published. Now I feel so hunted that I can accomplish nothing. I have so many claims on my time during term, that I often have to do the most necessary work in the middle of the night. Froude’s History is out ; I have devoured the first volume, and have put the second on one side for later on. It seems to me very good. Jowett has not yet been burnt ; instead of that he thinks of publishing Plato’s Republic. Examinations, education, are the ordre du jour \ in a very short time all positions will be open for competition. What a social revolution that is ! It would have drawn blood in other lands. Much of it is due to Trevelyan. Gladstone made a manful speech last night — how much that means. Ever yours.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. Oxford, May 6.
‘ I have been in London again for a week and have made many interesting acquaintances. Life in England is so grand, and I wish you could see me at such a dinner as lately at Lord Denbigh’s — such pictures all round the room ! I am in no want of work to do, and with all the interruptions here, I can hardly get on. ... I hear occa- sionally from Bunsen. I do ‘not believe he means to return to England. As to your journey here, you must inquire whether any acquaintances are coming to England. I shall certainly stay in Oxford this summer, as I have a good deal of work before me. Oxford in summer during the vacation is delightful. In a fortnight I must go again to London. I shall be staying with friends in one of the best houses — very pleasant, and cheap. Then I shall hear Jenny Lind, and in a month she is coming to Oxford to give two concerts, and we shall have grand festivities ; Peace festival, &c.’
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 55, St. John Street, Oxford, May 4, 1856.
‘Your Excellency, — Your last letter awaited me in Oxford, as
N a
i8o Meets his Wife again [ch. x
I spent all last week in London to examine there. The more I see how deeply you penetrate into Indian chronology, the more I regret that I cannot follow you as I did formerly. It would indeed be a great work if you could find a secure historical foundation for the Indian traditions. I am still at the previous question — i.e. Could Megasthenes make any discovery besides that which we have made from Sanskrit literature ? This question must be answered, and there I am afraid Megasthenes with his total ignorance of Sanskrit will have the worst of it, as compared with Manetho and his knowledge of hieroglyphics, and Berosus with his knowledge of cuneiform. How- ever, I am ignorant, and therefore unprejudiced, and I am willing to learn and to believe. My passion is now Mythology ; and I see you cannot serve two masters, for at present I cannot get away from it, though so many other things claim my attention. I long for the Long Vacation, and I expect a visit from my mother, and therefore I shall not go to Germany. I hope to write something more about Mythology. I find that John Bull has taken a bite and asks for more. At present I am working at my grammar, and I am also working at a German Historical Reader, which I could not refuse on account of my Professorship. Forgive me, therefore, that I do not throw myself into Indian chronology, but I can do nothing unless I can do it with all my heart. Confident of your kind indulgence, I always remain, much honoured friend, master and benefactor, your faithful 1\I.M.’
In April of this year Max MUller had again met his future wife, and during six weeks they saw each other constantly at her home, and in London, and at the Grand Commemoration and Peace festivities in Oxford ; little foreseeing the painful three years of total silence and separation that they had to go through before their marriage was allowed. In the first days of July Max’s mother arrived, accompanied by Emilie von Stolzenberg, and the faithful family friend Baron Hage- dorn. They spent two or three weeks in London, seeing all the sights, going to the Opera, dining at Richmond. The mother, cousin, and Hagedorn went from London to the Isle of Wight without Max, who returned to Oxford. After the visit to the Isle of Wight, Hagedorn returned to Germany, the mother and cousin going to Oxford. From there the Baroness visited Scotland, and the whole party then returned to London, and devoted themselves to sight-seeing, till Emilie went to Germany towards the end of August, leaving the mother to enjoy her son to herself for two months longer.
1856] Visit of his Cousin and Mother 181
On July 17 Bunsen writes to congratulate Max Muller on the visit of his mother and cousin : —
Translation.
‘ You know it was a letter of the la//er which first told me o/jou, and made me wish to see you. And then you came jyourse//, and all that I prophesied of you after the first conversation in London, and your first visit to us in the country, has been richly fulfilled — yes, beyond my boldest hopes. You have won an honourable position in the first English University, not only for yourself, but for the Fatherland, and you have richly returned the love which I felt for you from the first moment, and have faithfully reciprocated a friendship which con- stitutes an essential portion of my happiness.’
On August 25 Max Muller sent his usual birthday con- gratulations to Bunsen. It must be remembered that birth- days are much more observed in Germany than in England, hence the constant references in Max Miiller’s letters to his own birthday or those of his mother and sister. In after- years the birthdays in his own home circle were specially marked and joyful days.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 55, St. John Street, Oxford, August 25, 1856.
‘ I have thought of you with much feeling to-day, and send forth my hearty congratulations, as I think of the beautiful old age, vigorous in mind and body, with which Heaven has blest you. May this day return many a time, and find you surrounded by all dear to you ; and may your Hfe, perfect as it has been, be a pattern and comfort to the world at large. I am looking forward to the concluding part of Egypt, especially to the mythological part of it. I can well imagine that you have found a more comprehensive form of mythological consciousness. I had only just knocked at the door with my essay.
I intended to prove that the mythical form was unavoidable. In the
great regions of God-consciousness we ourselves still think and feel
mythically, that is, language runs away with our thoughts. I\Iy essay
has called forth some opposition, which makes me glad ; for I thought
the matter so evident, that nothing further could be said about it ;
instead of which I perceive that not only has a hole to be made
through the wall, but that the whole wall has to be pulled down and
each barricade to be got rid of. Whether / shall be able to do this is
doubtful, for with all my love for antiquity and the past, my dreams
for the future return again and again, and I feel somewhat drawn to
India — a desire difficult to resist in the end. Only I do not know how
i82 IVtsk to go to India [ch. x
to get there ; but my life here seems so aimless and unfruitful that I shall not be able to bear it for very much longer. I thought the other day whether I could not manage to go to India with the Maharajah Dhulip Singh. He is very well spoken of, and he returns next year after having learnt in England what good things he may do some day for his Fatherland in India. It seems to me it would form the natural nucleus of a small Indo-Christian colony, and it is only necessary to create such a centre in order to exercise one’s power of attraction on all sides. After the last annexation the territorial con- quest of India ceases — what follows next is the struggle in the realm of religion and of spirit, in which, of course, centres the interests of the nations. India is much riper for Christianity than Rome or Greece were at the time of St. Paul. The rotten tree has for some time had artificial supports, because its fall would have been inconvenient for the Government. But if the Englishman comes to see that the tree piust fall, sooner or later, then the thing is done, and he will mind no sacrifice either of blood or of land. For the good of this struggle I should like to lay down my life, or at least to lend my hand to bring about this struggle, Dhulip Singh is much at Court, and is evidendy destined to play a political part in India. I wish I could get in touch with him in some qtiite natural way. Could it be managed with the help of Prince Albert, or would you help me to it ? I do not at all like to go to India as a missionary, that makes one dependent on the parsons ; nor do I care to go as a Civil Servant, as that would make me dependent on the Government. I should like to live for ten years quite quietly and learn the language, try to make friends, and then see whether I was fit to take part in a work, by means of which the old mischief of Indian priestcraft could be overthrown and the way opened for the entrance of simple Christian teaching, that entrance which this teaching finds into every human heart, which is freed from the ensnaring powers of priests and from the obscuring influence of philosophers. Whatever finds root in India soon overshadows the whole of Asia, and nowhere could the vital power of Christianity more gloriously realize itself than if the world saw it spring up there for a second time, in a very different form from that in the West, but still essentially the same.
• Much more could be said about this ; a wide world opens before one, for which it is well worth while to give one’s life. And what is to be done here ? here in England ? here in Oxford ? — nothing but to help polish up a few ornaments on a cathedral which is rotten at the base. But enough for to-day ! My mother and my cousin have been with me for about eight weeks, and some other friends. With the exception of my mother, who is going to stay on with me, they left
1856] Third Volume of Rig-veda 183
a few days ago, and I have set to work again ; my work was inter- rupted for so long. I long for Germany; and how I should like to come to you to Heidelberg, but that is impossible this year, and next year I hope to see you in England. In faithful friendship, yours.’
The poor mother who in her Diary speaks of the quiet time in Oxford alone with her son as ‘ unclouded happiness,’ had little idea of all these thoughts poured out to his fatherly friend !
Meantime the third volume of the Rig-veda had been published, the last volume that was brought out under the auspices of the old East India Company, and dedicated to them. There had been in the previous year some doubt whether it would be possible to finish this great work. The first calculation of the extent of the work, and therefore of its cost, had been based on defective MSS., consequently when the third volume was ready for printing, it was found that this only completed half of the work, whilst exhausting a great deal more than half of the money voted for the whole, and it was with some difficulty and after many anxious months that, owing to the influence which Professor Wilson possessed over the Board of Directors, the additional funds were voted. The preface to this volume therefore ends with an expression of the editor’s gratitude to the Directors ‘for having sanctioned the continuation of the work and granted funds necessary for its completion ; an act of enlightened liberality which will be applauded by all persons interested in the history of India, and in the history of mankind, and by which one of the most important monuments of antiquity will be rescued from oblivion and restored in its integrity.’ Max Miiller was able in his preface to speak of the growing interest the work was exciting among scholars, as being —
• found to shed the most unexpected light on the darkest periods in the history of the most prominent nations of antiquity. Thus, though not yet known in its completeness, the Veda has assumed an importance which no other literary production of India could ever have claimed ; and we may rest convinced that as long as a man cherishes the records of his family, in the widest sense of the word, these simple songs will maintain their place among the most natural annals of ancient history.
