three men on the bummel-第41章

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These　companies　are　again　broken　up　into　smaller　circles；　in　which
attempt　is　made　to　keep　to　nationality。　　There　are　the　Swabians；
from　Swabia；　the　Frankonians；　descendants　of　the　Franks；　the
Thuringians；　and　so　forth。　　In　practice；　of　course；　this　results　as
all　such　attempts　do　resultI　believe　half　our　Gordon　Highlanders
are　Cockneysbut　the　picturesque　object　is　obtained　of　dividing
each　University　into　some　dozen　or　so　separate　companies　of
students；　each　one　with　its　distinctive　cap　and　colours；　and；　quite
as　important；　its　own　particular　beer　hall；　into　which　no　other
student　wearing　his　colours　may　come。

The　chief　work　of　these　student　companies　is　to　fight　among
themselves；　or　with　some　rival　Korps　or　Schaft；　the　celebrated
German　Mensur。

The　Mensur　has　been　described　so　often　and　so　thoroughly　that　I　do
not　intend　to　bore　my　readers　with　any　detailed　account　of　it。　　I
merely　come　forward　as　an　impressionist；　and　I　write　purposely　the
impression　of　my　first　Mensur；　because　I　believe　that　first
impressions　are　more　true　and　useful　than　opinions　blunted　by
intercourse；　or　shaped　by　influence。

A　Frenchman　or　a　Spaniard　will　seek　to　persuade　you　that　the　bull…
ring　is　an　institution　got　up　chiefly　for　the　benefit　of　the　bull。
The　horse　which　you　imagined　to　be　screaming　with　pain　was　only
laughing　at　the　comical　appearance　presented　by　its　own　inside。
Your　French　or　Spanish　friend　contrasts　its　glorious　and　exciting
death　in　the　ring　with　the　cold…blooded　brutality　of　the　knacker's
yard。　　If　you　do　not　keep　a　tight　hold　of　your　head；　you　come　away
with　the　desire　to　start　an　agitation　for　the　inception　of　the
bull…ring　in　England　as　an　aid　to　chivalry。　　No　doubt　Torquemada
was　convinced　of　the　humanity　of　the　Inquisition。　　To　a　stout
gentleman；　suffering；　perhaps；　from　cramp　or　rheumatism；　an　hour　or
so　on　the　rack　was　really　a　physical　benefit。　　He　would　rise
feeling　more　free　in　his　jointsmore　elastic；　as　one　might　say；
than　he　had　felt　for　years。　　English　huntsmen　regard　the　fox　as　an
animal　to　be　envied。　　A　day's　excellent　sport　is　provided　for　him
free　of　charge；　during　which　he　is　the　centre　of　attraction。

Use　blinds　one　to　everything　one　does　not　wish　to　see。　　Every　third
German　gentleman　you　meet　in　the　street　still　bears；　and　will　bear
to　his　grave；　marks　of　the　twenty　to　a　hundred　duels　he　has　fought
in　his　student　days。　　The　German　children　play　at　the　Mensur　in　the
nursery；　rehearse　it　in　the　gymnasium。　　The　Germans　have　come　to
persuade　themselves　there　is　no　brutality　in　itnothing　offensive；
nothing　degrading。　　Their　argument　is　that　it　schools　the　German
youth　to　coolness　and　courage。　　If　this　could　be　proved；　the
argument；　particularly　in　a　country　where　every　man　is　a　soldier；
would　be　sufficiently　one…sided。　　But　is　the　virtue　of　the　prize…
fighter　the　virtue　of　the　soldier？　　One　doubts　it。　　Nerve　and　dash
are　surely　of　more　service　in　the　field　than　a　temperament　of
unreasoning　indifference　as　to　what　is　happening　to　one。　　As　a
matter　of　fact；　the　German　student　would　have　to　be　possessed　of
much　more　courage　not　to　fight。　　He　fights　not　to　please　himself；
but　to　satisfy　a　public　opinion　that　is　two　hundred　years　behind
the　times。

All　the　Mensur　does　is　to　brutalise　him。　　There　may　be　skill
displayedI　am　told　there　is；but　it　is　not　apparent。　　The　mere
fighting　is　like　nothing　so　much　as　a　broadsword　combat　at　a
Richardson's　show；　the　display　as　a　whole　a　successful　attempt　to
combine　the　ludicrous　with　the　unpleasant。　　In　aristocratic　Bonn；
where　style　is　considered；　and　in　Heidelberg；　where　visitors　from
other　nations　are　more　common；　the　affair　is　perhaps　more　formal。
I　am　told　that　there　the　contests　take　place　in　handsome　rooms；
that　grey…haired　doctors　wait　upon　the　wounded；　and　liveried
servants　upon　the　hungry；　and　that　the　affair　is　conducted
throughout　with　a　certain　amount　of　picturesque　ceremony。　　In　the
more　essentially　German　Universities；　where　strangers　are　rare　and
not　much　encouraged；　the　simple　essentials　are　the　only　things　kept
in　view；　and　these　are　not　of　an　inviting　nature。

