Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-11-26
DuelIing in Germany among the students.

Duelling In Germany among the Students
d Speaking of duels, let me mention that they
are the great institutions of Jena. Duels,duels,
Y every day duels, ard scarcely o student who
4 does not bear on his face one or more tremen'
dous scars, as trophies of the conflicts in which
r he has been engaged Duelling as It is carried
: on here IT, in my opinion, q very foolish way Of
: passing the time. Associations are formed
: merely for the purpose of fighting, and every
member is bound to fight Mt least one duel. In.
! tervals of ntoxication at beer drinking bouts are
taken advantage of TO insult each other, and q.
nv harmless, idle word is. considered sufficient
proyocation for o duel The fights are in them
selves harmless, rs o general thing, although
frequently blow is received that disfgures, if it
, does not main for life. As have already been
present at several of these petty conflicts, per-
: haps you might consider brief description OF
} one not uninteresting. go l
/ There were three duels to be fought in one
| morning and the hour of seven had been ap-
, pointed as the time when the police would be
least likely to interfere with the sport A friend
! who knew ''the ropes" called for me and We
r went together across the little river Saal 10 the
tGsthaus, in which is the room where all these
delicate little affairs come off. The house is
lust at the end of the bridge, and the room is so
situated that the guard, who is always stationed
at the window, can see everybody who comes
out-of Jena. Duelling being very strictly for.
hidden by the University regulations, these
precautions are of course, necessary. AS We
entered the room; the -combatants were just
preparing for the encounter. The apartment
was filled with students smoking their long
stemrned pipes, and seated on benches ranged a.
round the wall Taking seat myself. had an
opportunity of seeing the operation of dressing
for the fight The legs and body are covered
with large shield of padded buckskin.
Tie right arm is bound ronnd with cloths of
different colors TO great thickness the throat is
securely protected by high, padded collar, and
| in dueng caps have very wide brinIs coming
down over the eyes so that the face and chest
are the only vulnerable parts of the body. Ii is
indeed at the face and head that all the blows
are aimed. The preparation being completed,
the umpire chosen BY the colnbatants called out,
and they took their respective places face to face
each attended by two seconds, one to support
the sword-arm during the pauses and intervals
Of rest, which are quite frequent, and the other
also armed and protected with huge padded
apron, to stop the fight the moment the princi- !
pal's sword is bent or foul blow is struck
''Cross the swords !" cried one of the seconds
1They are crossed" answered the other. "On
then |" and at it they went, hewing and hacking
and cutting and slashing at each others heads
Just because some evenings previous,one of them
had expressed di,taste of the beer which the
other was praising.
Fifteen minutes is the time allowed for each
of these battles, but long before that tire was
expired. one " the duellists had received seve-
raj cuts, one on the ear, and two qnite large
wounds on the top of the head, his antagonists
u L ftrolv fhron Oh
cap At length he received another wound on
his hand. cutting, clear into the BONG OF one of
his fingers. The wounded person, with his face
and body dripping with blood, turned around
family to his seconds, who undressed him and
then handed him over to q medical student, who
shaved off his hair, sswed up the wounds and
sent him off rejoicing. In three or four days
time however he was well again. The other
duellist had not even received scratch. Two
more duels were fought then, but they termina-
ted more happly-the time allotted to each ex-
piring without any injuries being received
Such is an imperfect description ofthe duelling;
which, with walking, talking, smoking and beer
drinking, is the chief occupation of the students
lin Jena. Of course, you will understand
me to mean the wilder class of students only,
/ for I have become acquainted with many who
deprecate the institution of dueling, and who
dislike it-perhaps as much as do myself
iAcErotHs Letters from Germany.
DESCRIPTION OF FINE LADY IN EDIYBU2G
FIFTY YEARS AGO Except Mrs. Siddons, in
some of her displays of magnificent royalty, no.
body could sit down like the lady of Inverlioth.
She would sail, like ship from Tarshish, gor.
eeous in velvet, or rustling in silk, and done up
lin all the accornpaniments of fan, earrings and
inper-rings, falling sleeves, scent bottle, ,embroid
cred bag, hoop and train-all superb, yet all in
purest taste, and managing all this seemingly
heavy rigging with as much ease as tulblown
swan does its plumage,she would take possession
of the centre of large sofa, and at the same
moment, without the slightest visible exertion,
would cover the whole of it with her drapery,
the graceful folds seeming to lay themselves o.
yer it like summer waves
The descent from her carriage, too, where she
sat like nautilus in its shell, was display
which no one in these days could accomplish, or
even fancy. The mulberry-colored coach, spa
cious. but apparently not too large for what it
carried, though she alone was in it, the hand
some Jolly coachman, and his splendid hammer
cloth. loaded with lace; the two respectful, i've
ried sootmen. one on each side OF the richly
csrpeted step; these were lost sight of amidst
the slow majesty with which the lady came
down and touched the earth. She presided, in
this imperial style, over her sons excellent din
ners with great sense and spirit, to the very
last day of q prolonged life.-Lord Cockburn's
Memorials
ETIQUETTE XIII, desiring to hold a
private council with his minister Richelieu, was
Obliged to visit him in his bedroom, where he
lay dangerously Ill. But as subject could not
be permitted to receive the king in his bed, ex.
oant Tho t;no was lyinc in he'd also I ouis Was