One class of readers may have been disappointed [in the Veda] : men
who study ancient literature less on account of its historical than its
1 1
184 His Mother leaves him [ch. x
practical value. But the true historian values facts ancient and genuine, and a corroded copper As of the Roman Republic is of greater value to him than an imperial gold medal of the most exquisite work- manship. ... I must confess that I could have wished that the ancient poets of the Veda and their Indian commentators had been less diffuse; for though I believe that no edition of any author in Sanskrit, or any other language, for which MSS. had first to be copied, others to be collated, innumerable references to be verified, and an index to be made of every word, has ever been brought out so rapidly as this edition of the Rig-veda ; yet I feel that ten years of my life are gone, and I know not whether I shall have suflftcient time left to finish a work which I once undertook perhaps with too m-uch confidence.
Yet even if I should not see the completion of this work, I should not
be sorry for the time I have spent on it ; and nothing will ever induce
me to change the principles which I have hitherto followed, and to
give a hasty copy of a MS. instead of a critical edition of the text and
commentary of the Rig-veda^
Max Miiller again acknowledges the valuable assistance of his learned friend Dr. Aufrecht, and his sincere ‘ regret that he should no longer^ enjoy this advantage, as much of the correctness and accuracy of the last volumes was due to his conscientious co-operation.’
The lectures this term were on ‘ The History of German Civilization and Literature, from the earliest times to the reign of Charlemagne.’
On October 30 Max parted with his mother, who left under care of a friend, going by boat from London to Antwerp, and so to Chemnitz to her daughter.
That afternoon Max writes to his mother : —
Translatio7i.
‘ Our happy time is over, and the winter will not bring me much pleasure. But I beg you to enjoy your time in Chemnitz, . . . and you must tell them how happy we have been here together. I cannot thank God enough for the happiness that I had in your visit, even if I did not talk much about it. You know that one feels most when one says least.’
In several of his letters to Bunsen, Max Miiller refers to
Mr. Jowett, whose orthodoxy was at this time suspected by
^ See p. 164.
1856] M. M.’s Orthodoxy questioned 185
many of the leading people in Oxford, and his intimacy with whom brought Max himself into ill odour with several of his more narrow-minded friends. He received early in the autumn a letter from a friend Avhose good opinion and affection he highly valued — a letter questioning the orthodoxy of his religious views. He answered it thus : —
To ..
55, St. John Street, October 4, 1856.
‘Your letter has been in my hands for some time, and I have thought about it many times, and I have tried to make it clear to myself why you should have written that letter — but at last I felt con- vinced that, though you must have known that it would give me much pain, you wrote it from the kindest motives, and with that anxiety which we feel for a friend only. I see clearly that in your own heart you do not believe the charge which somebody unknown to me has brought against me. For if you did, you would not have written to me, you would not have asked me. For how can I defend myself against such a charge, except by telling you it is not true, and if you believe in me, do not believe it ? If I have said or written anything that has given offence to your friend, let me know it, and I shall then be able to defend myself But if some one, without giving any proof, without giving even his name, tells you that I am an unbeliever, that I do not believe in the Bible, that I do not believe in Christ our Lord and Saviour, I need not fear him. I know that there are not a few who treat our faith as such a light matter that they think nothing of charging a man with infidelity, though they would shrink from charging him with dishonesty. And some of them are honourable men, who act from pure and high motives, and whose only fault is too much confidence in themselves and too little confidence in others. But, I say again, I need not fear them. I have many friends who know me, and know my religious convictions; and though I have always avoided theological controversy, I have never avoided expressing my faith in the doctrines of Christianity, when I felt called upon to do so.
I am not a theologian, and though I have been occupied for many
years with the study of the ancient forms of religion, and though
I have followed with a deep interest the histor}’ of our own Church
from the earliest times, I do not feel competent to lay down the law,
or even to express an opinion on all points, where even the best and
wisest have stumbled, because thev endeavoured to fathom with their
human reason the depths of a Divine mystery. If you read the history
of the Church, you will find that this has been the source of all heresy,
and that all divisions and persecutions in the Church have arisen from
i86 Visit from Fontane [ch. x
the attempts of theologians to substitute their own thoughts and their own expressions for the simple language in which Christianity has been revealed to us in the Bible. And if we know the dangers of religious controversy, if we see how it is opposed to the very spirit of Chris- tianity, how it appeals to the worst passions and destroys every feeling of charity, we ought to pity the priest or theologian who, like a physician, must enter into this pest-house ; but surely we have a right to refuse to follow him, and to be dragged into it against our will. And if he tells us that we are ourselves infected with heresy, it is a serious charge indeed, but we may appeal to our friends and to a higher tribunal, and we may at least remind our accuser of one of the last commandments ; nay, we may tell him that at a time when Christianity was a crime, Roman Emperors who had no scruple in making martyrs of all who professed the name of Christ, thought it fair to pass a law by which informers who could not substantiate their charge of Christianity against a Roman citizen were liable to a severe, even capital, punishment. I must say no more, for I do not wish to offend you by saying anything harsh against one who is your friend, and who may have been induced by a feeling of kindness towards you to disregard a duty which, as Christians, we owe to all men, even to a mere stranger. . . . Whatever our hearts may feel, and whatever our fleeting passions may say against it, there is no true, no lasting love, unless it has its source and life in God. . . . Through my whole life I have learnt this one lesson, that nothing can happen to us unless it be the will of God, and this I believe now more than ever. My life has been a happy one, and seeing that all I wanted, and much more, was given me, I began to think that there could be no disappointment in life. I have learnt better, and yet I feel again that there can be no disappointment in life, if we but learn to submit our will to the will of God. . . . We ought to remember also that our faith is not our faith, but that, like everything else, it is given us. Therefore we should not glory in our faith, or look down upon others whom we think poor in faith, or who may seem to differ from us. Let us wait for a little while — and to those whose eyes are turned to God and eternity the longest life is but a little while — let us wait then in faith, hope, and charity ; these three abide, but the greatest of these is charity.’
Soon after his mother had left him. Max Miiller was cheered by a visit from his old friend Fontane, who had been wandering about England, collecting materials for two works which he afterwards published under the titles, England, Studies in English Art, &c., and Beyond the Tweed. Fontane writes of this visit : —
1856-7] Curator of Bodleian 187
Translation.
‘In the autumn of 1856 I paid a visit to Miiller. I wanted to see the “ heart of England,” the midland counties, . . . and Oxford was to be my first halting-place. I was with him for two days, and count these days among the pleasantest in my memory, for the sake of Miiller and the place itself I have seen a large number of the cities of Western Europe, but none have made so powerful, so enchanting an impression on me. It is difficult to say in what the superiority of Oxford consists. It is not merely its architecture. . . . But in a peculiar mingling ... of beautiful architecture, beautiful landscape, and rich historical recollections it stands alone. Since the day I left Oxford I have not seen Miiller again in England.’
To HIS Mother.
Translation. London, December 6.
‘ I cannot write much to-day, as I am not quietly at home, but am staying with Walrond, and I have but a minute to tell you that I have entered my new year well, and of good courage. God has helped me hitherto, and will surely further help me and all of us, and whatever happens to us is always the best for us, even if we do not at once understand and perceive it.’
Max Miiller was appointed a Curator of the Bodleian in this year, and always took great interest in the Curators’ meetings. He was a keen advocate for more liberal arrange- ments in lending out MSS. under proper precautions, a privi- lege accorded by so many of the leading foreign libraries.
Christmas was spent at Calder Park, near Glasgow, with the parents of his friend Walrond. Max Miiller writes from there to thank his mother for her beautiful Christmas gift, the fine bust of Goethe, which his friends will remember always stood on the top of the bookcase opposite the writing- table at which he spent so many hours of his life, and he would often look up at it as if to imbibe fresh courage for his work from the strong and noble features of the mighty master.
The year 1857 was devoted by Max Miiller to the Rig-veda,
and to the preparation of his German Classics. He was far
from well the whole year, and out of spirits, and though
forced to enter into society by his many kind friends, it is
evident from his Diary, resumed this year, that it was mere
weariness to him, and he buried himself as much as possible
in his work. The correspondence with Bunsen was not very
1 88 Bunsen’s God in History [ch. x
constant, and his general correspondence not as voluminous as usual throughout this year.
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. 55, St. John ^tke^t, January 24, 1857.
