rted second president Von Kircheisen noticed and encouraged his
talents. In consequence, he laboured at his duties and studies with
such zeal that he succeeded in passing his third and last examination,
the so-called _examen rigorosum_, and so qualifying for the position of
judge in the highest courts of Prussia, in the summer of 1799. He was
recommended for an appointment as councillor in a provincial supreme
court; but before proceeding to the dignity of councillor it was
obligatory upon him to serve a probationary year as _assessor_. He was
accordingly sent down to the newly-acquired Polish provinces (South
Prussia, as they were called), to the town of Posen, where work was
plentiful and talented and energetic workers were in demand. Before
leaving the capital he had the pleasure of seeing his friend Hippel,
who spent two happy months with him, living the past over again,
visiting Potsdam, Dessau, Leipsic, Dresden, &c., and discussing the
journey to Italy, which through all his life Hoffmann continued to
dream of as an ideal plan to be some time consummated, but which
unfortunately never was consummated. Hippel accompanied his friend to
Posen.

The Polish provinces were fraught with great danger for any young man
who was not possessed of exceptional firmness and sound moral
principles. For a young lawyer, the work was severe and exacting, but
the emoluments were large. Time, however, failed to allow of
cultivating the higher sources of enjoyment; hence all hastened to make
the most of it by throwing themselves into the lower. Drinking was a
habit of the country; and the drink that was drunk was of the strongest
kinds, the fiery wines of Hungary and strong liquors. There reigned
also a deplorable laxity of morals; and the graceful Polish women were
very seductive. That Hoffmann followed the example of his colleagues,
and plunged into the giddy whirlpool of miscalled pleasure, will
perhaps appear natural when we take into consideration the sources of
discontent that had for some time been fermenting in his spirit. Having
been submitted to the trammels of unreasonable constraint, it need not
be wondered at that his passionate restless nature should be enticed by
the temptations to which he was now so suddenly and unreservedly
exposed, that he forgot all his higher strivings and cast his better
purposes to the winds, and drank greedily of the pleasures of life
which his newly-won freedom brought in so easy and seductive