CHAPTER XVI.

THE COMMERS.

And there is grandfather, who, letters still extant, Though now somewhat ancient, give sure text on't. In many a Commers and Burschen-feast, As sword-bearing Praeses his fame increased. _Preface to the Renommist_.

Our discourse shall now be of a beautiful feast of the Students--the Commers. We describe the Commers of the present day; since in earlier times this festival bore another shape, and was disfigured by rude customs, so that we may justly say of the Commers, that it has not, like most other feasts, degenerated in the course of years, but has already improved itself. We will hereafter speak of these customs of an earlier time, and of some which in many places still remain, but which do not necessarily belong to the Commers. We understand by a Commers, as it now exists, a festive assembly, which consecrates itself by a higher tone and signification by the singing of "The Landsfather."

The Commers is divided into the general and the special. In the former, the assembled Chores, and all other students who wish it, take part. In describing the constitution of a Chore, we have already spoken of these. In the special Commers, only a particular Chore, with all those that are attached to it, and such other members of other friendly Chores as are invited, take part. The Commerses are distinguished into Entrance and Farewell Commerses, with which the Semesters open and close. The Fox-ride generally takes place at the Entrance-Commers. Each particular Chore, moreover, has its Foundation-Commers, on which it celebrates the anniversary of its establishment. Many Chores also are accustomed to hold a Commers in honour of the birthday of their Land Prince.

First, of the General Commers. To this, assemble themselves all who take part in it, in a spacious room, either in the city or in its immediate neighbourhood.

Those students who are not themselves in any Chore, attach themselves to one or other of them, and each Chore has its particular table; and two presidents sit at the head of each table. The chief president is the Senior of that Chore which has the secretaryship.

When the Commers shall begin, the presidents cry "ad loca!" which command every one must be careful to obey, if he would avoid the consequence of a beer penalty. In these Commerses, the rule is to drink beer, and this is called a Commers in beer. The chief president has now to give out the songs which shall be sung, and he also dictates the particular verses. Certain songs are on these occasions brought forward from time immemorial, as "Heidelberg, live thou! hurrah hoch!" or the following, at a Farewell Commers.

THE TRAVEL SONG.

Away! we have drunk it, the sparkling wine, Adieu, now, ye loved ones, to wander is mine. Adieu, now ye mountains, thou fatherly home, For mightily drives me the passion to roam. For mightily drives me the passion to roam.

The sun in the heaven won't pause without change, But speeds on through lands and o'er oceans to range; The wave will not cling to the same lonesome strand; The storms, they go roaring with might through the land. --(The land).

With clouds, fast careering, the bird floats along, And sings in the far-land its home-loving song; Through forest and field so the Bursche is hurl'd, To be, like his mother, the wandering world. --(The world).

There greet him the birds which beyond seas he knew; From fields of his home-scenes 'tis here that they flew. The sweet flowers around him familiarly grow, In airs from his country, far wafted, they blow. --(They blow).

The birds! O well know they his father's own towers; For garlands of love once he planted those flowers. And love, it still follows, still gives him the hand, And makes him a home in that furthermost land. --(That land).

Before each president lies a drawn sword, with which, as signal of command, he strikes upon the table. It is forbidden to every one, on pain of a beer-penalty, to interrupt the song in any manner whatever. So now the singing and drinking go forward in regular course. At a later hour a supper is eaten, and the Commers is closed by the singing of "The Landsfather," after which there is no more singing, but it immediately becomes free to every one to stay and kneip on as long as he likes.

When "The Landsfather" is to begin, the presidents command "ad loca!" Every one must quietly take his seat, and it is allowed to no one, as otherwise commonly happens at kneipings, to take off his coat, and sit in his shirt-sleeves. All must be conducted solemnly and seriously. All voices join in--

THE CONSECRATION SONG, OR LANDSFATHER.

Silence all ye, each one call ye Unto solemn tones his ear! Hark, the song of songs I raise now, German brothers, join in praise now, Sound it, Sound it back a chorus clear!

Of your Fatherland the song; Fatherland! thou land so famous, Sacred to thy glory claim us;-- Germans proudly, swell ye loudly, We, our swords, to thee belong!

Life and living to thee giving, We are all prepared to bleed: Ready at each hour for dying, Death, with all his wounds defying, If our Fatherland it need.

He who feels not; he who zeals not, In true worth to be arrayed,-- He shall not our bond dishonour; This our Bride,[38] swear not upon her; Nor the German sword degrade.

Song the proudest, swell it loudest; Brave and German be we too; See the consecrated band here, As brave Burschen take your stand here, And the free-cap strike ye through.

See it gleaming, softly beaming, In my left this stain-free glave; Thus I strike the cap through, swearing, Honour bright for ever wearing, Still to be a Bursche brave!

During the singing of the preceding stanzas, the two presidents hold their swords across each other, each holding his sword in his left hand, and placing the fingers of the right on it, to ratify the oath; and this being done, they pierce their caps through, and leave them hanging on the swords. While they do this, all sing:

Thus thou strik'st the cap through, swearing, Honour bright for ever wearing,-- Still to be a Bursche brave!

Each president then sings thus to his next neighbour while he reaches him the cup:--

Drinker! swimming, bright o'erbrimming, Take this Fatherlandish cup!

The presidents give their swords each to their next neighbours. These, who sit opposite to each other, have risen from their seats, and now hold the swords which they have received from the presidents, crossed, over the table. The presidents continue their song:

Thy left hand the keen sword bearing, Boring through the cap, and swearing-- To thy country drink it up! [Here they empty the cups.

The two who have drunk now sing,--

See it gleaming, softly beaming, In my left this stain-free glave!

All repeat--"See it gleaming, softly beaming," etc.

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'erbrimming," 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 assembled 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 discumber, 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 noble 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 noble 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 Chores, 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.

TITULUS 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 glasses 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 glass 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 glasses 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 associated in parties of enjoyment, will soon become "Thou-brothers," and it arises of itself amongst those who are of the same Chore. 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 Crass-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 quantity 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 quantity 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 quantity 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 nobler 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 glasses.

"(_b_) That no one may refuse to drink the glasses 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 glass, 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!"