‘ I have through this week been in such constant intercourse with you, have heard and learnt so much from you, and have so often thought of the happy time when your real presence made a home for me in a strange land, that although I have nothing to tell you, or to complain of, I must at least thank you for the mental enjoyment your book God in History has brought me. Your book is a fact, and as such must produce an effect, if there is any life left in mankind, if the retrospective look does not blind the spirit, and the eyes of the present generation are not obstinately closed to all glimpses into the future. You have said afresh what is old, unveiled what is hidden, and made dead things live. You have placed the Bible within the focus of history, so that men can perceive its real greatness, whilst to most people this book stands so close they cannot see it, or so far they cannot reach it. I can form no judgement on many single points, and I am glad of this for the present, as the whole has therefore a greater effect on me. But if I find that my strength lasts out, I too must enter on this study, when my other work is finished, which I have undertaken, and must carry out. But in that too lies many a problem, which must be solved, and I cannot reconcile it to myself, to draw the limits of God-inspired mankind so narrowly as you do in many passages in your last work. The men in India were not forsaken by God, and if we cannot join in their prayers, the fault is ours. The heart is too narrow, the spirit too proud. I do not yet despair of discovering the chord by which the dissonance of the Veda and Zend-Avesta and the Chinese Kings will be brought into unison with the key-note of the Bible. There can be nothing accidental, nothing inharmonious on earth and in history ; the unresolved discords in the East must find their solution, and we dare not leave off till we have discovered the why and the wherefore. You will come to treat of this in your second volume, where the Greek dissonance resolves itself in the Apostle of the Gentiles, and it is a pity your completed work has not appeared at once. This must at all events be the case in England. I had already read the book before I received the copy you have yourself sent me, and for which I send my warmest thanks. Of my useless life here I have nothing to tell you. I am weary and worn out, perhaps things may yet go better. I remain, in true affection and gratitude, yours ever, ‘ M. IM.’
To this his fatherly friend replied : —
1857] Music 189
Translation. January 29.
• I am not at all easy at what you tell me about yourself and your feelings. But why are you unhappy ? You have gained for yourself a delightful position in life. You are getting on with your gigantic work. You (like me) have won a Fatherland in England without losing your German home, the ever excellent. You have a beautiful future before you. You can at any moment give yourself a comfortable and soul-satisfying family circle. If many around you are philistines, you know that already ; still they are worth something in their own line. Only step boldly forward into life.’
Max Miiller seems to have given more time again to music this year, and he tells his mother early in February, ‘ The two Miss Jelfs are here, and we have had a great deal of music, and have studied and sung Mendelssohn’s Forty-second Psahn with chorus. It went very well, but I had a good deal to do in practising the choir. We were sixteen voices.’ Mrs. Thomson ^ writes of these parties : —
‘ Your husband kindly conducted my concerts in the Hall at Queen’s, where we got up the Lobgesang and the Forty-second Psalm by Mendelssohn, sung by amateurs. Thanks to his kindness, they were a very great success, and sounded so well in the Hall, which was furnished as a drawing-room, with palms and sofas and rugs. He seemed much pleased with the result.’
There is a photograph taken by Professor Maskelyne and Dr. Thomson of Max Miiller and several members of his choir; all gone now, except Mrs. Thomson and one other friend. Max Miiller tells us in the Autobiography that Mendelssohn’s music was still despised by some of the old school, and that one evening Dr. Elwes, the old organist of New College, who had been listening to the Hymn of Praise^ ‘walked up to me — to thank me, as I thought — but no, he burst out into a torrent of real and somewhat coarse abuse of me for venturing to introduce such flimsy music into Oxford.’
It was in the February of this year that Deutsche Liebe was published by Brockhaus in Leipzig. It had been written in the autumn, whilst Max Miiller ‘s mother was still with him. So much has been written
Re: ஆரியர்கள் இந்தியர்களே அது பற்றி சில கருத்துக்கள்
and said about this prose idyll, so many people have declared it to be autobiographical, that it is perhaps well once for all to say that it is pure fiction ^ Her husband was then Provost of Queen’s.
igo Deutsche Liehe [ch. x
as far as the characters and circumstances are concerned. It was written as a rehef to his own feelings, and Max Miiller thought by making an invalid princess the object of those feelings no one would easily guess the author, or the reason why it was written. That the Schloss and scenery described resemble Dessau was but natural, seeing how little else Max had seen in his own country. The book came out anony- mously, and for two or three editions the secret was well kept. Only to Bunsen did Max Miiller acknowledge himself as author. Of his English friends, Froude alone from the first guessed the authorship, and in a review of the book in the Saturday Reviezv says : —
‘ One of our first impulses on seeing the general character of this work was to turn to the “ Bekenntnisse einer schonen Seele” in Wilhelm Meister, and to refresh our recollection of that remarkable production. It was not without feelings of satisfaction that we laid down the volume of the great master and took up the one before us, reflecting how much half a century had done to elevate and purify the tone of society. ... It is due to the author to say that it is truly gratifying to find, in a book which touches at so many points on the domain of religion, not one expression which can offend, in the slightest degree, any reasonable and right-minded person.’
The book is now in its twelfth edition in Germany, where after forty-five years it still commands a steady sale, whilst an unauthorized translation in America, under the title of Memories, has had an enormous circulation, and continues to be a general favourite there. Miss Winkworth published a translation in English as soon as the book appeared, by leave of the publisher, and twenty years later Max Miiller brought out a translation by his wife, made many years previously, which has been through several editions. One review spoke of Deutsche Liebe as a book ‘full of tender grace, touching sympathy, noble compassion, impressing love. With a delicate hand the author places before us the deeper depths of a true soul. It is a humanizing, refining, chastening volume, and is worthy of the widest circulation.’
Another paper says : ‘ These recollections touch with much
delicacy of feeling upon some of the most sacred emotions
and hopes. Whoever the original author or authors may be,
1857] Buddhist Pilgrims 191
the papers reveal a very deep and sympathetic insight into
man’s nature ; and many notable things are said of happiness,
love, loss, gain, and suffering, as they constantly affect and
impinge upon the human soul.’ It was pronounced by Bunsen
to be one of the most perfect specimens of German writing
he had ever read.
To HIS Mother.
Translation. February 24, 1857.
‘ I wanted a short time ago to send you a book, written by a very intimate friend of mine, and published by Brockhaus. It is called Deutsche Liehe. The author does not wish his name to be known. If you have any spare money, buy a copy, and tell me how you like it, but do not tell any one that I know the author. I was very sorry to hear of Kriiger’s ^ death, though I never really saw much of him. He lived in quite another world, and his art did not appeal much to me. But he had won a good position by his work alone, and that was greatly to his credit, and one always rejoices when merit like his is recognized by a man’s contemporaries. I wish I had a picture of you by him. Find out how much a good oil picture costs in Dresden, but it must be good, by Hiibner or some other good artist.’
Max Miiller’s course of lectures this term was on ‘ Epic
^’ To HIS Mother.
Translation. London, March 26.
‘ I was not at all well : bad colds and toothache had made me quite ill, and I needed a change and amusement I am staying with Walrond, you know where that is, and I visit old friends. I hoped to find Morier, but he has not yet arrived, though he has left Vienna. I must tell you, and Emilie also, that I am quite innocent as to Deutsche Liebe. I know the author, but have promised not to mention his name, as he makes a point of it. He only published the book because he thought that here and there it might do some good, and might cure young people of the epidemic of so-called unfortunate love. The book contains the antidote to Werthers Leiden, and in so far is interesting ; but it ought to have been more fully worked out to have much influence. I entirely agree with the spirit of the book, and am glad you Uke it. I do not care much for the plan of the story ; it is too sketchy, and is wanting in repose and unity.’
It was in the Times of April 17 and 20 of this year that
a review appeared by Max Mliller of Stanislas Julien’s Voyages
des Pelerins Boiiddhistes. It was afterwards published as
^ The artist.
192 Nirvana [ch. x
a pamphlet, together with a letter on Nirvana called forth by a protest printed in the Times of April 24, against Max Muller’sviewof Nirvana as ntter annihilaHoji,\v\\cr&2i5 the writer of the protest maintained that Nirvana meant tinion and commwiion with God. Max Miiller’s opponent appealed to the works of Mander and Creuzer, who were neither of them Oriental scholars, and who wrote before the canonical books of the Buddhists had been brought to Europe. In his answer Max explains the etymology of the word, which means blozving out. * The human soul, when it arrives at its perfection, is blown out, like a lamp, as the Buddhists say, not absorbed, as the Brahmans say, like a drop in the ocean.’
