Editing Theodor Mommsen (section)

===Mark Twain===
"One of the highpoints of [[Mark Twain]]'s European tour of 1892 was a large formal banquet at the [[University of Berlin]]... . Mark Twain was an honoured guest, seated at the head table with some twenty 'particularly eminent professors'; and it was from this vantage point that he witnessed the following incident..."<ref>Saunder and Collins, "Introduction" to their edition of Mommsen's ''History of Rome'' (Meridian Books 1958), at 1–17, 1.</ref> In Twain's own words:   
    
<blockquote>When apparently the last eminent guest had long ago taken his place, again those three bugle-blasts rang out, and once more the swords leaped from their scabbards. Who might this late comer be? Nobody was interested to inquire. Still, indolent eyes were turned toward the distant entrance, and we saw the silken gleam and the lifted sword of a guard of honor plowing through the remote crowds. Then we saw that end of the house rising to its feet; saw it rise abreast the advancing guard all along like a wave. This supreme honor had been offered to no one before. There was an excited whisper at our table—'MOMMSEN!'—and the whole house rose. Rose and shouted and stamped and clapped and banged the beer mugs. Just simply a storm!</blockquote>

<blockquote>Then the little man with his long hair and [[Ralph Waldo Emerson|Emersonian]] face edged his way past us and took his seat. I could have touched him with my hand—Mommsen!—think of it! ... I would have walked a great many miles to get a sight of him, and here he was, without trouble or tramp or cost of any kind. Here he was clothed in a titanic deceptive modesty which made him look like other men.<ref>Cited by Saunders and Collins, ''supra''.</ref></blockquote>