Emperor William had himself been a student at Bonn. On this day the Crown Prince was matriculated at that university and in the evening the students held a _Festkommers_, a kind of banquet of the student societies, at which the Emperor appeared with the Crown Prince and his brother-inlay, Prince Adolph von Schaumburg-Lippe. After singing two student songs, the student leader of the _Kommers_, "Studiosus" von Alvensleben, greeted the Emperor with a speech of welcome. In this friendly gathering the Emperor took occasion to discuss the history of the empire and especially the reasons for the failure of the older empire because of its cosmopolitan character. The new empire must be based upon a recognition of the characteristic German traits and will be possible only through the whole-hearted support of the constituent states of the realm. I do not need to emphasize or even to mention to you, my dear young comrades, what emotions thrill my heart at finding myself again among students in beautiful Bonn. There unrolls before my mind's eye the glimmering picture of sunshine and happy contentment with which the period of my own sojourn here was filled. It was the joy of living, joy in people old and young, and, above all things, joy in the development of the young German Empire! It is therefore my wish at this moment, when I place my dear son among you, that he, too, may have as happy a time as a student as was once vouchsafed to me. And, indeed, how could it be otherwise? For Bonn, the lovely city, is so accustomed to the presence of young men full of life and seems by nature to have been designed to no other end. Here the Crown Prince will find memories of his glorious grandfather who could not forget Bonn--his kindly eyes brightened whenever the name of the city which had become so dear to him was mentioned--memories of his great-grandfather, the noble prince consort, the companion of that now sanctified royal lady,[34] who always strove to maintain a peaceful and friendly relationship between her people and ours, which are both of German stock--memories of many another noble German prince who here prepared himself for his later career. [34] Queen Victoria.