Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
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— 366 —<br />
Cockneys — but <strong>the</strong> picturesque object is obta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed of divid<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
each University <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to some dozen or so separate companies of<br />
students, each <strong>on</strong>e with its dist<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ctive cap and colours, and,<br />
quite as important, its own particular beer hall, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to which no<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r student wear<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g his colours may come.<br />
The chief work of <strong>the</strong>se student companies is to fight am<strong>on</strong>g<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves, or with some rival Korps or Schaft, <strong>the</strong> celebrated<br />
German <str<strong>on</strong>g>Men</str<strong>on</strong>g>sur.<br />
The <str<strong>on</strong>g>Men</str<strong>on</strong>g>sur has been described so often and so thoroughly<br />
that I do not <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tend to bore my readers with any detailed account<br />
of it. I merely come forward as an impressi<strong>on</strong>ist, and I<br />
write purposely <strong>the</strong> impressi<strong>on</strong> of my first <str<strong>on</strong>g>Men</str<strong>on</strong>g>sur, because I<br />
believe that first impressi<strong>on</strong>s are more true and useful than<br />
op<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>i<strong>on</strong>s blunted by <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tercourse, or shaped by <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>fluence.<br />
A Frenchman or a Spaniard will seek to persuade you that<br />
<strong>the</strong> bull-r<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stituti<strong>on</strong> got up chiefly for <strong>the</strong> benefit of<br />
<strong>the</strong> bull. The horse which you imag<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to be scream<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g with<br />
pa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> was <strong>on</strong>ly laugh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g at <strong>the</strong> comical appearance presented<br />
by its own <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>side. Your French or Spanish friend c<strong>on</strong>trasts its<br />
glorious and excit<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g death <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> r<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g with <strong>the</strong> cold-blooded<br />
brutality of <strong>the</strong> knacker’s yard. If you do not keep a tight hold<br />
of your head, you come away with <strong>the</strong> desire to start an agitati<strong>on</strong><br />
for <strong>the</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cepti<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> bull-r<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> England as an aid to<br />
chivalry. No doubt Torquemada was c<strong>on</strong>v<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ced of <strong>the</strong> humanity<br />
of <strong>the</strong> Inquisiti<strong>on</strong>. To a stout gentleman, suffer<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, perhaps,<br />
from cramp or rheumatism, an hour or so <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> rack was<br />
really a physical benefit. He would rise feel<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g more free <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
his jo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ts — more elastic, as <strong>on</strong>e might say, than he had felt for<br />
years. English huntsmen regard <strong>the</strong> fox as an animal to be envied.<br />
A day’s excellent sport is provided for him free of charge,<br />
dur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g which he is <strong>the</strong> centre of attracti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Use bl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ds <strong>on</strong>e to everyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong>e does not wish to see. Every<br />
third German gentleman you meet <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> street still bears, and<br />
will bear to his grave, marks of <strong>the</strong> twenty to a hundred duels<br />
he has fought <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his student days. The German children play<br />
at <strong>the</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Men</str<strong>on</strong>g>sur <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> nursery, rehearse it <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> gymnasium.