He shows also ‘that Nirvana, as taught in the metaphysics
of Kasyapa, a friend and pupil of Buddha himself, is annihila-
tion, and there is no earlier document from which we can
form an opinion as to Buddha’s original teaching.’ ‘ Buddhism,
therefore, if tested by its own canonical books, cannot be
freed from the charge of Nihilism, whatever may have been
its character in the mind of its founder, and whatever changes
it may have undergone in later times, and among races less
inured to metaphysical discussions than the Hindus.’ ‘ Buddha
himself, however, though perhaps not a Nihilist, was certainly
an Atheist. He does not deny distinctly either the existence
of gods, or that of God ; but he ignores the former, and
is ignorant of the latter. Therefore if Nirvina in his mind
w^as not yet complete annihilation, still less could it have
been absorption into a Divine Essence.’ In 1869 Max
Miiller gave an address at Kiel on Buddhist Nihilism, before
the Association of German Philologists, in which these words
occur : ‘ No person who reads with attention the metaphysical
speculations on the Nirvana contained in the Buddhist Canon,
can arrive at any other conviction than that expressed by
Burnouf, i. e. that Nirvana, the highest aim, the sumimim
bonuin of Buddhism, is the absolute nothing.’ Those among
Max Miiller’s friends who know his own strong convictions
as to the immortality of the soul, may perhaps feel surprised
at the increasing interest he took in Buddhism as years went
on. For at Kiel he declared, ‘ Buddhist Nihilism has always
been much more incomprehensible than Atheism. A kind
1857] Buddhism 193
of religion is still conceivable, when there is something firm somewhere, when a something eternal and self-dependent is recognized, if not luithont and above man, at least witJiin him. But if, as Buddhism teaches, the soul after having passed through all the phases of existence, all the worlds of the gods and the higher spirits, attains finally Nirvana as its highest aim and last reward, i. e. becomes quite extinct, then religion is not any more what it ought to be — a bridge from the finite to the infinite, but a trap-bridge hurling man into the abyss, at the very moment when he thought he had arrived at the stronghold of the Eternal.’ But even from his address at Kiel, it may be gathered that by that time Max Muller had convinced himself that the third part of the Buddhist Canon, in which alone the doctrine of Nirvana in its crude form is to be found, was not ‘ pronounced by Buddha,’ and that passages are to be found in the first and second parts of the Canon which contradict this crude Nihilism. Max Muller asks pertinently, ‘ Where Buddha speaks of Nirvana as the highest happiness, can he mean annihilation?’ It was when preparing a translation of the Dhammapada in 1870, afterwards revised and published as Volume X of the Sacred Books of the East, that the extreme moral beauty of Buddha’s teaching powerfully attracted Max M tiller’s sympathy for Buddhism, and this was further increased when two years later he came in contact with living Buddhists, his pupils Bunyiu Nanjio and Kenjiu Kasawara, and still later Professor Takakusu, and saw the purity of their character, their true and gentle dispositions, and entire devotion to duty. The article on Stanislas Julien’s book was almost Max Miiller’s first introduction to Buddhism. Pali he had studied at Berlin.
After several months of silence Max Muller writes again to his old friend Chevalier Bunsen : —
Translation. 55, St. John Street, May i.
‘ One may fight against physical illness, though it is difficult with
persistent colds, which attack the head to-day, the teeth to-morrow, to
keep up one’s good-natured warmth and communicativeness ; but if the
cold once takes possession of the mind and the spirits, it is really the
best thing to shut oneself up for a time. I have felt like this this
I O
194 Frondes History [ch. x
winter. I felt I was not myself, and I did not wish to be a burden to others with my worries and blue devils. You will laugh at me and scold me, for no one has any sympathy with mental illness till it takes the worst form. But I can assure you that I have suffered a great deal, and am still suffering in spite of the approach of spring. I cannot sympathize with the fancy of most people always to appear happy.
But when I feel miserable, I will at all events not be a burden to
others, and so I shut myself up, and write no letters. So forgive my
long silence, and have patience with me, who have so much that I
must bear patiently. I received the three volumes of Egypt but
recently, and I cannot find that you wrote to me that you wished for
any supplement or remarks for your English edition. I have read
your work here and there, and have followed with great delight
your Herculean labours in the Augean stable of Indian history. But
as my present work lies in quite a different direction, I have postponed
the careful reading of your book to Long Vacation, and hope then to
be able to say something more definite about it. It will interest you
to find in the journal of the Chinese traveller Hiouen-thsang, therefore
in the seventh century a.d,, quotations in several places from native
Indian historical works, of which we till now knew nothing, and whose
existence even in the seventh century appeared to me till now very
problematical. The work is full of interest, and I have written a long
review on it in the Times of April 17 and 20. I have also given there
the translation of a Vedic hymn, which would interest you. I have
had to give up and waste my time lately on German literature. The
University raised my salary, and I felt I must work for it, and so I am
printing a chronologically arranged Reading Book, extracted from
Wackernagel, &c. It is a sad waste of my time, for I could do better
and more important work, but I cannot help myself. ... I consider
Roth’s conception of Yama as entirely mistaken. Yama is the setting,
dying sun, thus the Beyond, the eternal life, or personified, the Lord
of those who are gone, of the kingdom of death. What we call death
was to the Hindus always a passage ; later they called it a setting free,
a word that suits us better than death. . . . You are really unjust to
Froude. Even if his idea of Henry VIII is mistaken, his picture of
English life is not affected by that. There are chapters in his work
that are really masterly — the Irish rebellion, the Charterhouse monks;
and he has described the secret workings of the Reformation among
the common people with genuine feeling and sympathy. Froude’s
idea of Henry VIII seems to me too problematical. But at all events
Henry was one of the most popular of kings, and has his admirers not
only in Froude but in his people, and in such historians as Sharon
Turner, and such philosophers as Carlyle. I have a great aliection
Ji
1857] Friends in Oxford 195
for Froude, for I know him with all his faults, and know that he prays
and works. Kingsley is a more brilliant nature, but his. relation to
Froude has never been that of a teacher; on the contrary, that of an
admirer. Le roinan ne vaut pas thistoire. How people came to
look on the Saturday as Kingsley’s and my organ I cannot imagine.
I met the editor once in London, and have sent him a few articles.
The paper is politically in the hands of decayed Peelites ; in literature
it is independent and active. I remember one gross attack on you in
the political part of the paper, but I should have felt it unworthy of
your name to take any notice of such an attack. Woe to the man
who has no enemies in England — you will never want for them, but
they help far more than they hurt. I have to fight my way bravely,
and here in Oxford the battle never ceases. I sit on the same board
with Pusey, and know the man. He will soon attack me, but I am
armed. Stanley is now coming to Oxford. Liddell is better, and
comes back next month from ]\Iadeira. Jowett is indefatigable, and
they have not conquered him. He is printing his second edition ^
Vaughan is married, and comes very seldom to Oxford. Pattison is
as reserved as ever, and trusts no one. It is a deep secret that he
writes the article in the Westminster’^. I live chiefly alone, and see
no one but Jowett. My mother left me in October. She was not
strong enough to stand an English November ; but I hope to have her
here again this summer. And now I have written really too much,
and must again beg you to have patience with a poor melancholy
invalid. Begging you to remember me most heartily to all your
party, I remain as ever, yours in true reverence and devotion.’
With this letter Max Muller sent his pamphlet on Buddhist Pilgrims to Bunsen.
On May 8 Bunsen writes : —
Translation.
‘I must thank you, and express my delight at your letter and article. The letter confirms my fears in the highest degree, namely \h2Xy0u are riot well, not to say that you begin to be a hypochondriacal old bachelor. But that is such a natural consequence of your retired sulky Don’s life, and of your spleen, that I can only wonder how you fight so bravely against it. . . . You will soon see how nearly we agree together, although I cannot say so much of the humanizing influence of Buddhism. . . . You have represented the whole as with a magic wand. We really edified ourselves yesterday evening with it, Francis read aloud and we listened.’
^ Commentary on Thessalonians.
^ On Bunsen’s God in History.
o a
196 Dr. W. Wright [ch. x
This term Max Muller read the Nibelimgen with his class.
To HIS Mother.
Tratislaiion. Oxford, May 24.
‘ How beautiful it must be in Carlsbad . . . how gladly would I find myself there for a couple of weeks 1 But I am up to my ears in work, and then just now I have so many interruptions — parties, picnics, business in London, examinations, &c. We have just begun our musical practisings again. The Jelfs are here, and other ladies who sing very well, and this time we are studying Mendelssohn’s Lohgesang. There are difficulties, and it is not easy to keep twenty voices together and conduct them. And I must not swear like old Schneider ! I have so much to do I shall probably take no holiday. If I do get to Germany I must go to Leipzig, where I have to print a book. But it must first be written. . . . The gardens are so lovely here now — even my little garden looks nice, and your ivy begins to grow. The heat is beginning, and what that is in these small rooms you know. In about three weeks I am going to Froude to the seaside, and to another friend who lives near Exeter, a brother of Dr. Acland.’
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translatmi. 55, St. John Street, May 24.
‘ It really does one good to be thoroughly scolded and abused. Here no one takes the trouble to do it, and I have done it myself so long without any result that I give the Oxford Don his own way, till at last of his own accord he becomes German a2:ain. But I cannot tell you how much one has to bear in this promised land. Here in Oxford everlasting quarrels and squabbles, and lies and slander, and nowhere courage and faith, and no one can speak the truth, and any one who tries to do it brings a perfect hornet’s nest about his ears. Can you believe that they have refused an excellent Orientalist, Dr. W. Wright, for the place of Under-Librarian at the Bodleian, because he has dared to afllirm that the language of the Phoenician inscriptions is Semitic and not Hamitic, because he doubts that Ham was the father of the Canaanites and denies that Moses wrote the account of his own death ? The man is a thorough Christian, is ready to sign the Articles ; but it is no good — away with him. And no one moves a finger. Peace at any price ! is the watchword. I carried my skin to market, but have been thoroughly beaten, and my friends began to be very much alarmed about me. And then these affairs waste one’s time, and destroy all wish for work, so at last I shut myself in, and for weeks saw no one, and heard no one.
