"O, she creeps humbly to the cross, and prays earnestly that we will again take our meals there."
"Well, if she behaves herself, we will see what the S. C. can do."
"That," said I, "if I remember right, is the woman whom you said had been put into verruf, or under the bann."
"The same."
"And are all the students, then, accustomed to take their dinners there?"
"O, no. Part of them at the Gasthouses (inns); part here and there, with private people, who keep a table for us, and even send us, if required, our meals up into our chambers. About thirty of us took our dinners at this aforesaid widow's, and paid each twenty kreutzers the day (not quite seven-pence). But towards the conclusion of the last semester, it was no longer to be endured! simply and eternally cow-beef--and at last it grew still worse. Thereupon it was absolutely necessary to give Madame, the Philistine, a lecture."
"Excuse me," I interrupted, "but I must first beg for a solution of the term Philistine, which you so often use."
"We comprehend all who are not students under the name of Philistines. In a more restricted sense, we understand by Philistines, inhabitants of the city, and distinguish them from the Handwerks-Burschen, by giving to the latter the title of Knoten; and the shopkeepers' young men that of Schwünge, or Ladenschwünge, that is, Pendulums, or Shop-pendulums. Others write the word Knoten, Gnoten, and say that the artisans and journeymen were so called from Genossen, Handwerks-Genossen, comrades or artisan-comrades, thence corrupted to Genotten, and finally to Gnoten. We have already stated that Gnoten was supposed to be derived from their fighting with Knoten-stöcken, or knotty sticks. Thus, as in most cases of philological derivation, a fine dispute might be raised; it would be an interesting subject, and the author might be rewarded for his pains by the impressions of some dozen bludgeons on his back. But, not to lose sight of the object of your inquiry--our domestic arrangements--I here remark that the Philistine in whose house we lodge, is styled house-philistine, and his wife, the Philöse. The student who is quartered with us in the same house is our House-Bursche; and he who shares with us our apartments, is to us a Stuben-Bursche, or Room-Fellow."
"I thank you," I added. "I have certainly put your commentatorial patience to a severe trial."
"One speaks of oneself," he replied, "generally pretty willingly. We have that feeling in common with all mortals."