“But you do seem to love knowledge —­ of every kind,” said the naturalist, —­ “and that is what I like.”

“I have very little,” said Winthrop.  “I ought to love what I can get.”

“That is goot,” said Mr. Herder; —­ “that is de right way.  Ven I hear a man say, ‘I have much knowledge,’ —­ I know he never will have much more; but ven I hear one say, ’I have a little,’ —­ I expect great things.”

Winthrop was silent, and presently Mr. Herder went on.

“What kind of learning do you love de best?”

“I don’t know, sir, really.”

“What have you studied?”

Winthrop hesitated.

“A little Latin, sir.”

“Latin! —­ How much Latin have you read?”

“The Gospel of John, and nearly the first book of the Aeneid.  But I have very little time.”

“The Evangel of St. John, and the Aeneid.  Are you going on to study it now?”

“Yes sir, —­ as much as I can find time.”

“Greek too?”

“No sir.  I am only beginning.”

“I ask, because I saw some Greek books on de table de ozer night and I wondered —­ excuse me —­ who was reading them.  You do not know nothing of German?”

“No sir.”

“Ah, you must learn de German —­ dat is my language.”

“I don’t know my own language yet,” said Winthrop.

“Vat is dat?”

“English.”

“English! —­ But how do you do, here amongst de hills —­ is there somebody to learn you?”

“No sir.”

“And you go by yourself? —­ Vell, I believe you will climb anything,” said Mr. Herder, with a little smile; “only it is goot to know what place to begin, —­ as I have found.”

“I must begin where I can, sir.”

“But you should get to de Universite; from dere it is more easy.”

“I know that, sir; that is what I am trying to fit myself for.”

“You do not need so much fitting —­ you will fit yourself better there.  I would get away to de Universite.  You will go up —­ I see it in your face —­ you will go up, like you go up these rocks; it is pretty steep, but you know, vere one person cannot stand, anozer will mount.  And what will you do wiz yourself when you get to de top?”

“I don’t know yet, sir,” Winthrop said laughing.

“It is just so goot not to know,” said Mr. Herder.  “What thing a man may wish to make himself, no matter what, he should fit himself for some ozer thing.  Or else, he may be just one thing —­ he might be poet, or mathematicien, or musicien maybe, —­ and not be a whole man.  You understand?”

“Very well, sir.”

“I did not know no more what I would be, when I first went to de Universite of Halle I have been to seven Universites.”

Winthrop looked at him, as if to see whether he were cased in sevenfold learning.

“I am not so very wise, neizer,” he said laughing.  “And now I am in de eight Universite —­ in Mannahatta —­ and if you will come dere I will be very glad to see you.”