Happily the Long Vacation will soon begin; if it only lasted the
whole year, Oxford would be a real paradise. I have tried my best
1857] Local Examinations 197
with the two hymns \ but they are very difficult to translate, as our words mean so much which was not yet in the old words. The first hymn contains many Manichean thoughts, as, the ray of light which falls from the realm of light into the realm of darkness, and gives the first impetus to creation. And yet I cannot consider the hymn as modern. It belonged to the collection long before the Brahmanas were written, and at the time of Panini its syllables were already counted in the sum total of the syllables of the Rig-veda. I must stay this summer in England. I must finish some work to satisfy my conscience. If I can get it done early, I may cross the water in September. With hearty thanks for your friendly and unfriendly words, I remain as ever, your truly devoted.’
In June, Max Miiller took part as representing Oxford in the examination arranged at Exeter by the late Sir Thomas, then Mr. Acland, for middle class and commercial schools, which was the first practical example of the system of Local Examinations since developed and carried out by our Universities. It was the first public speech in any language Max Miiller ever made. His first public speech in German was made eight years later at a Philological Con- ference at Kiel.
From Exeter he went to Bideford to the Frondes’, to get a little rest in fine air before hurrying to London for the annual Indian Civil Service Examination. After finishing up some necessary work in Oxford he started in August for Germany, his mother joining him at Leipzig, where he spent some weeks, seeing his Reading Book {German Classics) through the Press. From there he wrote to his friend Kingsley, who was uncle to his future wife : —
Leipzig, August lo, 1857.
‘ My dear Kingsley, — How I long to be with you at Eversley,
but my work here will keep me longer than I expected, though I have
little to say in reply to your letter — nothing in fact but “you are
quite right.” Yet I must write to you to tell you that your clear and
decisive words have brought me more comfort than pain ; they have
driven away a swarm of vain hopes and plans, and the sooner these
are scattered the better I can wait and work ; and sooner or later all
this waiting and working will come to an end, for this life cannot
^ From the Rig-veda, of which a prose translation had been made in Germany for Bunsen.
198 Letter from Humboldt [ch. x
last for ever, and it will last no longer than we can bear it. I have
no right to complain. I have all I wanted — more than I ever hoped
for, more than I ever deserved. A disappointment in love is hard
to bear because it destroys our faith in ourselves and in everything
else ; a disappointment in marriage may be a life-long trial, but it need
not destroy our faith in our own nature, in the truth of others, or
in the wisdom of God. Life may grow more strange and awful every
day, but the more strange and awful it grows, the more it reveals
to us its truest meaning and reality, and the deepest depth of its
divinity. “ And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold,
it was very good.” And so far, I believe, we both agree, and if
there are a few words in your letter where we differ, it is better to
leave them alone till we smoke our next pipe at Eversley. What you say
about my going back to Germany is imaginary. It is as unlikely that
I should go to Germany as that you should go to India. But if your
duty should ever call you to India, would you like to find yourself
fettered by a promise which no man has any right to make ? — for His
ways are not our ways. All I can say is that after an absence of ten
years during the most critical time of life, everything is against my ever
returning or settling in Germany. I am not wanted here ; other
people have taken the places I might have had. You will not easily
get rid of me, unless you give me notice to quit. Auf Wiedersehn 1 ‘
To Professor Max Muller.
Translation. Potsdam, August 28.
‘ I am much touched, my honoured clever friend, by your amiable desire to see my hoary head once more. My physical powers have been steadily declining for the last nine months, but not my powers of work, nor the mental interest which I take in your creative far- reaching thoughts. I shall stay at home on Tuesday from eleven to two, and gladly expect you. With true friendship, your Vecchio della Montagna, ‘ A. von Humboldt.’
From Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. Charlottenburg, August 28.
‘ So there he remains in the centre of Germany a whole month, and
lets one hear and see nothing of him. Your last letter was a great
dehght to me. The snail had there crept out of his shell and spoke
to me as the friend ; but now “Your Excellency” appears again, so the
snail has drawn in his head again. Now, my dear friend, you ought
to be thanked for the friendly thought of paying me a visit and
writing to me. . . . That the Oxford Don should ask if I can “ aiford
him a few hours “ shows again the English leaven. . . . What have we
1857] Visit to Heidelberg 199
not to talk over ? The hours belong to the Don’s gown, for you
know very well that we could in a few hours only figure to ourselves
what we have to discuss by turns. So come as soon as you can, and
stay at least a week here. You will find my house, to be sure, rather
lonely We two old people are here, however, and full of life. . . .
I must tell you with what deep sympathy and melancholy pleasure your touching idyll has filled me. You will easily believe that after the first five minutes I saw you vividly behind the mask. I thank you very much for having ordered it to be sent to me. I am very glad that you have written it, for I would far rather see you mixing in the life of the present and future, with your innate freshness and energy.’
To this Max Muller replied :—
Translation.
‘ I was glad to hear that you liked Deutsche Liebe. The story itself is only a frame. What I wished to make clear to myself and others was, why with the inborn love to our fellow creatures, we could show that love to so very few of them only; why love had to be confined almost entirely to the members of our family, to our parents, our wife, our children, and why any attempt to go beyond generally ended in sorrow. It is so, and we know not why, except again to show us that this life was not meant to be perfect, but only to give us by its very imperfections a faith in and a longing for a better life.’
Early in September Max Miiller went to Heidelberg, and the following letter to his mother from Bunsen’s tells her of his after proceedings. The visit to Weimar was to attend the inauguration of the great Goethe-Schiller Monument there.
Translation. HEmELBERG, September 9.
‘ How much one can get through in a week, and how fast life runs
on from one thing to another. A week ago I was still with you, and
here I am in Heidelberg, and ready to rush off to England, and
meantime I have seen lots of people, and had a good deal of
enjoyment. I suppose you are now in Dresden, where you found
so much to do that you are getting over our parting, about which
you again made yourself so miserable. If you only knew how you
pain me by such excessive grief, you would try and bear more quietly
what cannot be helped. Our being so long together this year was
quite an unexpected treat, and we ought to thank God that we had
such enjoyment. Think how few, even of those who live in Germany,
can see each other so often and for so long a time as we do, and
200 Weimar — Manchester Exhibition [ch. x
then do not spoil the joy of meeting by brooding over the parting. Weimar was more than I expected, and through Brockhaus I made acquaintance with many interesting people — Auerbach, Gerstacker, Rietschl, Devrient, Andersen and many others, and we met and talked together every night till one or two o’clock. I had no head- aches, and all went well. The statues were very fine, and Weimar itself most interesting. I could not pay visits, for theatres, parties, and drives took up the whole day. We saw everything, and very well too. Brockhaus and his pleasant wife stayed till Monday. The Wartburg festival was beautiful and the weather was fine. The representations in the theatre were splendid. I found many old University friends, and it will always be a pleasant memory. Monday I went to Frankfort, and came on here Tuesday. I arrived after tea, and Bunsen had just received an affectionate letter from the King, asking him to go to Berlin and stay with him at the Palace. So I really only saw him yesterday, and to-day he started. I stay till to-morrow, and then go direct to Oxford, for I am longing for my work and quiet. Dr. Meyer is here and Dr. Bernays, so I stayed another day, and have seen Heidelberg again, where we once spent such a happy time together. I am very tired, such incessant excite- ment is too much. I could not hold out much longer.’
‘o^
To THE Same.
Translation. Oxford, October 7.
‘ Oxford does not feel like home this time, and even my work will not please me. So out of sheer ennui I went last week to Manchester with Thomson to the Exhibition. There was not a bed to be had in any hotel, and so there was nothing for it but to go on to Liverpool and sleep there, and come back next morning early to Manchester. Sir Charles Napier was in the same hotel. The Exhibition was magnificent, but much too much to see in so short a time. We were there from Wednesday to Saturday, and were dead beat when we left. So that pleasure was got through ! To-morrow I am going to the country for a few days (to Kingsley’s), but take my work with me. I hope to get some riding, which always agrees with me. What you write about Bunsen’s Gott in der Geschichte delights me.
‘ Don’t trouble yourself about Jacob. He had not a very successful
life, and we learn from it that we must not measure God’s wisdom
in the ruling of human life according to our ideas. Then the
idea of a “ people of God “ is purely Jewish. There is only one
people of God, that is all mankind, Jews as well as heathen To-day
is a day of prayer for India : there is hardly a family that has not
1857] His Horse ‘Folly* 201
friends and relations among the victims, and the feeling throughout England is very great.’
Max Miiller undertook two courses of lectures this term, continuing those on the Nibelwigen, and beginning a course on ‘ German Literature.’
To Professor Bernays.
Translation. 55, St. John Street, October 26.
‘ I suppose you are back at Breslau, and at your work again in the treadmill. It is the same with me in Oxford, and I think with regret of the beautiful summer days that are no more. I feel like Castor and Pollux in one, half day and half night, and I shudder at the thought of the winter in England, and begin already to hope again for the summer in Germany.
