The Student Life of Germany Part 21

The wind without had laid itself, but the snow-flakes chased each other rapidly through the air, and a deep snow covered the silent streets. In a few moments the merry home-goers were clad in a thick covering of snow; and being once thus besnowed, they separated themselves into two parties, and began to bombard each other with s...o...b..a.l.l.s. One party prevailed and put the other into flight. The fleers espied a Bauer's sledge; one jumped in, the other two seized its pole, and thus rushed rapidly along the Hauptstra.s.se, pursued by the other party with s...o...b..a.l.l.s. When they now reached one of the princ.i.p.al squares, the madcap chase came to an end. The sledge remained standing in the square to the amazement of the Bauer, who the next morning, after much hunting, found it there.

Now sounded a general "good-night," and every one hastened home.

Hoffmann reached his chamber, which filled him with that feeling of desolation, so often felt in places which a moment before were all alive with the presence of those we love. But the delightful consciousness of having enjoyed an evening to the uttermost, the still more delightful consciousness of having afforded such an one to his friends, absorbed all other thoughts. He called to mind again the good wishes of his friends, and his last thoughts in the night were, "May G.o.d, if he denies me every thing else, never, to my life's end, deprive me of the sense which renders me capable of enjoying worthily such delightful hours."

DRINKING SONG.

Ye brothers, when no more I'm drinking, But faint with gout and palsy lie, Exhausted on the sick bed sinking, Believe it then, my end is nigh.

And die I this day or to-morrow, My testament's already made; My funeral from your care I'll borrow, But without splendour or parade.

And as for coffin, that remanding, A Rhenish cask for it shall pa.s.s; Instead of lemon placed each hand in, Give me a brimfull Deckel-gla.s.s.

Into the cellar then convey me, Where I have drunk whole hogsheads dry; With head unto the tap then lay me, My feet towards the wall may lie.

And when you're to the grave me bringing, As follow all then, man by man; For G.o.d's sake let no bell be ringing, And clinking gla.s.ses be your plan.

Upon my gravestone be inscribed, This man was born, grew, drank, and died,-- And now he rests where he imbibed In lifelong joy, the purple tide.

THE POPE.

A lordly life the Pope doth hold, He lives on absolution gold; The best of wines still drinketh he; The Pope, the Pope I fain would be.

But no! 'tis but a wretched lot, A German maiden loves him not.

Alone in his great house lives he-- The Pope, the Pope, I would not be.

The Sultan lives full blithe and crowse, He liveth in a golden house, With lovely ladies liveth he-- The Sultan then I fain would be.

But no! he is a wretched man, He liveth by the Alcoran.

No drop of wine may drink--not he; The Sultan then I will not be.

Their separate fortunes, howe'er fine, I'd wish not, for one moment, mine, But would to this right glad agree, Now Pope, now Sulta.n.u.s to be.

Come, lovely maiden, yield a kiss, For this my reign as Sultan is.

And faithful brother send a fee, For now I choose the Pope to be.

DRINKING SONG.

Brothers! in this place of festive meeting, Let us every trouble now defeating, G.o.d, in goodness, hath us thus combined; Drink here with the friend of honest mind.

There, where nectar flows, Sweetest pleasure blows, E'en as flowers when the spring hath shined.

Golden time! oh revel we it through, Hanging on the friend's devoted breast; From the friend a blissful warmth we'll borrow; Of our pleasure cool in wine the zest.

In the grapes pure blood, Drink we German mood, Feel we of a higher strength possessed.

Sip ye not when Bacchus' fountain floweth, With full beakers to lips faintly bent; He who life by drops yet only knoweth, Knoweth not of life the full intent.

Lift it to thy mouth, Drain it in thy drouth, For a G.o.d from heaven it hath sent

On the spirit's light accustomed pinion, In the world the youngling plunges bold; Friends to win him, as his best dominion, And whom fast and faster he will hold.

So remain mine all, Till the world shall fall; Round their friend truth's arms eternal fold.

Let ye not the strength of youth be wasted; In the wine-cap doth the gold-star shine; From sweet lips be honeyed sweetness tasted, For of life is love the heart divine.

Is the strength gone forth?

Lose the wine its worth?

Follow we, old Charon, nor repine.

RHINE-WINE.

So, crown with leaves the love o'er-br.i.m.m.i.n.g beakers, And drain them o'er and o'er, In Europe far and wide, ye pleasure-seekers, Is such a wine no more!

It comes not out of Hungary nor Poland.

Nor where they French do speak.

St. Vitus, he may fetch wine from such wo-land, Ours there we do not seek.

It is from Fatherland's abundance rendered, How were it else so good!

How could in it such n.o.ble peace be blended, And yet such bravest mood!

Yet it grows not upon all German mountains; For many hills we trace, Like the old Cretans, dull and sluggish fountains, Which are not worth their s.p.a.ce.

The Ertzgebirge, ye need not explore there, If wine ye would behold; Thuce spring but silver and the cobalt ore there, And mischief-making gold.

Thuringia's mountains, for example, bringing, A growth which looks like wine, But it is not; o'er that there is no singing, No glad eyes round it shine.

The Blocksberg is the lengthy Sir Philister, As windy and as drear; Dance the cuckoo and his wild sacrister, Upon him here and there.

The Rhine! the Rhine! 'tis there our vines are growing!

O blessed be the Rhine!

The slopes by which that n.o.ble stream is flowing They give this precious wine.

So drink! so drink! let us all methods trying, For joyous hours combine.

And if we knew where one in wo were lying We'd give him of this wine!

CHAPTER XIII.

GENERAL SYSTEM OF GERMAN EDUCATION.

All our educational inst.i.tutions form, of many members, an existing ring, which embraces the inhabitants of Germany so thoroughly, that every one of them must, according to his station and capacity, receive the benefit of a humane education. The university beams on this ring like a n.o.ble jewel set in gold, and while it closes the ring, as the n.o.blest member of the whole, it touches again on the commencing portion, over which its beneficent splendour shall be diffused. So Mr.

Traveller regarded these inst.i.tutions, and regarded them therefore with approval and admiration. Von Kronen, who had already delivered to him a short history of the universities, promised to give him a brief notice of the general German educational system, which he had prepared, at another opportunity:--and here it is.

A glance into the evolution periods of the continually ascending spiritual and material interests of an age; a glance at the state of improvement even of this time, and our latest posterity, must unite in the judgment,--with truth was the nineteenth century called "_the enlightened!_" The spirit of man lies no longer in a lethargic sleep; the nations of the _tempus novi_ appear no more the slaves of superst.i.tion and of absurdity; manhood feels its worth; discerns its destiny; and strains towards the highest limit,--towards an enn.o.bled humane accomplishment, with all that strength which nature so affluently pours out upon it. Art and science embrace with giant arms the awakened spirit of man; they will be, and they are become, the common property; and every one seeks to make himself a partaker of them, according to the measure of his individual ability. Trade and commerce flourish; the activity of the common man, of the greater part of mankind, has therethrough acquired a n.o.bler direction. Increasing population brings new necessities; and these, again, elicit a zealous wrestling for the means of satisfying them, whereby the spirit of man sees itself compelled continually to a persistence in the most strenuous activity. And does not all this contribute to a perpetually advancing improvement of our human heart and mind most essentially?--Does a thistle here and there thrive amongst the wheat?