The Student Life of Germany Part 28

Each of the two individuals sings on:--

Thus I strike the cap through, swearing, Honour bright for ever wearing, Still to be a Bursche brave!

While all repeat this in chorus, the caps of the two are spitted on the swords to the former two. With the last words the presidents take back the swords, and as they hand the caps to the next two, sing, "Drinker!

swimming, bright o'erbr.i.m.m.i.n.g," etc. So go the presidents, repeating the same ceremony with each opposite two, till they reach the bottom of the table. Here they exchange with each other the swords, on which the a.s.sembled caps are hanging, but without changing their respective sides of the table. As they do this each president sings:

Come thou, drawn sword, consecrated, Of freemen the weapon free!

With transpierced cape thus freighted, Yield it solemnly to me.

Let us gaily it disc.u.mber, Cover each one now his head; And unspotted in his bed, Till next feast-day let it slumber.

All sing-- Up! ye feast companions, guard them, All our hallowed rites and fair; All your heart and soul award them, As stout men should ever dare!

To the feast, ye brothers valiant,-- Worthy of your fathers, stand!

And may he ne'er wield the brand, But who n.o.ble is and gallant!

Each president now reaches across the table to the brother sitting opposite to him, his cap, which he has taken off the sword, and stretches the sword over his covered head; both the presidents singing:--

So take it back;-- Thy head I now will cover, And stretch the sword it over, And live to this our Brother, hoch!

A dog's-foot who insult him shall!

Wherever we shall meet him, We'll aye, as Brother greet him, And live to this our Brother, hoch!

While all are singing, the president reaches to him whose head he has covered, his right hand. The presidents thus gradually, and in succession, cover all heads, till they have again arrived at that place at the table where they have presided. Returned thither, they cover each other under the same ceremonies. In conclusion, all sing:--

Rest thee from the Burschen feast-rites, Now, thou dedicated brand, And be each one's high endeavour-- Freedom for his Fatherland!

Hail to him who still is haunted With his father's &me in field; And the sword may no one wield, But the n.o.ble and undaunted!

This is the simple description of a Commers, as it is now celebrated; and when we ask what it is which distinguishes the Commers from other festive meetings, the reply must be, that it consists in the singing of "The Landsfather," as its solemn and ceremonial conclusion. To this celebration we certainly are not at all disposed to refuse our approbation. It contributes strongly to maintain a unity amongst the students, divided and subdivided as they are into different Ch.o.r.es, and separated again from the private people--as the Camels, as a more polite name, are called. They contribute to bring back to the consciousness of every one, that Germany, though separated into so many states and territories, is yet One Germany! The hole which is pierced in the cap is at once a symbol of death of the Fatherland, and a memorial of Commers pleasures enjoyed in companionship with those of many names and places.

In order to bring under notice certain customs of the Commerses, which, however, are not general, and which in recent years at least have not been practised in Heidelberg, we may here give the regulations of the Beer-Comment thereupon, and which indeed take up the Comment, where it will be found left off at the end of this volume, and conclude it.

t.i.tULUS X.

OF THE BEER-COMMERS.

Section 142.--Beer-Burschen alone can preside, and out-to-be-fought Branders, who then, as presidents, have unlimited power. (By out-to-be-fought Branders, are to be understood those who, in this same Commers, shall be advanced to Young Burschen.)

Section 143.--The Beer-commers proceed in the following manner. After the presidents have cried, "ad loca!" and every one has seated himself, they command silence, and every one must pay the strictest attention to this command, upon which the song begins.

Section. 144.--When the song is ended, one of the presidents cries "_Smollis_, ye brother presidents," which is answered by the other presidents, with "_Fiducit_ and _Smollis_, gentlemen;" upon, which all the commanders answer "_Fiducit_."

_Smollis_ is, in this place, a kind of salutation; whence comes the word _Smolliren_, by which it is understood that the parties drink to a brotherhood; so that the two new friends or brothers, from this time forward, instead of the polite term "You," use to each other the familiar word "Thou." When two individuals _smolliren_ with each other, it is thus performed. The two kling, or touch their gla.s.ses together, drink them quite off, and then reach to each other the right hand, saying to each other, "Be thou my friend."

When this is done with a number in a Kneipe, they are accustomed, holding the gla.s.s in one hand, to link that arm with the other arm of the new Thou-brother, and thus turning and crossing to touch each other's gla.s.ses and drink them off, as already it is described in the Renommist.

