the family of a preacher at the Nicolai Church in Leipzig,
but also a trained historian by profession. It was at his
rooms that I first saw a collection of Scriptores, and I began
to read some of them under his direction. This I continued
in Frankfort, where I attempted an essay on the old Em-
perors in connection with my teaching. The first volumes
of Pertz appeared later, but they reached only to the Caro-
lingian period and not actually into the history of the Ger-
mans. We therefore had to resort again to the old editions.
" I am still surprised at the ability and application of those
young students who gathered about me. There were : Giese-
brecht, who called on me to-day; Kopke, Wilmanns, and
Waitz, to whom I then said — such was the impression he
made on me — that he was destined to be the Muratori of
German history. Giesebrecht had a poetic temperament, he
already was a skilful writer; Kopke, ingenious, with the
gifts of a scholar; Donniges, enterprising, full of practical
ideas. In this circle the work went on. We came to the
Chronicon Oorhejense^ whose spuriousness I recognized at
first without being able to prove it. The members of the
club made the investigation which was to prove it not genu-
ine. Waitz at that time was not with us. He had gone to
Copenhagen, and when he returned he was reluctant to adopt
our thesis, but soon he convinced himself. With Hirsch,
one of our most industrious members, he prepared the essay
which convinced us all. Hirsch was the youngest of the
group, very well trained and zealous. Then we united to
prepare the Annals of the Saxon House, What prompted me
to this was the example of Raumer's Hohenstauffen and Sten-
zel's Salian Emperors. ^ The blessing of heaven guided these
beginnings. The men have made their way in the world, but
the old ties of friendship still hold the survivors together,
and to me it is a kind of family alliance in literature." ^
1 Ranke also notes th^t residence in childhood and youthful travels in Saxony had early kindled an interest in the country.
2 Zur Eigenen Lebensgeschichte, 649-650. Memorandum entitled Die Alien Schuler, April 6, 1884. Other particulars about the preparation of the Jahrb'ucher may be found in Ranke's letters to Waitz during this period.
