[21] I was always highly delighted with his expositions, for
they suggested ideas to me which bore fruit both in my intelligence and
in my emotional nature. Invariably, whenever I grasped the
inter-connection and unity of phenomena, I felt the longings of my
spirit and of my soul were fulfilled.
I easily understood the other courses I attended, and was able to take a
comprehensive glance over the subjects of which they treated. I had seen
building going on, and had myself assisted in building, in planting,
etc.; here, therefore, I could take notes, and write complete and
satisfactory memoranda of the lectures.
My stay in Jena had taught me much; by no means so much as it ought to
have taught me, but yet I had won for myself a standpoint, both
subjective and objective. I could already perceive unity in diversity,
the correlation of forces, the interconnection of all living things,
life in matter, and the principles of physics and biology.
One thing more I have to bring forward from this period. Up till now my
life had met with no sympathetic recognition other than the esteem which
I had enjoyed of the country physician during my apprenticeship--he who
encouraged me to study natural science, and smoothed away for me many a
difficulty.
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