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."