In The University Of Leipzig Every Thing May Be Learned By Those
Who Chuse To Apply, But Those Who Prefer Remaining Idle May Do So, As There
Is Less Compulsion Than At The English Universities.
There is however such
a national enthusiasm for learning, in all parts of Germany, that the most
careless and
Ill-disposed youth would never be about to support the
ridicule of his fellow students were he backward in obtaining prizes, but
after all I have heard of the dissipation, lawlessness, and want of
discipline at Leipzig, I can safely affirm that all these stories are
grossly exaggerated: and I fancy there is little other dissipation going
forward than amours with Stubenmaedchen. I do not hear of any drunkenness,
gaming or horse racing; nor do the professors themselves, who ought to be
the best judges of what is going on, complain of the insubordination of
their pupils. But what I principally admire in this, and indeed in other
German Universities, is that there are no distinctions of rank, such as
gold tassels, etc., no servile attention paid to sprigs of nobility, as in
the Universities in England, where the Heads of Colleges and Fellows are
singularly condescending to the son of a Peer, a Minister, or a Bishop.
Perfect equality prevails in Leipzig and the son of the proudest
Reichsgraf is allowed no more priviledges than the son of a barber; nor
do the professors make the least difference between them. In fact, in spite
of the vulgar belief in England respecting the hauteur of the German
noblesse and the vassalage of the other classes, I must say, from
experience, that the German nobility show far less hauteur and have in
general more really liberal ideas than most part of our English
aristocracy, and a German burgher or shop-keeper would disdain to cringe
before a nobleman as many shopkeepers, aye, and even gentry, are sometimes
known to do in England.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 543 of 558
Words from 147516 to 147840
of 151859
