The Student Life of Germany Part 19

But through this exception, I have wandered from my proper business.

Yes, if there were not left yet a monastery or two, to which we can bring a loving couple for refuge, I should not know how to carry on a German romance to the third page; and when, in fact, there shall no longer be a cloister left, there is an end of German romance.

The majority of the company paid their tribute of approbation to this satire. The observations which they made upon it were interrupted in good time by the appearance of a steaming bowl of punch. When the guests had filled their gla.s.ses, Hoffmann seized his guitar, and accompanied the voices of the rest, who sung Schiller's famous song.

THE FOUR ELEMENTS.

Four Elements all thoroughly blent, Build up the world, our being cement.

Press ye the juice of citrons, and pour; Harsh is of life the innermost core.

Now let the sugar's tempering juice, Softly the fiery harsh strength reduce;

Now let the water bright gushing fall; Peacefully water embraceth all.

Let drops of spirit therein be thrown; Life to the life it giveth alone.

Quaff it off quickly ere virtue goes, Only revives the well while it glows.

Freisleben arose, and said, "Let us drink to the prosperity of our friend. May many happy years find him still young in his spirit, and in the love of his art. May future generations lament that he did not live amongst them. May he be continually surrounded by friends who love him as we do! May he only know sickness that he may learn more vividly to enjoy health. May so much earthly good fall to his lot, that he may live contented. To his prosperity let us give a three times thundering Live-hoch! Vivat!--vivat!--vivat!"

Hoffmann.--To the prosperity of my dear friends! May you--if in the autumn of our lives we should meet again--say to me, "All that we once wished thee on thy birthday, has had its fulfilment in ourselves. But may there never come a winter in your lives!" Let us sing something in company.

THERE TWINKLE THREE STARS.

There twinkle three stars, oh! so friendly!

I' the darkness of life do they shine, These stars, oh! they sparkle so kindly, We call them love, music, and wine, We call them love, music, and wine.

There lives in the sweet voice of singing, A heart sympathizing and true; Song giveth new youth to rejoicing, And barreth the heart to all rue!

But wine unto song is united, A joyous and wondrous thing; With glowing rays clothes itself brightly,-- To earth a perpetual spring!

But glitt'ring and joyfully winking, When brightly the third star doth shine; It sounds in the spirit like singing, It glows in the bosom like wine.

Then fill, ye three cordial planets, Our b.r.e.a.s.t.s with your glory divine; In life and in death our companions, Be love, and sweet music, and wine!

And wine, and sweet love, and singing, They honour the festival night; Then live! who in kissing and loving, In wine and in singing delight!

In wine and in singing delight!

Hoffmann.--Gentlemen, don't drink yet. I must yet once more animate you; so then sing:--

Roundelay and barley-wine, Love we them for ever; Grasp them bravely where they shine,-- Cup's exhausted never!

(To Mr. Traveller.) Brother, thy beloved is called?--

Mr. Traveller.--Georgina.

All.--Georgina, she shall live-o! shall live-o!

Georgina, she shall live-o!

All.--Roundelay and true grape wine, Love we them for ever.

Grasp them bravely where they shine,-- Cup's exhausted never.

(To Von Kronen). Brother, thy beloved is called?--

Von Kronen.--Rapunzel.

All.--Rapunzel, she shall live-o! shall live-o! shall live-o!

Rapunzel, she shall live-o!

So goes the song in this manner round; and each one names the actual or feigned name of his lady.

Mr. Traveller.--Where, then, have you found the name of Rapunzel, Von Kronen?

Von Kronen.--Look into Grimms' "Kinder und Haus-Marchen;" there you may read the moving history of Rapunzel, which has so seized upon me that I have without further ado made the poor Rapunzel my beloved.

Enderlin.--I hope that thou correspondest with her. How touchingly must the subscription of the letters sound:--"Thy faithful Rapunzel," or "Thy affectionate Rapunzel."

Pittschaft.--But do procure me the favour of thy Rapunzel writing something in my Stammbook.

Von Kronen.--In thy bore of a Stammbook? But O yes! yes! for she is quite at liberty to write in what she will.

Pittschaft.--And what, I wonder, will she write?

Von Kronen.--Instead of an answer, which perhaps after all may not come, I will give thee an anecdote.

Every body knows how great was at one time the rage in the universities to have Stammbucher. Every student kept one; and all the inmates of the house, the numerous members of the landsmannschaft, the whole body of the teachers and other acquaintances who approached him, each and all found their place in it. A student even came once to Dr. Semmler in Halle, with the request that he would have the goodness to write in his Stammbuch. Semmler, who, spite of his well-known and highly praiseworthy economy of time, could not repress his curiosity to turn over the leaves of the Stammbuch, found, to his great amazement, almost on every page such sentences and sayings as were not the most calculated to give him a high idea of the morality of the friends of the gentleman Stammbuch-holder. Finding a clear page, he therefore wrote--Matt. viii. 31. "Lord, suffer me, that I go amongst this herd of swine."

Pittschaft.--If Rapunzel could say such stupid things as thou dost, I should set her down for a very conceited person, and would not trouble her with my Stammbuch, more particularly that she might not get a wicked notion of the morality of my friends, and amongst them of her beloved.

Hoffmann.--Away with all personalities. Let us have a roundelay.

There goes a drinking-law our table all around, around-- There goes a drinking-law our table all around:-- Three times three are nine-a, Ye know well what I opine-a.

There goes a drinking-law our table all around.

What a jolly time the damsels have though-- They're not compelled to the war to go.