Authors, American -- 19th century -- Biography; Leland, Charles Godfrey, 1824-1903
He took me to the Herr O. and introduced me. I was overwhelmed with my
cordial reception. There was at once news sent forth that a new man and
a brother fellow-countryman had come to join the ranks. "And messengers
through all the land sought Sir Tannhauser out." I was pumped dry as to
my precedents, and as I came fresh from Princeton and had been through
Italy, I was approved of. The first thing was a discussion as to where I
was to live. The Frau Directorinn Louis in the University Place had two
fine rooms which had just been occupied by a prince. So we went and
secured the rooms, which were indeed very pleasant, and by no means dear
as it seemed to me. I was to breakfast in my rooms, dine with the family
at one o'clock, and sup about town.
Then there was a grand council as to what I had better study, and over my
prospects in life; and it was decided that, as the law-students were the
most distinguished or swell of all, I had better be a lawyer. So it was
arranged that I should attend Mittermayer's and others' lectures; to all
of which I cheerfully assented. The next step was to give a grand supper
in honour of my arrival. After the dinner and the wine, I drank twelve
_schoppens_ of beer, and then excused myself on the plea of having
letters to write. I believe, however, that I forgot to write the
letters. And here I may say, once for all, that having discovered that,
if I had no gift for mathematics, I had a great natural talent for
Rheinwein and lager, I did not bury that talent in a napkin, but, like
the rest of my friends, made the most of it, firstly, during two
semesters in Heidelberg:
"Then I bolted off to Munich,
And within the year,
Underneath my German tunic
Stowed whole butts of beer;
For I drank like fifty fishes,
Drank till all was blue,
For whenever I was vicious
I was thirsty too."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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