IV. STUDENT SOCIETIES IN THE GERMAN UNIVERSITIES.

THE following article, with the exception of the first page, is made up of documents illustrative of the history of the Burschenschaft and other Student Societies in the German Universities, and constitutes Appendix Nos. III. to VIII. of Raumer's History of these Institutions, as translated for this Journal, Numbers xvi. and xvii.

III. BURSARIES. BURSCHEN.*

"Bursa: 1. Purse, bourse; from the Greek of ẞúpoa, a hide, because they were made of leather. Jo. de Garlandia gives, as synonyms, ' marsupium, bursa, forulus, locusque, crumena.'

"2. Chest, rapciov, casket; but, more properly, a box for a specified purpose. In these bursa or chests were deposited sums set apart for the support of scholars, or given by pious men for that purpose.† Bursarius: One who receives an allowance from a bursa; also, applied to such scholars in the universities as are allowed, on account of poverty, certain amounts from the chest set apart for that purpose, to enable them to complete their studies." (Dufresne.)

Chrysander wrote a treatise, "Why Students at the Universities are called Burschen. Rinteln, 1751." I extract the following from it:

"The chest from which poor students were supported at the Sorbonne was called Bursa, and such students, Bursii or Bursarii, Boursier. 'A Boursier was a poor scholar or student, supported by the Bursa of his college. The others, who supported themselves at the university of Paris by their own means, were called Studiosi, students.'" Hence the term was introduced to Germany.

In Italy, however, the students were called Bursati, because they were girded with a bursa or purse. Hence the stanza:

"Dum mea bursa sonat,

Hospes mihi fercula donat.
Dum mea bursa vacat,

Hospes mihi ostia monstrat."

That is: "While my purse tinkles, the host gives me delicacies; but when it is empty he shows me the door." A similar French stanza is:

"Quand ma bourse fait, bim, bim, bim,

Tout le monde est mon cousin;
Mais quand elle fait da, da, da,

Tout le monde dit, Tu t'en va."+

The French Boursiers seem to correspond to the poor students of Germany, and the Italian Bursati to the rich ones.

*See an article entitled "Signification of 'Bursch' and 'Burschenschaft,'" in the Academical Monthly, May and June, 1853, p. 252.

+ Merchants' purses were also called Bursa.

This stanza is quoted by the pseudonymous Schlingschlangschlorum. See note, under chapter on "Personal Relations between Professors and Students."

IV. COMMENTS OF LANDSMANNSCHAFTEN.

Extract from Comment of Landsmannschaft at ƒ (Altdorf?), as in force in 1815.*

GENERAL PROVISIONS.

1. The Societies bind themselves to put the present Comment into operation from the moment of its ratification, and to enforce the penalties fixed therein.

§2. If occasions shall arise for which the present Burschen-Comment does not provide, or if additional statutes are to be enacted, or if there is any occasion for a general council, two deputies are to be appointed from each Society, who shall exchange with each other the sentiments of the Societies; of which two, one, at least, must be an Old Bursch. The majority of voices, or in case of a tie, the lot, shall determine the result.

§3. The Societies bind themselves not to permit this code to come into the hands of a renouncer; but to cite its provisions, when necessary, only as if by oral tradition, and without giving any other source for them than general custom.

TITLE I.-RELATIONS OF THE SOCIETIES TO EACH OTHER AND TO RENOUNCERS. A.-Societies to each other.

§ 4. Existing Societies ratifying this Comment, mutually guarantee to each other their existence as at present.

5. No Society not now existing can be organized without the consent of those existing; nor can any existing Society be extinguished without the consent of all the existing Societies, or without sufficient and proved reasons. Nor can any new Society organize itself under the name of an existing Society.

6. All the Societies have equal rights.

7. In case of collisions between them, as, for instance, in differences for precedence, the major vote of the deputies, or the lot, in case of a tie, shall determine. B.-Between the Societies and Renouncers.

8. Every student, not a member of a Society, is a Renouncer.

§ 9. In case of doubt, the student shall be considered a Renouncer.

§ 10. Renouncers can enter only the Society of their countrymen; but if there is no such, they may enter any other existing one which is undetermined. Novel: but he shall not be recognized as such member by the other societies until so recognized by a major vote of the Convention of Seniors.

11. On public festival occasions, the Societies shall be governed by the directory. § 12. Members of a Society have, everywhere, precedence over Renouncers.

