now--the words racy, clear, decided, and going, like arrows from the
bow, directly to the mark. And I soon also found the same inexorable
moral sternness of character, only with the difference that always
must exist in the whole manner of being between a practical statesman
and a speculative philosopher. In Stein's face there were two
distinct worlds, different and contrary. In the upper part dwelt the
bright and serene gods, with an almost uninterrupted sway. His
magnificent broad forehead, his keen and yet kindly eyes, his
powerful nose, proclaimed conjoined depth and command. A strange
contrast to this was offered in the lower part of the face: The mouth
was too small and delicate for the upper region; the chin also was
weak. Here common mortals had their haunts--here anger and passion
sported terribly--here those sudden fits of impetuousness would rage,
which, however, (thank God,) only required to be firmly met, that
they might be soothed. Strange, truly, was it to behold the lower
part of his face quivering with excitement--the little mobile mouth,
with fearful celerity, brimming with indignant indignation--and yet,
at the same time, the upper region remaining a sunny Olympus, and
even his lightning eyes flashing no fear: one part of his face
freeing the beholder from the terror inspired by the other. On other
occasions, when no violent excitement moved him, every feature, every
gesture, and every word of this noble man breathed honesty, courage,
and piety. He was a man that brought from his mother's womb the
instinct and the necessity to command. He was a born prince and king.
He was one of those who must be first, or he could do nothing. His
whole character was so peculiar and so powerful, that he could not
adapt himself to other people, much less subordinate. Many noble men
have been able to do this, but Stein decidedly could not."

These notices from Arndt and Varnhagen will, we hope, serve to bring the
reader into some personal familiarity with the man; in what follows, the
patriot and the statesman will demand our exclusive attention. The
correspondence with Count Muenster, published by Baron Hormayr it the
second volume of the _Lebensbilder_, commences with a letter dated 6th
October 1811, when Stein was still in Prague. From it we shall make a
short extract, putting in a s