o help his Fatherland by gifts.
It is a pleasant labour to examine the long lists of benefactions.
Officials resigned a portion of their salaries, people of moderate
wealth gave up a portion of their means, the rich sent their plate,
those who were poorer brought their silver spoons; he who had no money
to give offered his effects or his labour. It became common for wives
to send their gold wedding rings, often the only gold that was in the
house; they received afterwards iron ones with the picture of Queen
Louisa; country-people presented horses, landed proprietors corn, and
children emptied out their saving boxes. There came 100 pair of
stockings, 400 ells of shirt linen, pieces of cloth, many pairs of new
boots, guns, hunting knives, sabres and pistols. A forester could not
make up his mind to give away his dear rifle, as he had promised, among
some boon companions, and preferred going himself to the field. Young
women sent their bridal attire, and, besides, the neck-ribbons they had
received from their lovers. A poor maiden, whose beautiful hair had
been praised, cut it off to be bought by the _friseur_, and patriotic
speculation caused rings to be made of it, for which more than a
hundred thalers were received. Whatever the poor could raise was sent,
and the greatest self-sacrifice was amongst the lowest.[50]

Often has the German since then been animated by patriotic aims; but
the gifts of that great year deserve a higher praise; for, excepting
the great collection of the old Pietists for their philanthropic
institution, it is the first time that such a spirit of self-sacrifice
has burst forth in the German people, and more especially the first
time that the German has had the happiness of giving voluntarily for
his State.

The sums also which were produced were, as a whole, so far beyond what
has since been collected from wider districts that they can scarcely be
compared. The equipment of the volunteer riflemen alone, and what was
collected in the old provinces for the volunteer corps, must have cost
far more than a million, and it comprehends only a small fragment of
the voluntary donations made by the people.[51] And how impoverished
were the lower orders!

Near together on the Schmiedebruecke, at Breslau, were the two
recruiting places for the volunteer rifles and the Luetzow irregulars.
Professor Steffens and a portion of the Breslau students were the first
to set on foot the rifles, Ludwig Jahn spoke, ge