TITLE II.-DISTINCTIONS AMONG STUDENTS.

a.-According to Birthplace.

13. A Pavement-beater (Pflastertreter), or Quark, is one whose parents live in the university town.

§ 14. A Cummin-Turk (Kümmelturk) is one whose parents reside within four miles of the university town.

b.-According to length of stay at the University.

15. From the moment of matriculation, every matriculated student is a student qualified to fight.

16. A Fox is one who

a. Has not yet been half a year at the university since his matriculation; or,

b. Comes from a university which the Burschen of the present university have degraded to the rank of Fox.

§ 17. A Brander or Brand-Fox is a Fox after his first half-year.

Haupt, p. 185. The Novels or additions to this code are dated June 15, 1915. Haupt, p. 208.

18. But any Fox may be made a Brander, or any Brander a Young Bursch, by his Society.

§ 19. A Pavement-beater, Cummin-Turk, or Fox, may not, without renowning, either consider himself insulted by those names, nor use them in insult.

§ 20. Excessive impositions upon the Foxes is by no means to the honor of a Bursch. If these border upon abuse, the Fox may demand satisfaction of the Bursch, or take the advantage of him. And any Society may, besides, make the matter one concerning itself, if the insulted Fox is a member.

§ 21. In other matters, every Bursch has the prerogative over the Foxes and Branders, that the latter may not challenge him on behalf of an insulted person, nor make appointments, nor be seconds in a duel, nor give testimony in a case of dueling, nor preside, nor have precedence in dancing, nor give the pitch, nor ride with them in public processions, nor drink Schmollis to them, &c.

$22. A Young Bursch is one who is passing the first half of his second year; during the latter half he is Bursch. During the first half of the third year he is an Old Bursch, and afterward a Mossy Man (bemooster Herr).

$28. According to this reckoning of time spent at the university, if he have not been in dishonor (im verschisse) during the same, a student can become a Mossy Man during his fifth half-year at the university, if he has been previously promoted from the degree of Fox to that of Brander, or from that of Brander to that of Bursch.

c.-According to the possession or lack of Bursch-honor.

as. The Honorable.

24. Every student is to be reckoned honorable until he is expressly declared dishonorable (in verschiss komm) by the Society.

25. In case of doubt, the party is to be held honorable.

§ 26. Every honorable student gives or receives the ordinary Bursch-satisfaction, according to his injury.

§ 27. If two honorable students give their word of honor to the truth of the same fact; or one for and the other against it, he who first gave it, as the injured party, is entitled to satisfaction from the other.

28. If one Renouncer applies to another, or to a member of a Society, the term "dishonorable," &c., the injured party is entitled to fight him three times, with the choice of weapons, whatever the result of the duels. (!)

§ 29. A party insulted by a pereat may

1. Take a real advantage of the other, and

2. Must fight a duel with him.

bb. The Dishonorable.

§ 30. For each dishonor (verschisse) is requisite:

a. A major vote of the deputies.

b. A sufficient reason.

Novel. And the Society concerned shall not vote.

A.-WHAT CONSTITUTES DISHONOR OF A STUDENT.

31. Dishonor is either that from which the person dishonored can never escape, or from which he may be relieved after a certain time.

$82. Of what kind the dishonor shall be, always depends upon the decision of the deputies.

$33. Causes of dishonor are:

a. If a student breaks his word of honor.

b. If a member of one Society applies to a member of another Society, of whom

"Advantage;" see this Appendix, p. 58.

+ See this Appendix, p. 58.

he knows only the distinguishing tokens, the term "dishonorable," the former becomes thereby dishonorable.

c. Returning, to the highest verbal insult of "foolish fellow" (Dummer Junge), a further verbal or actual insult, or only threatening to inflict a similar verbal insult, after having been told that the party insulting is ready to fight.

d. Refusing the satisfaction which is demanded, or not knowing and seeking how to exact satisfaction for the term "foolish fellow."

e. Becoming a traitor in matters relating to the Burschen: as, for instance, by giving testimony against a student. (!!!)

f. Stealing, or being guilty of a great (!) piece of cheating at play.

g. Declaring one's self entirely free from the obligations of this Comment. (!)

h. Living in, or going to the house of a dishonored Philister.

i. Holding confidential intercourse with any dishonored person, except when strict necessity requires it. Persons violating clauses h and i, are first to be notified, by members of their own Society, to separate from the offenders; and, if disobedient, they become dishonorable with them.

k. Uttering a pereat against a whole Society.

