Our very dull things." This is a very improper remark in many respects. No doubt, many expressions in drinking-songs, if taken literally, by people who cannot Pantagruelize, are immoral and improper-at least according to the very sublimated sensibilities of this superfine age. But why should these trifles be taken literally any more than more serious things,-the Song of Solomon for instance? When Nature triumphs, she is never anxiously moral. Homer is not moral. Moses is not moral, Shakspeare is not moral. Prudery and coarseness are equally removed from health. But as for "impropriety," properly so called, it is a spice only to dulness, as dishes which are bad stand most in need of sauce. What drinking-songs require, to correct their tendency to dulness (a tendency which is not peculiar to drinking-songs,) is humour, and originality either in the shape of character or idea. Burschen bacchanals, for instance, possess mostly the originality of character, and they are not without humour; some of them, also, as the famous song of "the Pope," possess originality of idea. Not a few of them, however, in common with some of Morris's songs, and many in Ritson's collection, possess nothing to redeem them from the quality of dulness or commonplace which the Westminster critic notices. Of these we can only say, in the first place, that they are inferior works of the genus; and in the second place, that it is not fair to take up a volume of printed songs, and read them through, as critics will read, and then pronounce the judgment-dull. Songs were never intended to be read,―never are read by men who follow the instinct of nature in the matter. He who separates a song from the singing of it, robs the fairy car of the rosy cloudembosomment in which lies half its witchery,― studies Titian without the colours. And, in this respect, we must note, that many songs, which are admirable, and among the best when sung in character and with spirit, are nothing upon paper, The jovial flow of social feeling in which the essence of a good song consists, how can the compositor express that?-So in the words of our song, No. XIII., " Brethren, circle round in chorus," there is nothing either of character or idea to call forth the particular commendation of the critic. Nevertheless it is a great favourite with the Burschen; and deservedly so: for it gives utterance to feelings that are or ought to be, especially in the social meetings of the young, as vulgar and as grateful as the light of day, as broad and as free as the breath of life. When men tire of sun-light, and of the green fields, and of the linnet's lay, they will tire of these songs, and not sooner,-only they must be sung. acknowledges also with gratitude,) of a laudatory | Captain Morris's "Social Effusions," tells us, that and commendatory character. But one correspon- "without some alloy of IMPROPRIETY, drinkingdenta Reverend and a Tee-totaller-expresses songs won't go down. Correct drinking songs are great dissatisfaction with our melodious efforts for the amusement of the public; accusing us, in plain phrase, of "corrupting the manners of the age;" and warning us that, if we proceed in our wicked courses, we shall certainly "fall under the condemnation of Jack Sheppard." To this charge, our answer may be very short: we advocate drinking, and sing drinking-songs; but we say nothing about the liquor that shall be drunk. Banish beer, banish wine, banish Crambambuli (of which anon,) and say coffee, cocoa, tea, water, and the song will remain as good as ever, except a rhyme here and there, which it is your duty to change who are dissatisfied. It is not wine that we sing, but the soul of joy and joviality incarnated in wine: and if the Tee-totaller shall succeed in incarnating that soul more perfectly (for Vishnu has many Avatars) in coffee or well-water, and convincing the world to that effect-then the web which Pantagruelizing fancy weaves, will show new pictures, and the language of convivial poetry will be changed. But the poet cannot dictate in these matters: he receives and enjoys. For himself, the present writer confesses that he loves a glass of good wine, both on its own account, and as a clear mirror wherein truth from the face of a friend hath again and again revealed itself triumphantly-to the utter rout and prostration of that minced propriety and laced dignity which has now unhappily become part of the habitude of social etiquette in this country. And as for Tee-totalism, no doubt it is an admirable thing, according to that Scripture, "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out;" whereby, however, it is not said, that what is expedient or necessary for one shall be obligatory on all. But let abstinence flourish by all means rather than