‘ I revel in Meldon’s Mythology ; it has helped me to see so many things more clearly now, especially about the Zeus Monotheism, which nobody has ever yet treated so simply. And what are you doing.? I have not yet received your Aristotelicum. Keep your heart warm !
‘ I had finished the above when your kind lines reached me. I see now your heart is quite the same. Yes, if I could have you here ! The fresh air would do you much good ! In Germany I am useless, here to be sure, too — but the air here is freer and purer. I have not heard from Bunsen. I believe in no improvement from above, it must come from below ! The Prince of Prussia (who is Regent) will soon make everything so tedious that people will go to sleep. I have neither heard nor seen anything of Pattison, and therefore know nothing of Scaliger and his regeneration. Farewell, rejoice in life and in human beings, who are far better than we think — they are only ashamed of their good souls.’
Early in November Max Miiller tells his mother he has bought a horse, and rides almost every day. His little ‘Folly’ soon became great friends with its master, and was happily for him a quiet creature, for unless with friends Max Miiller was apt to sink into a brown study when riding, and many were the humorous stories he told against himself, and the falls and escapes he had. He parted with his little friend when he married.
To HIS Mother.
Translation, December 6, 1857.
‘ Thirty-four years old. IMy birthdays here are always quiet and
lonely, and when one is as old as I am, one passes willingly over the
202 Thinks of visiting India [ch. x
new step towards the grave without marking it. I often can hardly believe that I am already so old, and you are quite right when you say that I must no longer think of marrying. Well, many have passed through life like me, and if one loses a great deal of happiness by it, I am satisfied with what God has given me. I often long for a larger sphere of usefulness, and my wish to go to India has revived strongly of late. It is quite possible the East India Company may be done away with, and that Government will undertake to rule the country. Whether my Veda will be ruined by this I don’t know, but I would willingly exchange this work for a few years, for a scientific mission to India
igo Deutsche Liehe [ch. x
as far as the characters and circumstances are concerned. It was written as a rehef to his own feelings, and Max Miiller thought by making an invalid princess the object of those feelings no one would easily guess the author, or the reason why it was written. That the Schloss and scenery described resemble Dessau was but natural, seeing how little else Max had seen in his own country. The book came out anony- mously, and for two or three editions the secret was well kept. Only to Bunsen did Max Miiller acknowledge himself as author. Of his English friends, Froude alone from the first guessed the authorship, and in a review of the book in the Saturday Reviezv says : —
‘ One of our first impulses on seeing the general character of this work was to turn to the “ Bekenntnisse einer schonen Seele” in Wilhelm Meister, and to refresh our recollection of that remarkable production. It was not without feelings of satisfaction that we laid down the volume of the great master and took up the one before us, reflecting how much half a century had done to elevate and purify the tone of society. ... It is due to the author to say that it is truly gratifying to find, in a book which touches at so many points on the domain of religion, not one expression which can offend, in the slightest degree, any reasonable and right-minded person.’
The book is now in its twelfth edition in Germany, where after forty-five years it still commands a steady sale, whilst an unauthorized translation in America, under the title of Memories, has had an enormous circulation, and continues to be a general favourite there. Miss Winkworth published a translation in English as soon as the book appeared, by leave of the publisher, and twenty years later Max Miiller brought out a translation by his wife, made many years previously, which has been through several editions. One review spoke of Deutsche Liebe as a book ‘full of tender grace, touching sympathy, noble compassion, impressing love. With a delicate hand the author places before us the deeper depths of a true soul. It is a humanizing, refining, chastening volume, and is worthy of the widest circulation.’
Another paper says : ‘ These recollections touch with much
delicacy of feeling upon some of the most sacred emotions
and hopes. Whoever the original author or authors may be,
1857] Buddhist Pilgrims 191
the papers reveal a very deep and sympathetic insight into
man’s nature ; and many notable things are said of happiness,
love, loss, gain, and suffering, as they constantly affect and
impinge upon the human soul.’ It was pronounced by Bunsen
to be one of the most perfect specimens of German writing
he had ever read.
To HIS Mother.
Translation. February 24, 1857.
‘ I wanted a short time ago to send you a book, written by a very intimate friend of mine, and published by Brockhaus. It is called Deutsche Liehe. The author does not wish his name to be known. If you have any spare money, buy a copy, and tell me how you like it, but do not tell any one that I know the author. I was very sorry to hear of Kriiger’s ^ death, though I never really saw much of him. He lived in quite another world, and his art did not appeal much to me. But he had won a good position by his work alone, and that was greatly to his credit, and one always rejoices when merit like his is recognized by a man’s contemporaries. I wish I had a picture of you by him. Find out how much a good oil picture costs in Dresden, but it must be good, by Hiibner or some other good artist.’
Max Miiller’s course of lectures this term was on ‘ Epic
^’ To HIS Mother.
Translation. London, March 26.
‘ I was not at all well : bad colds and toothache had made me quite ill, and I needed a change and amusement I am staying with Walrond, you know where that is, and I visit old friends. I hoped to find Morier, but he has not yet arrived, though he has left Vienna. I must tell you, and Emilie also, that I am quite innocent as to Deutsche Liebe. I know the author, but have promised not to mention his name, as he makes a point of it. He only published the book because he thought that here and there it might do some good, and might cure young people of the epidemic of so-called unfortunate love. The book contains the antidote to Werthers Leiden, and in so far is interesting ; but it ought to have been more fully worked out to have much influence. I entirely agree with the spirit of the book, and am glad you Uke it. I do not care much for the plan of the story ; it is too sketchy, and is wanting in repose and unity.’
It was in the Times of April 17 and 20 of this year that
a review appeared by Max Mliller of Stanislas Julien’s Voyages
des Pelerins Boiiddhistes. It was afterwards published as
^ The artist.
192 Nirvana [ch. x
a pamphlet, together with a letter on Nirvana called forth by a protest printed in the Times of April 24, against Max Muller’sviewof Nirvana as ntter annihilaHoji,\v\\cr&2i5 the writer of the protest maintained that Nirvana meant tinion and commwiion with God. Max Miiller’s opponent appealed to the works of Mander and Creuzer, who were neither of them Oriental scholars, and who wrote before the canonical books of the Buddhists had been brought to Europe. In his answer Max explains the etymology of the word, which means blozving out. * The human soul, when it arrives at its perfection, is blown out, like a lamp, as the Buddhists say, not absorbed, as the Brahmans say, like a drop in the ocean.’
He shows also ‘that Nirvana, as taught in the metaphysics
of Kasyapa, a friend and pupil of Buddha himself, is annihila-
tion, and there is no earlier document from which we can
form an opinion as to Buddha’s original teaching.’ ‘ Buddhism,
therefore, if tested by its own canonical books, cannot be
freed from the charge of Nihilism, whatever may have been
its character in the mind of its founder, and whatever changes
it may have undergone in later times, and among races less
inured to metaphysical discussions than the Hindus.’ ‘ Buddha
himself, however, though perhaps not a Nihilist, was certainly
an Atheist. He does not deny distinctly either the existence
of gods, or that of God ; but he ignores the former, and
is ignorant of the latter. Therefore if Nirvina in his mind
w^as not yet complete annihilation, still less could it have
been absorption into a Divine Essence.’ In 1869 Max
Miiller gave an address at Kiel on Buddhist Nihilism, before
the Association of German Philologists, in which these words
occur : ‘ No person who reads with attention the metaphysical
speculations on the Nirvana contained in the Buddhist Canon,
can arrive at any other conviction than that expressed by
Burnouf, i. e. that Nirvana, the highest aim, the sumimim
bonuin of Buddhism, is the absolute nothing.’ Those among
Max Miiller’s friends who know his own strong convictions
as to the immortality of the soul, may perhaps feel surprised
at the increasing interest he took in Buddhism as years went
on. For at Kiel he declared, ‘ Buddhist Nihilism has always
been much more incomprehensible than Atheism. A kind
1857] Buddhism 193
of religion is still conceivable, when there is something firm somewhere, when a something eternal and self-dependent is recognized, if not luithont and above man, at least witJiin him. But if, as Buddhism teaches, the soul after having passed through all the phases of existence, all the worlds of the gods and the higher spirits, attains finally Nirvana as its highest aim and last reward, i. e. becomes quite extinct, then religion is not any more what it ought to be — a bridge from the finite to the infinite, but a trap-bridge hurling man into the abyss, at the very moment when he thought he had arrived at the stronghold of the Eternal.’ But even from his address at Kiel, it may be gathered that by that time Max Muller had convinced himself that the third part of the Buddhist Canon, in which alone the doctrine of Nirvana in its crude form is to be found, was not ‘ pronounced by Buddha,’ and that passages are to be found in the first and second parts of the Canon which contradict this crude Nihilism. Max Muller asks pertinently, ‘ Where Buddha speaks of Nirvana as the highest happiness, can he mean annihilation?’ It was when preparing a translation of the Dhammapada in 1870, afterwards revised and published as Volume X of the Sacred Books of the East, that the extreme moral beauty of Buddha’s teaching powerfully attracted Max M tiller’s sympathy for Buddhism, and this was further increased when two years later he came in contact with living Buddhists, his pupils Bunyiu Nanjio and Kenjiu Kasawara, and still later Professor Takakusu, and saw the purity of their character, their true and gentle dispositions, and entire devotion to duty. The article on Stanislas Julien’s book was almost Max Miiller’s first introduction to Buddhism. Pali he had studied at Berlin.
