entirely their own masters, at an age when the English undergraduate is
bound to be at home at twelve o'clock, to attend chapel and hall
dinners, besides fulfilling the obligations imposed by a regular course
of study. They live in lodgings, free of any supervision whatever,
they eat where and when they please, if they do not choose to hear
lectures there is no one to oblige them to do so, for they are supposed
to possess enough common sense to know that the loss is theirs if they
fail at their examinations. It is natural that under these
circumstances they should form associations among themselves. In every
University there will be a certain number of students from each of the
country's principal provinces. Fellow-countrymen will generally be
drawn together when they are forced to live under similar conditions in
one place. To this instinct may be traced the origin of Korps, and,
generally, of all associations that wear colours, except the so-called
Teutonia, which is probably the oldest of all, and which was originally
a political institution having for its object the promotion of liberal
ideas together with the unity of Germany. There are Korps of the same
name, but the two are always quite distinct and their colours are
generally different.

There are three classes of associations. The Burschenschaften, or
fellowships, the Landsmannschaften, or fellow-countrymen's unions, and
the Korps. The latter word is French, and was formerly spelt 'Corps';
as no better word could be found, or introduced, the German initial
letter is used to distinguish the meaning when used in this sense.
Besides these three classes of acknowledged associations, all wearing
colours, and recognised by the University, there are usually a number
of subordinate ones, termed contemptuously 'Blasen,' which may be
translated 'bubbles,' a designation given on account of their supposed
instability.