With a view to depicting the particularity of the Germans, we have set forth the fundamental difference between them and the other peoples of Teutonic descent, namely that the former remained in the uninterrupted flow of an original language which has developed continuously out of the actual life of the nation, whereas the latter adopted a foreign language which under their influence has become dead. At the end of the previous hour we mentioned that from this fundamental difference there must of necessity follow other phenomena in connection with these disparate tribes; today we shall elaborate on these phenomena and establish them more firmly on their common ground.

An investigation that endeavours to be thorough can avoid becoming involved in disputes and arousing envy. We shall proceed here as we did before in that investigation of which the present one is the continuation. We shall deduce step by step the consequences that follow from the fundamental difference we have advanced, taking care only that this deduction is correct. Now, whether the variety of phenomena which ought to exist according to this deduction occurs in actual experience or not – that I shall leave solely for you and for every observer to decide.