1. Taking hold of an adversary's sword with the hand.

m. Bringing unequal weapons to a duel, as a broadsword against a rapier; or using weapons contrary to their purpose, as to thrust with a broadsword.

n. Intentionally thrusting or cutting after the seconds have called Halt!

o. Challenging without any reason.

p. Expulsion, with infamy, from a Society.

q. Letting one's self be chased away with a straight sword or a Jena rapier. Novel. But this shall be reckoned a shame (Schande) only.

B.-DISHONOR OF PHILISTER.

§ 34. As under § 80, without the Novels.

C.-CONSEQUENCES OF DISHONOR.

A.-- With Students.

35. The dishonorable has no claim to the honor or satisfaction of a Bursch. Any advantage may be taken of him.

36. The dishonorable can not take part in any commerce, or any public ceremony. $37. In duels between the dishonorable and Philister, the former shall receive no countenance, unless in case of insult, by the latter, to honorable Burschen.

b.-With Philister.

$38. The consequences of dishonor, with the Philister, depend on the kind of the dishonor; that is,

1. Whether the Philister is dishonorable on every account, or

2. Only on one; as landlord, for instance, or as artisan; in which case the consequences follow, of course (by § 38, h).

D.-REMOVAL OF DISHONOR.

a.-In the case of Students.

39. A dishonorable person may be relieved from his dishonor, according to its kind; and if he demand it, a member is selected from each Society, with whom he must fight. The choice of weapons belongs to such members, and not more than three duels must be fought with any one of them.

§ 40. Dishonor may be removed by unanimous vote of the deputies of the Societies.

§ 41. The person freed from dishonor re-enters upon all his rights as a Bursch.

b.-In the case of Philister.

42. The dishonor of a Philister is removed at the expiration of the time for during which it was imposed.

TITLE III.-PROVISIONS ON INJURIES TO BURSCH-HONOR.

§ 43. An honorable student, receiving a verbal insult from another, or being pushed by him, may

a. Push him back again, or

b. Take the advantage of him, by calling him foolish fellow.

c. "Foolish fellow" is the highest verbal insult, and can be answered by no further insult; it can be followed only by a challenge. If one apply to another any other insulting expression, as "scoundrel," and other terms, the insulted person may knock him down or challenge him, and, after the duel, may address to him the same verbal insult. The term dishonorable, however, may not, under penalty of the punishments above specified, be used, except to a dishonorable person, upon whom both verbal and real insults may be inflicted.

§ 44. Insults from officers or honorable students from other universities come under the same rule.

§ 45. In case of a duel with a student of another university, they shall meet half way between the two universities. The person insulted shall fight the first three bouts with the weapon of his own university, and the last three with that of his opponent's.

§ 46. In the university prison, the Comment is suspended.

Extract from the Comment of the Landsmannschaft of the University of Leipzig, as in force in 1817.

TITLE II.-OF THE INSULT, OR Advantage.

1. Whether honor be hurt, or not, is left to the feelings of each individual; but the convention has recognized certain expressions and actions, viz., those which are mortifying, or which undervalue one's honor and good reputation, as insults which every student is, as such, bound to answer by a challenge.

§ 2. Among verbal insults and verbal advantages are the terms "singular, arrogant, absurd, silly, simple, impertinent, rude, foolish;" and, as an epitome of the extremest verbal insult and advantage, "foolish fellow."

§ 3. For all these expressions an unconditional challenge must pass, unless they are withdrawn. Real insults can not be withdrawn. Insults given in intoxication are not to be noticed, unless they are afterward repeated, when sober.

§ 4. If any one thinks himself insulted by expressions or gestures, he may either proceed by means of the coramage, or take a verbal advantage; but must not send a challenge for that reason.

§ 5. If any one thinks himself not entitled either to challenge or to resort to the coramage, he may take the advantage: that is, may answer with a more insulting expression, and thus wipe out the lesser one.

§ 6. Real advantages are, a box on the ear, a blow with a stick, or any other assault with whip or stick. The offer of any such shall not be considered an advantage.

87. The advantage can not be taken unless within three days of the receiving of an insult; but, if the aggressor can not be found, at his house, or elsewhere, within that time, the term begins anew, and so onward.

§ 8. There must be at least one witness when an advantage is taken. But if he who takes it shall give his word of honor to the fact, it shall be sufficient, if he belong to a Society.