drunkenness; and if a man loves water let him rejoice in it—as winedrinkers rejoice in wine. For such persons we have provided a Temperance-crambambuli, communicated by a Tee-total Bursch (p. 76, infra.) At the same time it must be remarked, that never was there a greater mistake than to suppose that drinking-songs create drunkenness. They do so certainly in a fashion, as love may create lust, and religion superstition; but is it not somewhat more common to find that lust burns love to a cinder, and that superstition chokes and strangles religion? Let a man look about among his friends, and note those who are most given to mere physical excess at the table. Certainly not those who make the banquet billow with floods of melodious glee. They who give so much out from the soul, cannot be ever taking in to the body; for the human being can perform only one function grandly at the same time. A black hen lays a white egg; and singers of drinking-songs are generally very temperate persons. They do not sing to drink, but drink to sing, like Madame Malibran with the porter; or they sing and drink rather both together, in harmonious paralellism, that soul and body may hold a common festival, and bless God for his manifold goodness. A critic in the Westminster Review, noticing The specimens of the Burschikose muse, which we give in the present Number, are genuine Commers-lieder, students' songs altogether, and only. "Commerses are great drinking associations, which are held, from time to time, in houses set apart specially for that purpose; and in the proceedings of which none but students are allowed to partici- | things that had been done before, had to be done over pate. Their purpose is partly to facilitate inter- again. At one o'clock, cars and riders assembled at course among the students, specially those who are the place of rendezvous; more than sixty coaches, newly arrived, partly for social entertainment and and as many riders, formed the imposing procesthe more undisturbed singing of jovial Burschen sion, which was led on by two gens-d'armes and a songs. Beer likewise, on these occasions, is drunk band of music. The main streets of good old right methodically; and wo be to him who gives Halle were crowded with insatiate spectators. In the least indication here that he is not a stiff toper; the first cars, with six horses, sat the seniors and his thirst will be quenched for many a day for other officials of the clanships, in party-coloured the watchword of every Commers is, 'DRINK AND uniform, surrounded by riders in uniform and SING; and whoso, in these points, cannot approve adjutants, and looking down on the gaping mulhimself well appointed, is despised as a weakling.' titudes with an air of calm dignity and condescenSo says a Burschen Bible, out of which the present sion becoming their importance. Some of these, writer learned German at Göttingen; and the also, who were expert horsemen, had even condedefinition seems very complete. We have it, how-scended to appear on a meagre Philistine-Rosinante, ever, in our power to present the curious reader the van-guard or rear-guard of the coached digniwith a picture of the whole proceedings of a great taries. Commers held in the University of Halle-not a common weekly Commers, but a formal, grand, half-yearly one, such as is wont to be held about the end of the first quarter of every semestre, or half-year's session (for there is a double session in the German student's year,) for the reception of the freshmen, called "Foxes," and the burning of the six-months' freshmen into the dignity of "Brandfoxes," so called from brennen, to burn. This Commers is accordingly called a "Fox-Commers;" and the freshman himself is called a fox; because, like a fox, he peeps and prowls about with circumspection and cunning, where a nobler animal would show self-confidence, and rush, lion-like, into danger. So a student entering among the renowners of Halle and Jena the first semestre, being seldom without an indescribable awe of the cannons (boots) and spurs which he hears clattering around, peeps about; and, instead of advancing straight up to his fellow with the feeling of a man who knows his value, circumgyrates in many ways, walks cautiously, almost like a Philistine "treading upon eggs," and appears then most silly when he wishes to look most particularly sly. Thus is explained the seeming paradox, that a foolish freshman should be known, in Burschen phrase (for they have a language of their own,) by the name of an animal so famed in the annals of wisdom as the fox. Of all virtues, prudence is that for which a Bursch has the least respect; cunning he holds to be a positive vice-the very Devil's own; and, notwithstanding the practice of diplomatists and lawyers, we are very much inclined to agree with him. Our account of the Hallensian Fox-Commers is taken from the autobiography of a German Bursch, a most curious and interesting work, of which we give the title below.