The Student Life of Germany Part 29

CHAPTER XVII.

THE SPECIAL COMMERS.

b.u.mpers in oar left-hands draining, We will drink thy long maintaining, Ancient, jovial Burschendom!

Swords in our right hands extending, We will fight for thy defending, Free and gallant Burschendom!

_Hauff_.

These lines of Hauff's, who himself enjoyed in Tubingen the pleasures of the Burschendom with a fresh spirit, express the sentiments which altogether in the life of the student, but especially in its most beautiful feast, the Commers, are felt and abound. We have described the General Commers; and we have now to make our readers acquainted with the so-called Special Commers, that which each individual corps celebrates at the commencement and conclusion of each Semester. These Commerses are seldom held in the city. We see a jocund train issuing forth from one of the city gates. A troop goes before on horseback, who, in earlier times, were still more distinguished by their peculiar style, but who still may sometimes be seen in full costume, that is, in buckskins and huge jack-boots, Polonaise frocks; on their heads, their Cerevis caps; over their b.r.e.a.s.t.s, wearing the broad Ch.o.r.e-band, while they carry in their right hands their naked swords. The rest follow them in carriages drawn by two or four horses; or the Senior precedes in a four or six-horse equipage, and the rest follow in two-horse ones.

In their customary negligent student-dress, they lounge at their ease in their carriages, smoking their long pipes. The Foxes show themselves especially consequential, since it is the first time that they have been privileged to present themselves to the eyes of the astonished world in such a public procession. The Pawk-doctor is always invited to this festivity, and frequently honours the Ch.o.r.e with his presence; but the Red Fisherman is an invariable attendant, arrayed in the oddest style, as the black frock-coat, and his other habiliments, by no means correspond with the open breast and outlying shirt. He is generally posted as servant behind the last carriage.

If now the reader were, on such a day, already at Neckarsteinach, so might he, from the little pavilion in the garden of the Gasthouse[42]

of the Harp, right commodiously observe the approach of such a train, as it emerges from one of the windings of the road which follows the serpentine course of the Neckar, and permits him even from afar to see the flashing of the drawn swords, and the shimmering of the coloured caps and Ch.o.r.e-bands. Or he sees the new guests approaching in a barge which they have mounted at Neckargemund, where they have left their horses and carriages. The barge is hung with garlands and festoons, pennons stream from the masts; the sons of the Muses, in their many-coloured costume, are picturesquely grouped, and some of them are singing in the overflowing of their spirits to the sound of the jocund music.

The inhabitants see gladly these guests arrive in the place; as the Burschen, on one such day, make a greater expenditure, or in common parlance, moult more feathers than as many honourable inhabitants of the little town do in a whole year. On this account, their approach is first announced to the spectator in the garden of the Harp, by the firing of small cannon, which are planted for the purpose of doing all possible honour to these high guests, on the Dielsberg, a town opposite, situated on a lofty conical hill, where the earliest view of the approaching train is obtained, and by others fired from one of the old castles of Neckarsteinach. The garden of the inn now speedily swarms with the jovial Burschen, who here play off all sorts of pranks and whims.

But within, the whole house is in the most universal bustle.

House-servants and waiters run to and fro; in the kitchen all the hands of the cooks are in active agitation, in order to fulfil the command of the landlady. There will sit a sleepy maid nodding in a chair, since for two days, that is, since the Commers was announced to them, there has been no sleep in the eyes of any of the ministering spirits; but she is quickly roused up with a vengeance in order to a.s.sist in the general activity. All, however, is still and solitary in the yard; for the poor feather-cattle have been compelled to yield up their young lives in order to parade on the table of these honoured and swarming guests. Above, in the great hall, is a long table covered. Every window is adorned with green and flowery garlands and festoons, and at that end of the hall where the seat of honour is placed, there is emblazoned on the wall the great and painted coat-of-arms of the Verbindung, embellished with flowers and ribands. The musicians now take their places in the orchestra above; the sons of the Muses appear in the hall, and the feast is opened. After the cloth is drawn the proceedings at table are such as we have described in the General Commers, except that, at this Commers, no beer is drunk, but wine only; and you may soon hear the report of outflying Champagne corks, as the toasts of the Ch.o.r.e are given, or those upon and connected with the Land Prince, when the Commers is celebrated on his birthday.

In the so-called Foundation Commers, it is customary for the Senior, to deliver a short speech, in which he takes a review of the fortunes of the Verbindung, or Ch.o.r.e, from its establishment, and particularly mentions the names of those who have belonged to it, and are now gone forth from it into busy life.

As they do not return from such a Commers, at the earliest, till the noon or the evening of the next day, all kind of follies and madcap playfulness are resorted to, to make the time pa.s.s merrily. Amongst these may be cla.s.sed the "Lord of Fools." A great throne is built up of tables and chairs, upon which one of the students is placed. He is equipped as a king, with his crown, sceptre, and other insignia. The others are his devoted subjects, who bring him a great humper, or large gla.s.s, such as every Ch.o.r.e possesses. The Prince of Fools now sings:--

THE PRINCE OF FOOLS.

Prince.--I am the Prince of fooling, Here, o'er the topers ruling; And ye the G.o.ds do send on, My Princeship to attend on.

