Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/114

 102 HISTORY OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE and his residence between Worms and Heidelberg, in both which towns he became the centre of intellectual life. By the sterling excellence and self-forgetfulness of his whole nature, and by the force of enthusiasm which went out from him, he exercised a deep and lasting influence on widely extended circles. In hirn was verified the old saying that worth is always modest, true superiority always magnanimous, true culture always right-minded. He not only raised the university to a high standard during his lifetime, but laid the foundation of nearly all that on which its present fame rests. By his co-operation the first professorship of Greek was established there, and the world-renowned university library known by the name of the Palatine owed its origin to him. He also collected a valuable house library of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew books, which he placed at the free disposal of all seekers after know- ledge. Johann Eeuchlin, whom Dalberg attracted to his neighbourhood, speaks of his collection as a unique treasure for Germany, and gratefully acknowledged the service it had been to him. When Eeuchlin (born in Pforzheim, 1455) came to Heidelberg (1496) he already ranked high among scholars. As a young man he had delivered lectures at Basle on Greek and Latin, which were listened to by crowded audiences of old and young. He had been one of the first in Germany to secure a permanent footing for Greek literature among the requisites of higher culture. He had attracted attention amongst the highest literary circles in Italy by his proficiency in the Greek language. His fame as a writer was also established. The Latin dictionary which he had com- piled at Basle when scarcely twenty years of age