MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



485 



inns, to which they are good 

 customers.— I dined with an ac- 

 quaintance of their number, at a 

 table filled with them. Their 

 manners were, in general, as 

 coarse and as rude as their ap- 

 pearance ; they lied all the air of 

 low mechanics or persons much 

 less civilized. Some of them were 

 young nobles — others had the 

 ribbons of orders in their button- 

 holes ; and they often wear the 

 cockade of their country in their 

 caps or hats, which is sometimes 

 the symbol of a provincial patrio- 

 tism, much of a-kin to the na- 

 tional one indicated by their 

 clothes. Since the flame of na- 

 tional feeling has been kindled by 

 late events, the distinctions of 

 country are liowever professedly 

 abandoned. Tlie separate asso- 

 ciations of the students from 

 different states are done away; 

 and they now loudly assert that 

 they form but one body of Ger- 

 mans. But it is easier to assume 

 the title than to suppress national 

 prejudices, or neutralize distinc- 

 tions of character. The light 

 subtle Prussian is little formed to 

 harmonise with the fat phlegmatic 

 Bavarian or Austrian ; and if the 

 students of different states mix 

 in amusements pretty indiscri- 

 minately, a quarrel (an event of 

 the commonest occurrence) draws 

 out their provincial preposses- 

 sions, and ranges the parties ac- 

 cordingly. 



The number of students at 

 Heidelberg, for the last spring 

 semestre, or course of lectures, 

 was above 400. Goettingen some- 

 times musters 1,200. The pro- 

 fessors at Heide>berg are now in 

 high repute ; and on their attrac- 

 tion depends the fulness of the 



Univetrsity. — When a favourite 

 professor departs, sometimes 

 nearly half a university follow 

 him. The students generally enter 

 very young — many at sixteen or 

 seventeen ; for as every young 

 man, intended for the civil service 

 of any prince, must spend two 

 years, by way of qualification, at 

 a university, the object of parents 

 is, to qualify them for office as 

 early as possible. Raw children 

 from the Gymnasium are conse- 

 quently sent to the University, 

 rather to get over these two years 

 than for the purpose of study. 

 Finding themselves here, all at 

 once, their own masters, and 

 exposed to every temptation, they 

 naturally follow the stream, as- 

 suming the vices and caricaturing 

 the consequence of full-grown 

 men. The necessary two years 

 are often fipent in drinking, gam- 

 ing, rioting, and insulting others, 

 more from the intoxication of 

 liberty than from vicious inclina- 

 tion. The pride of premature 

 manhood makes them jealous of 

 their little dignities, and ape the 

 punctilios of false honour. Per- 

 petual duels are the consequence, 

 which have all the ill effect of 

 brutalising the feelings without 

 the questionable advantage of 

 exercising courage — for theirexe- 

 cution is, in general, ludicrously 

 devoided of danger. The breasts 

 and faces of the doughty combat- 

 ants are cased in pasteboard, in 

 the security of which panoply, 

 they chivalrously engage with 

 small rapiers till incensed honour 

 is satisfied, sometimes by the first 

 sprinkling of blood, at others, by 

 nothing less than a wound of a 

 certain length and depth, to be 

 ascertained by measurement of 



the 