Indeed；　so　distinctly　uninviting　are　they；　that　I　strongly　advise
the　sensitive　reader　to　avoid　even　this　description　of　them。　　The
subject　cannot　be　made　pretty；　and　I　do　not　intend　to　try。

The　room　is　bare　and　sordid；　its　walls　splashed　with　mixed　stains
of　beer；　blood；　and　candle…grease；　its　ceiling；　smoky；　its　floor；
sawdust　covered。　　A　crowd　of　students；　laughing；　smoking；　talking；
some　sitting　on　the　floor；　others　perched　upon　chairs　and　benches
form　the　framework。

In　the　centre；　facing　one　another；　stand　the　combatants；　resembling
Japanese　warriors；　as　made　familiar　to　us　by　the　Japanese　tea…tray。
Quaint　and　rigid；　with　their　goggle…covered　eyes；　their　necks　tied
up　in　comforters；　their　bodies　smothered　in　what　looks　like　dirty
bed　quilts；　their　padded　arms　stretched　straight　above　their　heads；
they　might　be　a　pair　of　ungainly　clockwork　figures。　　The　seconds；
also　more　or　less　paddedtheir　heads　and　faces　protected　by　huge
leather…peaked　caps；drag　them　out　into　their　proper　position。
One　almost　listens　to　hear　the　sound　of　the　castors。　　The　umpire
takes　his　place；　the　word　is　given；　and　immediately　there　follow
five　rapid　clashes　of　the　long　straight　swords。　　There　is　no
interest　in　watching　the　fight：　　there　is　no　movement；　no　skill；　no
grace　（I　am　speaking　of　my　own　impressions。）　　The　strongest　man
wins；　the　man　who；　with　his　heavily…padded　arm；　always　in　an
unnatural　position；　can　hold　his　huge　clumsy　sword　longest　without
growing　too　weak　to　be　able　either　to　guard　or　to　strike。

The　whole　interest　is　centred　in　watching　the　wounds。　　They　come
always　in　one　of　two　placeson　the　top　of　the　head　or　the　left
side　of　the　face。　　Sometimes　a　portion　of　hairy　scalp　or　section　of
cheek　flies　up　into　the　air；　to　be　carefully　preserved　in　an
envelope　by　its　proud　possessor；　or；　strictly　speaking；　its　proud
former　possessor；　and　shown　round　on　convivial　evenings；　and　from
every　wound；　of　course；　flows　a　plentiful　stream　of　blood。　　It
splashes　doctors；　seconds；　and　spectators；　it　sprinkles　ceiling　and
walls；　it　saturates　the　fighters；　and　makes　pools　for　itself　in　the
sawdust。　　At　the　end　of　each　round　the　doctors　rush　up；　and　with
hands　already　dripping　with　blood　press　together　the　gaping　wounds；
dabbing　them　with　little　balls　of　wet　cotton　wool；　which　an
attendant　carries　ready　on　a　plate。　　Naturally；　the　moment　the　men
stand　up　again　and　commence　work；　the　blood　gushes　out　again；　half
blinding　them；　and　rendering　the　ground　beneath　them　slippery。　　Now
and　then　you　see　a　man's　teeth　laid　bare　almost　to　the　ear；　so　that
for　the　rest　of　the　duel　he　appears　to　be　grinning　at　one　half　of
the　spectators；　his　other　side；　remaining　serious；　and　sometimes　a
man's　nose　gets　slit；　which　gives　to　him　as　he　fights　a　singularly
supercilious　air。

As　the　object　of　each　student　is　to　go　away　from　the　University
bearing　as　many　scars　as　possible；　I　doubt　if　any　particular　pains
are　taken　to　guard；　even　to　the　small　extent　such　method　of
fighting　can　allow。　　The　real　victor　is　he　who　comes　out　with　the
greatest　number　of　wounds；　he　who　then；　stitched　and　patched　almost
to　unrecognition　as　a　human　being；　can　promenade　for　the　next
month；　the　envy　of　the　German　youth；　the　admiration　of　the　German
maiden。　　He　who　obtains　only　a　few　unimportant　wounds　retires　sulky
and　disappointed。

But　the　actual　fighting　is　only　the　beginning　of　the　fun。　　The
second　act　of　the　spectacle　takes　place　in　the　dressing…room。　　The
doctors　are　generally　mere　medical　studentsyoung　fellows　who；
having　taken　their　degree；　are　anxious　for　practice。　　Truth　compels
me　to　say　that　those　with　whom　I　came　in　contact　were　coarse…
looking　men　who　seemed　rather　to　relish　their　work。　　Perhaps　they
are　not　to　be　blamed　for　this。　　It　is　part　of　the　system　that　as
much　further　punishment　as　possible　must　be　inflicted　by　the
doctor；　and　the　ideal　medical　man　might　hardly　care　for　such　job。
How　the　student　bears　the　dressing　of　his　wounds　is　as　important　as
how　he　receives　them。　　Every　operation　has　to　be　performed　as
brutally　as　ma