+ "At length the glorious day appeared; everything was in motion; many things were yet to be done, that should have been done before; and many *"Das Leben auf Universitäten, oder Darstellung aller Sitten und Gebräuche der Studenten, ihrer Verbindungen und Comments bei Duellen, U. S. W., nebst einem Verzeichniss aller [should be einiger] Burschikosen Ausdrück e und einer [very meagre] Auswahl ber Beliebtesten Burschenlieder." Sondershausen. 1822. Voigt. +Der Deutsche Student ein Beitrag zur Sitten Geschichte des. 19 Jahr hunderts von A. Von S. Stuttgart: 1835. "After the grand pomp of the six-horse vehicles, followed first four and then two-horse coaches; and, last of all, a multitude of single-horse gigs or cabs, fearfully overladen, driven on with a sturdy competition of beating and bawling, at an equal pace with the better-equipped dignitaries that preceded. Pre-eminent amid the throng appeared the Fox S, in his new blue Polonaise, shining cap, and high-booted and spurred potentates, mounted on a proud steed, and looking down with eyes that drew up admiration from the fair ones and poor despised camels around. He brandished his sabre valiantly, and galloped up and down on his brown English stallion, not as if he had anything to order-for who would have listened to the orders of a For?-but only that he might curvette and lancade, and display himself in the utmost possible variety of equestrian situations. Happy and highly-to-be-envied hero! Had a benevolent fairy on that day offered thee companionship with the great and the wise of the earth, and service under those whose service is dominion, thou wouldst certainly have rejected it. Life for thee could show no greater dignity than what was then before thee, clutched with the prophetic certainty of ambitious fancy-the rank of adjutant at a Fox-Commers! "After much roundabout, the coaches and riders at length found themselves outside the town, and fairly on the road to Reideburg, a village about three miles from Halle. The march, I confess, when we were once fairly in earnest, had as much of the ridiculous as of the sublime. It was not surprising if the rustic Rosinante, that had been yesterday carting sand or peats, should feel to-day somewhat uncomfortable, yoked with all sorts of unmated mates, six together, and no one like another: here the hasty vamping of some crazy cab gave way; there a drunken cabman, or an ambitious Phaeton of a Bursch, blundered himself into the mud, just at the grand moment when in *Camels are quiet, solitary students, who keep apart from all joviality, seeming as if made only to bear the burdens of existence; a race of creatures in the eyes of the genuine Bursch, more contemptible than the Philistine or cit, who loves slavery by necessity, and because he was born to it, never having had an opportunity of sharing the divine "freedom" of the Bursch. Potentates means many things; here legs. "At the upper end of the tables the seniors and sub-seniors seated themselves. They led off the songs, which were accompanied with music; struck the tables with their swords (making the glasses ring,) to indicate when a verse or the song was ended; commanded silentium!' with dictatorial power; and ordained the quantity of glasses to be drunk by each Bursch, according to his age and rank. These draughts the Foxes took with uncovered heads, and standing; the Brandfoxes with uncovered heads also but sitting, or with their caps on but standing; the young, old, and mossy Burschen without ceremony; the candidates, again, at their own tables, and ad libitum, and the toast of all was the mutual and general weal of the students. "The officials were in the uniform of their respective clanships; the others were dressed according to their fancy-for the most part in strange and grotesque costume. On their coats shone epaulettes, sometimes their own, oftener borrowed: the stormer (casquet) with high white feathers and golden tassels throned majestically on the head; the thighs and calves of the legs, strongly and clumsily padded, were incased in white, generally leathern breeches; and huge heavy cannons (boots,) with giant spurs, appropriately based the whole. Of course the grand parade-sword was not wanting. "After all had taken their places, and put away the desire of eating (but not of drinking,) as Homer says, silence was commanded by the presidents, and the song, ‘Brüder lagert euch im Kreise' (No. XIII.,) after a prelude by the band, was sung. After this song was ended, one of the presidents called out to his colleagues, Schmollis, Brüder