REMINISCENCES OF THE GERMAN EX-CHANCELLOR.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXX, Issue 39, 15 February 1894, Page 4

REMINISCENCES OF THE GERMAN EX-CHANCELLOR.

Prince Bismarck, who, m his old age, w very respectable, was, it appears, unruly m his youth. The certificate, which was given him on his departure from the University of Gottingen, has been discovered and printed by an anti-Bismarckian German journalist ; and this shows that the great Leopold Edward Otto never worked for more than five hours a day, and that on three separate occasions he suffered imprisonment, or seclusion, for infractions of the university rules. Once he "got ten days" for having been present at a duel with pistols; on another occasion he "got three days" ior having been present at a second duel; and finally he was sentenced to fourteen days' rigorous confinement for some unspecified, but doubtless, very awful breach of the regulations of the " Royal Great Britannic Hanoverian George Augustus UniverBity." It is unkind of the journalist to revive these old reproaches. We were all very wicked when we were boys ; but it would be cruel to taunt Mr. Gladstone with having robbed an orchard, or the Archbishop of Canterbury with having fought a butcher's boy sixty or seventy years ago ; and it is equally cruel to rake up Prince Bismarck's little youthful peccadilloes. Long after the day when he was a student, duelling was winked at by all Germans save university dons ; and we may be sure that, although the dons affected to be shocked, most of them had themselves not only been present at, but actually fought, duels m their youthful days. Spectator to defendant — "Well, I guess the jury will find for you. The judge's charge was certainly much m your favour. Don't you think so ?" Defendant (moodily) — " Oh, I knew all the time that the judge'" charge would be all right. It's the laser's charge that's uwiryin' jjip." " Lije," remarked the President, m a low, puzzled tone, " ought Ito give office to exsenator Riddleberger?" "Well, I don't know, your Excellency. You might ask him if he wouldn't take something." "Elijah Halford, you ought to be ashamed of yourself ! Riddleberger take something ! Why, man, he'd take more than there is m the cellar."