After several months of silence Max Muller writes again to his old friend Chevalier Bunsen : —
Translation. 55, St. John Street, May i.
‘ One may fight against physical illness, though it is difficult with
persistent colds, which attack the head to-day, the teeth to-morrow, to
keep up one’s good-natured warmth and communicativeness ; but if the
cold once takes possession of the mind and the spirits, it is really the
best thing to shut oneself up for a time. I have felt like this this
I O
194 Frondes History [ch. x
winter. I felt I was not myself, and I did not wish to be a burden to others with my worries and blue devils. You will laugh at me and scold me, for no one has any sympathy with mental illness till it takes the worst form. But I can assure you that I have suffered a great deal, and am still suffering in spite of the approach of spring. I cannot sympathize with the fancy of most people always to appear happy.
But when I feel miserable, I will at all events not be a burden to
others, and so I shut myself up, and write no letters. So forgive my
long silence, and have patience with me, who have so much that I
must bear patiently. I received the three volumes of Egypt but
recently, and I cannot find that you wrote to me that you wished for
any supplement or remarks for your English edition. I have read
your work here and there, and have followed with great delight
your Herculean labours in the Augean stable of Indian history. But
as my present work lies in quite a different direction, I have postponed
the careful reading of your book to Long Vacation, and hope then to
be able to say something more definite about it. It will interest you
to find in the journal of the Chinese traveller Hiouen-thsang, therefore
in the seventh century a.d,, quotations in several places from native
Indian historical works, of which we till now knew nothing, and whose
existence even in the seventh century appeared to me till now very
problematical. The work is full of interest, and I have written a long
review on it in the Times of April 17 and 20. I have also given there
the translation of a Vedic hymn, which would interest you. I have
had to give up and waste my time lately on German literature. The
University raised my salary, and I felt I must work for it, and so I am
printing a chronologically arranged Reading Book, extracted from
Wackernagel, &c. It is a sad waste of my time, for I could do better
and more important work, but I cannot help myself. ... I consider
Roth’s conception of Yama as entirely mistaken. Yama is the setting,
dying sun, thus the Beyond, the eternal life, or personified, the Lord
of those who are gone, of the kingdom of death. What we call death
was to the Hindus always a passage ; later they called it a setting free,
a word that suits us better than death. . . . You are really unjust to
Froude. Even if his idea of Henry VIII is mistaken, his picture of
English life is not affected by that. There are chapters in his work
that are really masterly — the Irish rebellion, the Charterhouse monks;
and he has described the secret workings of the Reformation among
the common people with genuine feeling and sympathy. Froude’s
idea of Henry VIII seems to me too problematical. But at all events
Henry was one of the most popular of kings, and has his admirers not
only in Froude but in his people, and in such historians as Sharon
Turner, and such philosophers as Carlyle. I have a great aliection
Ji
1857] Friends in Oxford 195
for Froude, for I know him with all his faults, and know that he prays
and works. Kingsley is a more brilliant nature, but his. relation to
Froude has never been that of a teacher; on the contrary, that of an
admirer. Le roinan ne vaut pas thistoire. How people came to
look on the Saturday as Kingsley’s and my organ I cannot imagine.
I met the editor once in London, and have sent him a few articles.
The paper is politically in the hands of decayed Peelites ; in literature
it is independent and active. I remember one gross attack on you in
the political part of the paper, but I should have felt it unworthy of
your name to take any notice of such an attack. Woe to the man
who has no enemies in England — you will never want for them, but
they help far more than they hurt. I have to fight my way bravely,
and here in Oxford the battle never ceases. I sit on the same board
with Pusey, and know the man. He will soon attack me, but I am
armed. Stanley is now coming to Oxford. Liddell is better, and
comes back next month from ]\Iadeira. Jowett is indefatigable, and
they have not conquered him. He is printing his second edition ^
Vaughan is married, and comes very seldom to Oxford. Pattison is
as reserved as ever, and trusts no one. It is a deep secret that he
writes the article in the Westminster’^. I live chiefly alone, and see
no one but Jowett. My mother left me in October. She was not
strong enough to stand an English November ; but I hope to have her
here again this summer. And now I have written really too much,
and must again beg you to have patience with a poor melancholy
invalid. Begging you to remember me most heartily to all your
party, I remain as ever, yours in true reverence and devotion.’
With this letter Max Muller sent his pamphlet on Buddhist Pilgrims to Bunsen.
On May 8 Bunsen writes : —
Translation.
‘I must thank you, and express my delight at your letter and article. The letter confirms my fears in the highest degree, namely \h2Xy0u are riot well, not to say that you begin to be a hypochondriacal old bachelor. But that is such a natural consequence of your retired sulky Don’s life, and of your spleen, that I can only wonder how you fight so bravely against it. . . . You will soon see how nearly we agree together, although I cannot say so much of the humanizing influence of Buddhism. . . . You have represented the whole as with a magic wand. We really edified ourselves yesterday evening with it, Francis read aloud and we listened.’
^ Commentary on Thessalonians.
^ On Bunsen’s God in History.
o a
196 Dr. W. Wright [ch. x
This term Max Muller read the Nibelimgen with his class.
To HIS Mother.
Tratislaiion. Oxford, May 24.
‘ How beautiful it must be in Carlsbad . . . how gladly would I find myself there for a couple of weeks 1 But I am up to my ears in work, and then just now I have so many interruptions — parties, picnics, business in London, examinations, &c. We have just begun our musical practisings again. The Jelfs are here, and other ladies who sing very well, and this time we are studying Mendelssohn’s Lohgesang. There are difficulties, and it is not easy to keep twenty voices together and conduct them. And I must not swear like old Schneider ! I have so much to do I shall probably take no holiday. If I do get to Germany I must go to Leipzig, where I have to print a book. But it must first be written. . . . The gardens are so lovely here now — even my little garden looks nice, and your ivy begins to grow. The heat is beginning, and what that is in these small rooms you know. In about three weeks I am going to Froude to the seaside, and to another friend who lives near Exeter, a brother of Dr. Acland.’
To Chevalier Bunsen.
Translatmi. 55, St. John Street, May 24.
‘ It really does one good to be thoroughly scolded and abused. Here no one takes the trouble to do it, and I have done it myself so long without any result that I give the Oxford Don his own way, till at last of his own accord he becomes German a2:ain. But I cannot tell you how much one has to bear in this promised land. Here in Oxford everlasting quarrels and squabbles, and lies and slander, and nowhere courage and faith, and no one can speak the truth, and any one who tries to do it brings a perfect hornet’s nest about his ears. Can you believe that they have refused an excellent Orientalist, Dr. W. Wright, for the place of Under-Librarian at the Bodleian, because he has dared to afllirm that the language of the Phoenician inscriptions is Semitic and not Hamitic, because he doubts that Ham was the father of the Canaanites and denies that Moses wrote the account of his own death ? The man is a thorough Christian, is ready to sign the Articles ; but it is no good — away with him. And no one moves a finger. Peace at any price ! is the watchword. I carried my skin to market, but have been thoroughly beaten, and my friends began to be very much alarmed about me. And then these affairs waste one’s time, and destroy all wish for work, so at last I shut myself in, and for weeks saw no one, and heard no one.
Happily the Long Vacation will soon begin; if it only lasted the
whole year, Oxford would be a real paradise. I have tried my best
1857] Local Examinations 197
with the two hymns \ but they are very difficult to translate, as our words mean so much which was not yet in the old words. The first hymn contains many Manichean thoughts, as, the ray of light which falls from the realm of light into the realm of darkness, and gives the first impetus to creation. And yet I cannot consider the hymn as modern. It belonged to the collection long before the Brahmanas were written, and at the time of Panini its syllables were already counted in the sum total of the syllables of the Rig-veda. I must stay this summer in England. I must finish some work to satisfy my conscience. If I can get it done early, I may cross the water in September. With hearty thanks for your friendly and unfriendly words, I remain as ever, your truly devoted.’
In June, Max Miiller took part as representing Oxford in the examination arranged at Exeter by the late Sir Thomas, then Mr. Acland, for middle class and commercial schools, which was the first practical example of the system of Local Examinations since developed and carried out by our Universities. It was the first public speech in any language Max Miiller ever made. His first public speech in German was made eight years later at a Philological Con- ference at Kiel.
From Exeter he went to Bideford to the Frondes’, to get a little rest in fine air before hurrying to London for the annual Indian Civil Service Examination. After finishing up some necessary work in Oxford he started in August for Germany, his mother joining him at Leipzig, where he spent some weeks, seeing his Reading Book {German Classics) through the Press. From there he wrote to his friend Kingsley, who was uncle to his future wife : —
Leipzig, August lo, 1857.