Præsides! To which these replied, "Fiducit! He then, turning to the company, repeated the same salutation · Schmollis, ihr Herrn!' which they answered in like wise with a hundred-voiced, loud-bellowing 'Fiducit!' Then the Foxes, and all the students present, were - * The reader will observe here the different grades of social dignity, which are as essential to Burschen as to angels and devils. It is characteristic that neither a Fox nor a Brandfox is properly a Bursch. Before that noble name can be born a whole year's gestation in the fox or foetus state is necessary. + Smollis, according to a lexicon of Burschen slang in our possession, is Sis mihi mollis! and Fiducit, a contraction for fiducia sit! Houwald has an allusion to this students' greeting : Begreift ihr auch warum man "Smollis" trinket To all men Smollis, and in God fiducit; ordered to drink certain quanta in manner described; and then this or the other (who, in the singing or other procedure, had failed in any point of Burschen etiquette, as the same is set forth in the Comment, or Bible of Students' Laws) was 'recommended,' that is to say, fined in an additional glass or glasses; and with this—the president calling out, Ex est; Colloquium!—the first act of the Commers ended. Then several songs, mostly from the good old times, as, Vom hohem Olymp (Tait's Magazine, April, 1840, p. 263,) and Wo zur frohen Feierstunde, were sung with the same, or similar ceremonies. In the intervals, much talk, and more drinking. Hereby, and by the terrible thick rolling smoke that could find no exit from the low room, many began to be jovial and blessed (lustig und selig)—a warning that the important ceremonies which yet remained should be gone about forthwith. An ancient, faithful house* accordingly seized a chair, and placed himself, booted and spurred, upon it back foremost; and on this wooden horse, with sword in hand, and grimly painted, opened the Fox-ride' (Fuchs-ritt). The Foxes and Brandfoxes, were forced to follow the leader on horses of the same description; and this mad cavalcade, now slowly, now galloping, rode round and through the room several times, amid loud laughter and all sorts of spoken and acted jokes, to the tune of the song, Was kommt da von der Höh?' When this hurly-burly was over, the dubbing, or initiation of the Brandfoxes commenced. These were first shut up in an adjoining room; then the more ancient houses formed themselves into a phalanx, and armed themselves with fidibuses an ell long, smeared with oil and tallow, which, on a signal given, were lighted. Then the poor foxes were driven out of their cage, and a chase commenced after them with the burning fidibuses-the aim being to burn their hair. What a rattling and battling, stinking and burning, and topsy-turvy turning, was here! A very bedlam, or witches' dance, as Faust saw it on the Brocken! The 'sly foxes' had most of them soaked their heads in beer to avoid the danger that threatened their long Frankish locks, so dearly prized; but the wooden and paper fidibuses, well tallowed, put such weak inventions mostly to shame. "After enough of noise and racketing, as the evening began to sink, the Landesvater' was sung (Tait's Magazine, April, 1840, p. 261. †) The singing of this solemn Burschen hymn formed a strange contrast to the farcical Fox-ride' that preceded it. Here everything proceeds with calm and reverential dignity, according to the opening words, 'Alles schweige! The presidents-in this case only the highest officials-divide the company into equal parts, and arrange their places so that each person sits exactly opposite his vis à vis, and so remains. They then take their own places, two at each end of the table; so that each president rules a quarter of the company to which he is attached. According to the number of those present, two, six, or more tables are prepared. With well-sharpened swords, commanding silence, the presidents then sing aloud the first verse :— Silence lend all-rapt attend all To the high and solemn strain ! On a German ear in vain ? And then, dividing right and left, they turn to their Bright with bold wine from the old Rhine, Take this sword and pierce it freely The person thus addressed does accordingly; and, I do pierce my cap, and swear now, As a gallant Bursch doth wear! being a Märker and ambitious of distinction, remained. Nor was the occasion long wanting to "catch" (fangen) a flat. A luckless peacefulminded Saxon was taken to task by the bloodthirsty Märker, and rated soundly, for not having replied to the salutation—“ Ich trinke dir vor” (I drink to you,) by the corresponding one-Ich trinke dir NACH. It was in vain that the Saxon replied, such an intimation had never been given, or, at least, that amid so much noise, it