The hands to the Smollis, entwined thus crossing-- "_Fiducit_, Sir Brother," together _antossing_.[39]

It is the custom in some universities, that all students address each other with "thou." This is called the "Thou-comment," in contradistinction to others; as Heidelberg, where the "You-comment" is in use. But students who in any manner are often a.s.sociated in parties of enjoyment, will soon become "Thou-brothers," and it arises of itself amongst those who are of the same Ch.o.r.e. Therein it is the custom that the younger student always offers the Smollis to the elder; if the contrary happens, it must be regarded as a peculiar favour. That in the very different paths of life which succeed the university-years, it must give occasion to some singular scenes, when the early university-companions, who so quickly knit this kind of bond of amity, in after-life find themselves together again, and are obliged to use towards each other their familiar "Thou," we may well imagine.

Section 145.--After this, the song is sung "The Foxes under the bann have gone." Upon which the Cra.s.s-Foxes, with bare heads, standing up, must each drink off half a choppin; the Brand-Foxes, with bare heads, sitting, must drink each a choppin.

Section 146.--When the song is sung, one president asks the rest, "Has any of the brother presidents any thing to dictate, or to recommend?"

Whereupon, each of the presidents dictates or commands to them who have disturbed in any manner the song or the Commers. But they may not command to any one more than two choppins at one time.

Section 147.--If any one does not drink the quant.i.ty dictated to him within five minutes, the president has the right, without further proceeding, to write him down on the Beer-tablet as a Beer-schisser.

The quant.i.ty which he has yet to drink is to be added to the four choppins. Yet is the Beer-schisser regarded during the Commers as Beer-honourable.

Section 148.--If the presidents declare that they have nothing further to recommend or to dictate, there follows a short pause, during which each Beer-Bursch can fore-drink to the presidents, what these have immediately to after-drink. But during this pause the quant.i.ty fore-drunken to any one of the presidents must not exceed four choppins.

Section 149.--If all is now drunk, the presidents may dictate nothing further, but they close the presidentship with the exclamation--"_Ex est! Colloquium!_"

Section 150.--There may be no fore-drinking during the presidentship, except to the presidents during the pause after their dictation and the commendation.

As already stated, these customs, which must always precede the singing of "The Landsfather," are not every where observed in Commers, and do not necessarily belong to them. In earlier times, the word Commers had a wider comprehension. It meant, in general, a convival meeting, in which a president had the direction and control of the singing and drinking. The meetings were often of a very rude character, and if we even do not hold up the Commerses of the present day as specimens of temperance, yet they acquire a n.o.bler sentiment from the solemnity of "The Landsfather." To those earlier Commerses, rather than to the present, apply those satirical remarks in the Dissertation of the Old Schluck. He makes these observations:--

"A Commers is a drinking-meeting, in which a number of students elect one from amongst themselves, under whose presidency to sing and drink.

The drinking goes on partly at their own cost, and partly at the cost of others. He who invites others, as guests, and pays the shot (schmaust),[40] is styled host, or hospes, from hoc and spes; as if some one should say, I have placed my hope on him. He who directs the drinking-meeting, is president.

"A Commers is more or less strict. It is a strict Commers when the members of the company mutually pledge themselves faithfully to perform whatever the president commands, be it even with danger of life. The signs of the unlimited power of the president, are--

"(1) A sceptre, generally a house-door key,[41] with which he either dispenses with drinking, or exhorts the delinquent to drink or sing, or finally points out the defaulters.

"(2) A naked sword, which is laid on the table, and with which the disobedient are compelled to obedience. Hereupon it is clear:

"(_a_) That no one, without the permission of the president, may stand up. If any one withdraws himself, without having asked permission aloud, he must, for his culpable stiffneckedness, drink from two to four gla.s.ses.

"(_b_) That no one may refuse to drink the gla.s.ses which are dictated to him, since, as shown above, he is pledged to obedience, even at the risk of his life. _Quere_--Can one who has drunken so much that he falls dead in the Commers be obliged to drink more? _Answer_--No! since death discharges all obligations."

These Commerses, of an earlier and ruder time, are discarded. In the Renommist such a one is described, and it concludes with these lines:

Worn fairly out with song, with drinking and with noise, Go reeling now along, those three wild roaring boys.

Mid shattered pipes and gla.s.s, their staggering way they strive, Till in the distant market, by lamplight they arrive.

As other men awake, to bed they take their flight, And bellow to each other--"Sir Brother, a good-night!"