All-- To wait on your divineness, With wine of every fineness, That's why we here are standing, All at your dread commanding.

Prince.--Ye sportsmen with your thunder Shoot me the foxes under, And ye there all before us, Blow in your horns a chorus.

All.-- 'Ith horn, 'ith horn, 'ith hunter's horn, 'Ith horn, 'ith horn, 'ith hunter's horn, Drink off, drink off, thou Prince of Fools.

Drink off, drink off, thou Prince of Fools.

As they sing this, he empties his humper.

The Prince.--What helps me now my lofty throne, My sceptre, wad my Burschen-crown?

What helps me now my high command?

I lay it down in N. N.'s hand!

He now descends from the throne, and the next takes his place, till it has thus gone the whole round.

The convivial meeting sits till late in the night; and the next day they amuse themselves with all kinds of frolics and merriments, in which the Red Fisherman often becomes the b.u.t.t of no gentle jokes. They sometimes make processions through the village at the head of which one of them rides on the back of the Red Fisherman, or on an a.s.s. They climb the neighbouring ruined castles, which are perched on the mountains, and let their songs thence resound over the country.

These gambols and outbreaks of youthful spirits, full of life, strength, and enjoyment, and which thus are ready to overleap all bounds in the excitement of leaving behind for a day or so all study, and giving themselves up in fine weather, and beautiful scenery, to the full swing of their fancies and feelings, especially such a troop of youngsters being together, have always characterized the students. An old popular ballad describes their pranks in these rural Commerses, as far back as 1650; probably then a little more freely indulged in than at present.

WAYS OF THE STUDENTS.

Queer chaps are these students, say folks every where, Although you should have them but once in the year; They make in the village such riot and reek, There's nought else left for us but plague for a week.

Now must we be caring for St. Mary's day, And every one is wishing that Galli come may; Then come they with swords and fowling-pieces too, And make in the village a horrid to-do.

There's nothing then in safety; no pigeon, no hen, As though they were made but for plunder of men; No goose dare even venture out into the meadow, These gents with their swords would soon whip off its head oh.

Are gardens with boards and bars all fenced too?

They burst them asunder that the sun doth shine through; In clambering for apples the trees too they break, 'Tis well if each home but a pocketful take.

With fire and with powder we're in constant fears, That e'en our small house be burnt over our ears; Their crackers they let on our roofs hop and bound, And a devil cares not though they burn to the ground.

Has one a good dog by his house-door to stay, And that from his chain could not break away, Straight let they him loose, when, troth 'twere no need, Potz hagel! they've shot, and the poodle is dead!

Students 'ith Wirthshouse, are jolly and able.

For all that they need is a great mighty table; They drink and they shout, as the house theirs had been: They drink and they cry till they're sky-blue and green.

Now they talk Lapodeinish![43] I know not what 'tis; But one knows very well, it is we that they quiz-- Now they dance in the market, they leap and they play, And take from the hinds their own dance-place away.

Then turn the men-servants, and cudgel them out, Till like mice they are running the streets all about; They gather to battle in furious throngs, And smite, lunge, and cry with right deafening lungs.

Then they're off through the fields with their play to undo them, 'Tis just as if thunder should tear its way through them, They tread down the corn-field, they don't understand, What 'tis to eat black bread raised by their own hand.

Is a horse in the meadow, his strength to recruit?

The students soon seize on the poor weary brute, They're up, and their heels in his sides go ding-dong, Ah! might he, at least, but go slowly along!

Two centuries have produced a proportionate improvement in the students; though as full of fun as ever, the country people have nothing like the wanton mischief here recorded to fear from them.

The Commers then, being brought to a close, they generally return by boat to the city of the Muses. If this is in the evening, the barge is illuminated, and when they approach the city, fireworks are played off.

As they land they proceed to their Kneip, and there wind up the feast.

On the arrangements of a Kneip, nothing further is necessary to be said, as we, in becoming acquainted with the Beer-tablet, beheld the only particular in which it differs from other drinking-places; but, in speaking of the different drinks that are consumed in a Kneiping, we must not forget the Crambambuli. In order to prepare this liquor, an earthenware dish is used, into which a sufficient quant.i.ty of sugar is poured, and it is then filled up with rum. It is then set fire to; and the company, who sit round the flaming dish, sing--

THE CRAMBAMBULI SONG.

Crambambuli, this is the t.i.tle Of that good drink we love the best, It is the means of proof most vital, When evil fortunes us molest.

In evening late, in morning free, I drink my gla.s.s Crambambuli.

Have I into the inn ascended, Most like some n.o.ble cavalier?

I leave the bread and roast untended, And bid them bring the corkscrew here.

Then blows the coachman--trantanti-- Unto a gla.s.s Crambambuli.

Are head and stomach both distracted; For eating have I little zest; A plaguy cold have I contracted; Have I catarrh within my chest?

What need the doctor trouble me, I drink my gla.s.s Crambambuli!

Were I a prince of power unbounded, Like Kaiser Maximilian, For me were there an order founded, 'Tis this device I'd hang thereon:-- Toujours fidele, et sans souci, C'est l'ordre du Crambambuli!