was impossible to hear it. S asseverated loudly; and, on being contradicted steadfastly by his calm opponent, finding that nothing less would do, he roared out a Dummer-Jung (foolish boy!) and perfected the catastrophe. After this word a duel could not be avoided. Sfelt that he was now a genuine Bursch. When the duel should be successfully achieved, the name of fox would remain for a few months, but not the shame." So ends this half-sublime, half-ridiculous drinking bout of Hallensian Burschen. The sublime, perhaps, will not reveal itself to most of our readers; but it is there certainly and most substantially, as those who have ever heard the Landesvater sung by Burschen, or even have caught an echo from the strains in our second Number, will be prompt to testify. In these rude Commerses we see the grand nursery of German song. "Theodore himself confesses," says Förster, speaking of his friend Körner, "that if his war-songs have obtained any popularity, this is in a great measure to be attributed to the expanding and bracing influence of the STUDENT'S LIFE, (Deutsche Pandora, I. 63.) As for duelling, it is indeed, a folly; but young men cannot be blamed for making an amusement of that which grey-hairs consider to be a duty. Besides the use of the sword strengthens the arm, quickens the eye, and teaches presence of mind,-qualities of as much importance in the education of a young man as Latin and Greek. There are no Burschen, and no duels in Austria; and the consequence is, that these amiable children of the good Kaiser grow up So take it back; thy brave head wear the bonnet! with milk instead of blood in their veins-with My good sword I lay on it. Long live our brother, N-, brave! To which the chorus joins As long as we shall name him brave! So till the whole are capped; and with this the Landesrater, and generally, also, the Commers, ends,—at least, any one may now go home without offence. Those who wish to avoid rows take this occasion to retire: those who seek them remain. S remained. The Saxons and the Märker (Brandenburgers) had long stood in a hostile relation to each other; and as every Commers offers the most convenient opportunity for picking a quarrel, and getting up a duel, S The music that accompanies the redistribution of the caps, is quite different from the Landestater. The solemn changes into the soothing and cheerful. Possibly we may print it in some future Number, should a happy chance wed it to good words, soft, pulpy, unaccentuated souls, without boldness, without enterprise, without genius,-less than men at sixty, according to the proverb, because more than boys at sixteen! Of the three airs which follow, No. XIII. is the most beautiful; No. XIV. and XV. are brisk and comical, and quite in the mad Commers style. CRAMBAMBULI is a famous old air, pretty generally known in this country. In the second set of words which we have given, Mr Lockhart, to whom they are attributed, has, by the two original verses (second and third,) made a soldier's song of it; and as such it sings well. These words will be sung with more dash and briskness; the Burschikose words with more of playful humour, and in company only of those who are prepared to relish a student's song, which not every one has sense enough to do. The Tee-total words, with which we have been supplied by a Tee-total Bursch, have the variation of a tee-to-tum (the note A three times) in the second line, supplying the place of Vallera! found in some editions of Crambambuli. No. XV. is also a great favourite, and full of character. When sung with genuine gusto, in the company of people whose lungs move freely up and down, it never fails to tell : BRUEDER LAGERT EUCH IM KREISE.-Melody XIII. Allegro-Maestoso. Brethren, circle round in chorus, Quaff your glasses, wave your bonnets, Paths by rosy boyhood haunted, To each early fond remembrance To all lovely maidens fill we! To all Deutschland's sons who love her Men who stand and fall for freedom, Men who moved our hearts to duty, Whom we honour, whom we follow, Fill to them with three times three! Friends whom Fate from friends hath riven, To hot suns and cold skies driven, Far from home new homes creating, Bless them, God, where'er they be ! Brothers, whom no sorrows cumber, Cradled in death's dewy slumber, Pour to them this pure libation- Brother brave shall meet brave brother, When I cross the dingy ferry, O then one last draught restoring * Recipe for Crambambuli.-" Take two bottles of light porter or ale, and boil them in a pan. Then put into the liquor half a pint of rum or arrac (perhaps whisky will do,) and from half a pound to a pound loaf sugar. After this has been boiling for a few minutes, take the whole from the fire, and put into the mixture the white and the |