‘ My dear Kingsley, — How I long to be with you at Eversley,
but my work here will keep me longer than I expected, though I have
little to say in reply to your letter — nothing in fact but “you are
quite right.” Yet I must write to you to tell you that your clear and
decisive words have brought me more comfort than pain ; they have
driven away a swarm of vain hopes and plans, and the sooner these
are scattered the better I can wait and work ; and sooner or later all
this waiting and working will come to an end, for this life cannot
^ From the Rig-veda, of which a prose translation had been made in Germany for Bunsen.
198 Letter from Humboldt [ch. x
last for ever, and it will last no longer than we can bear it. I have
no right to complain. I have all I wanted — more than I ever hoped
for, more than I ever deserved. A disappointment in love is hard
to bear because it destroys our faith in ourselves and in everything
else ; a disappointment in marriage may be a life-long trial, but it need
not destroy our faith in our own nature, in the truth of others, or
in the wisdom of God. Life may grow more strange and awful every
day, but the more strange and awful it grows, the more it reveals
to us its truest meaning and reality, and the deepest depth of its
divinity. “ And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold,
it was very good.” And so far, I believe, we both agree, and if
there are a few words in your letter where we differ, it is better to
leave them alone till we smoke our next pipe at Eversley. What you say
about my going back to Germany is imaginary. It is as unlikely that
I should go to Germany as that you should go to India. But if your
duty should ever call you to India, would you like to find yourself
fettered by a promise which no man has any right to make ? — for His
ways are not our ways. All I can say is that after an absence of ten
years during the most critical time of life, everything is against my ever
returning or settling in Germany. I am not wanted here ; other
people have taken the places I might have had. You will not easily
get rid of me, unless you give me notice to quit. Auf Wiedersehn 1 ‘
To Professor Max Muller.
Translation. Potsdam, August 28.
‘ I am much touched, my honoured clever friend, by your amiable desire to see my hoary head once more. My physical powers have been steadily declining for the last nine months, but not my powers of work, nor the mental interest which I take in your creative far- reaching thoughts. I shall stay at home on Tuesday from eleven to two, and gladly expect you. With true friendship, your Vecchio della Montagna, ‘ A. von Humboldt.’
From Chevalier Bunsen.
Translation. Charlottenburg, August 28.
‘ So there he remains in the centre of Germany a whole month, and
lets one hear and see nothing of him. Your last letter was a great
dehght to me. The snail had there crept out of his shell and spoke
to me as the friend ; but now “Your Excellency” appears again, so the
snail has drawn in his head again. Now, my dear friend, you ought
to be thanked for the friendly thought of paying me a visit and
writing to me. . . . That the Oxford Don should ask if I can “ aiford
him a few hours “ shows again the English leaven. . . . What have we
1857] Visit to Heidelberg 199
not to talk over ? The hours belong to the Don’s gown, for you
know very well that we could in a few hours only figure to ourselves
what we have to discuss by turns. So come as soon as you can, and
stay at least a week here. You will find my house, to be sure, rather
lonely We two old people are here, however, and full of life. . . .
I must tell you with what deep sympathy and melancholy pleasure your touching idyll has filled me. You will easily believe that after the first five minutes I saw you vividly behind the mask. I thank you very much for having ordered it to be sent to me. I am very glad that you have written it, for I would far rather see you mixing in the life of the present and future, with your innate freshness and energy.’
To this Max Muller replied :—
Translation.
‘ I was glad to hear that you liked Deutsche Liebe. The story itself is only a frame. What I wished to make clear to myself and others was, why with the inborn love to our fellow creatures, we could show that love to so very few of them only; why love had to be confined almost entirely to the members of our family, to our parents, our wife, our children, and why any attempt to go beyond generally ended in sorrow. It is so, and we know not why, except again to show us that this life was not meant to be perfect, but only to give us by its very imperfections a faith in and a longing for a better life.’
Early in September Max Miiller went to Heidelberg, and the following letter to his mother from Bunsen’s tells her of his after proceedings. The visit to Weimar was to attend the inauguration of the great Goethe-Schiller Monument there.
Translation. HEmELBERG, September 9.
‘ How much one can get through in a week, and how fast life runs
on from one thing to another. A week ago I was still with you, and
here I am in Heidelberg, and ready to rush off to England, and
meantime I have seen lots of people, and had a good deal of
enjoyment. I suppose you are now in Dresden, where you found
so much to do that you are getting over our parting, about which
you again made yourself so miserable. If you only knew how you
pain me by such excessive grief, you would try and bear more quietly
what cannot be helped. Our being so long together this year was
quite an unexpected treat, and we ought to thank God that we had
such enjoyment. Think how few, even of those who live in Germany,
can see each other so often and for so long a time as we do, and
200 Weimar — Manchester Exhibition [ch. x
then do not spoil the joy of meeting by brooding over the parting. Weimar was more than I expected, and through Brockhaus I made acquaintance with many interesting people — Auerbach, Gerstacker, Rietschl, Devrient, Andersen and many others, and we met and talked together every night till one or two o’clock. I had no head- aches, and all went well. The statues were very fine, and Weimar itself most interesting. I could not pay visits, for theatres, parties, and drives took up the whole day. We saw everything, and very well too. Brockhaus and his pleasant wife stayed till Monday. The Wartburg festival was beautiful and the weather was fine. The representations in the theatre were splendid. I found many old University friends, and it will always be a pleasant memory. Monday I went to Frankfort, and came on here Tuesday. I arrived after tea, and Bunsen had just received an affectionate letter from the King, asking him to go to Berlin and stay with him at the Palace. So I really only saw him yesterday, and to-day he started. I stay till to-morrow, and then go direct to Oxford, for I am longing for my work and quiet. Dr. Meyer is here and Dr. Bernays, so I stayed another day, and have seen Heidelberg again, where we once spent such a happy time together. I am very tired, such incessant excite- ment is too much. I could not hold out much longer.’
‘o^
To THE Same.
Translation. Oxford, October 7.
‘ Oxford does not feel like home this time, and even my work will not please me. So out of sheer ennui I went last week to Manchester with Thomson to the Exhibition. There was not a bed to be had in any hotel, and so there was nothing for it but to go on to Liverpool and sleep there, and come back next morning early to Manchester. Sir Charles Napier was in the same hotel. The Exhibition was magnificent, but much too much to see in so short a time. We were there from Wednesday to Saturday, and were dead beat when we left. So that pleasure was got through ! To-morrow I am going to the country for a few days (to Kingsley’s), but take my work with me. I hope to get some riding, which always agrees with me. What you write about Bunsen’s Gott in der Geschichte delights me.
‘ Don’t trouble yourself about Jacob. He had not a very successful
life, and we learn from it that we must not measure God’s wisdom
in the ruling of human life according to our ideas. Then the
idea of a “ people of God “ is purely Jewish. There is only one
people of God, that is all mankind, Jews as well as heathen To-day
is a day of prayer for India : there is hardly a family that has not
1857] His Horse ‘Folly* 201
friends and relations among the victims, and the feeling throughout England is very great.’
Max Miiller undertook two courses of lectures this term, continuing those on the Nibelwigen, and beginning a course on ‘ German Literature.’
To Professor Bernays.
Translation. 55, St. John Street, October 26.
‘ I suppose you are back at Breslau, and at your work again in the treadmill. It is the same with me in Oxford, and I think with regret of the beautiful summer days that are no more. I feel like Castor and Pollux in one, half day and half night, and I shudder at the thought of the winter in England, and begin already to hope again for the summer in Germany.
‘ I revel in Meldon’s Mythology ; it has helped me to see so many things more clearly now, especially about the Zeus Monotheism, which nobody has ever yet treated so simply. And what are you doing.? I have not yet received your Aristotelicum. Keep your heart warm !
‘ I had finished the above when your kind lines reached me. I see now your heart is quite the same. Yes, if I could have you here ! The fresh air would do you much good ! In Germany I am useless, here to be sure, too — but the air here is freer and purer. I have not heard from Bunsen. I believe in no improvement from above, it must come from below ! The Prince of Prussia (who is Regent) will soon make everything so tedious that people will go to sleep. I have neither heard nor seen anything of Pattison, and therefore know nothing of Scaliger and his regeneration. Farewell, rejoice in life and in human beings, who are far better than we think — they are only ashamed of their good souls.’
Early in November Max Miiller tells his mother he has bought a horse, and rides almost every day. His little ‘Folly’ soon became great friends with its master, and was happily for him a quiet creature, for unless with friends Max Miiller was apt to sink into a brown study when riding, and many were the humorous stories he told against himself, and the falls and escapes he had. He parted with his little friend when he married.
To HIS Mother.
Translation, December 6, 1857.
‘ Thirty-four years old. IMy birthdays here are always quiet and
lonely, and when one is as old as I am, one passes willingly over the
202 Thinks of visiting India [ch. x
new step towards the grave without marking it. I often can hardly believe that I am already so old, and you are quite right when you say that I must no longer think of marrying. Well, many have passed through life like me, and if one loses a great deal of happiness by it, I am satisfied with what God has given me. I often long for a larger sphere of usefulness, and my wish to go to India has revived strongly of late. It is quite possible the East India Company may be done away with, and that Government will undertake to rule the country. Whether my Veda will be ruined by this I don’t know, but I would willingly exchange this work for a few years, for a scientific mission to India
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