By "the children of the Prophets and of the covenant," we may perhaps understand those who had been brought up to be familiar with the teaching of the Prophets and with the promises of the covenant.

I have now stated my reasons for thinking that a berith, when used in the sense of an engagement, was always made by swearing. It was an engagement on oath; and he who made a berith with-or between himself and-another, to do any thing, or to abstain from doing it, sware to that person that he would do, or abstain from doing, it.

The consideration of the objections that may be made to this view of berith must be reserved for another paper.

But in concluding the present paper, let it only be observed, that if this opinion is correct, then a berith is something perfectly definite; and that we know exactly how it has pleased God to pledge himself to fulfil certain engagements which he has made with man, even in cases where we are unable to ascertain from the context, or from other parts of Scripture, that the berith in question was made by an oath. To take only one instance: God made a berith with Abraham-which neither the context nor any other passage in Scripture shows to have been made on oath-that he would "multiply him exceedingly, and make him a Father of a multitude of nations" (Gen. xvii. 2-5), i.e., that he would raise up countless multitudes who should have the faith of Abraham: and that he would bless them as he had blessed him,-imputing righteousness to them, with its right to eternal life and an inheritance of glory, as he had imputed righteousness to Abraham. (See Rom. iv. 11-18, and Gal. iii. 6-9.) And how are these blessings secured to believers and to the world? Not by a simple promise, or engagement; but-if a berith be what I have supposed-by the oath of Jehovah. Jehovah sware to Abraham that he would multiply him, and that he would make him a Father of many nations. And why did he swear? Because of the incredible magnitude of the interests at stake, and in infinite condescension to our infirmities;-that as an oath for confirmation, even when sworn by man, is an end of all strife, so we, having the oath of Jehovah, might the more fully believe Him, and have strong consolation. (See Heb. vi. 16.)

J. V.

MEMOIRS OF BARON STOCKMAR.

The Memoirs of Baron Stockmar.

By his Son. London:

Longmans. 1872.

Two texts in the Book of Proverbs occurred to our mind when reflecting upon the contents of these volumes, and wishing to convey to our readers a due impression of them. One was, "The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in king's palaces;" the other was, the other was, "The king's favour is toward a wise servant." The combination of the two seems admirably to shadow forth the career of Baron Stockmar; and by dwelling upon the thoughts which they suggest, we may be enabled to furnish some adequate conception of a very remarkable personage in the history of our own times and country, although the large majority of the nation were probably hardly aware of his existence.

The spider, then, according to Solomon, is one of the four things which are little upon the earth, but are exceeding wise. It is not, however, at first sight, perceptible what could be the value or the influence of little things and of small people in king's palaces, or in affairs of state, in which a long array of friends or clansmen, vast wealth, distinguished success in the arts of war or peace, are alone likely to command attention and to sway counsels. There is apparent truth in such an argument; nevertheless there is much room, even in palaces, for small people, and for the influence of little things. There was room for the little Syrian maid in the house of Naaman. The old philosopher Montaigne may be aptly quoted; in a very remarkable passage, when he is discussing what ought to be the character and condition of those who should be the intimate friends and counsellors of princes, he observes:

"Je voudrais à ce metier un homme content de sa fortune, 'Quod sit esse velit, nihilque malit,' et nay de moyenne fortune; d'autant que d'une part, il n'auroit point de crainte de toucher vifvement et profondement le cœur du maître pour ne perdre pas le cours de son advancement; et d'autre part pour estre d'une condition moyenne il auroit plus aysée communication à toute sorte de gents. Je le vouldrois à un homme seul: car respandre le privilège de cette liberté et privauté à plusieurs engendréroit une nuisible irrévérence; ouy, et de celuy là je requerray surtout la fidélité du silence."

The thoughtful definition of the philosopher was realised in no ordinary degree by Baron Stockmar. He was descended from a Stockmar who accompanied Gustavus Adolphus from Sweden into Saxony. So high did the Swede stand in his master's confidence, that Gustavus used to say, "If I can lay

my head in the lap of a Stockmar, I am safe." It would seem from this that the peculiar talent of his descendant was to a considerable extent hereditary. The immediate progenitor of Baron Stockmar is described as a "lively, humorous, cheerful, kindly gentleman, highly educated, a lover of books, and a scientific lawyer." Of his mother her son in later days used to say, that "she had more common sense in her little finger than Nicholas, Louis Napoleon, Schwartzenburg, and Manteuffel have in their united heads." It was a fair stock to spring from, and such as Montaigne would have thoroughly approved of for the origin of a royal confidant. There were early stirrings of ambition in him, even in his boyish days. Pointing to the plates on one occasion at table, he said, "Some day I must have all this of silver;" to which his mother replied, "If you can manage to get it, pray do." At the age of eighteen he studied medicine at different German universities. In a book we lately noticed, written by Sir Henry Holland, there were many incidents recorded, showing how often important State affairs pass in a quiet way through the hands of a courtly and accomplished physician. Such facts are rather alluded to than recorded in that book, so scrupulously is the confidence preserved by that secrecy which is the essential attribute of those who became the depositaries of more confidential communications than fall to the lot even of a Romish priest. The political intervention of medical men is, however, comparatively rare in England, although the well-known instance of John Locke might be urged to the contrary. As a rule, with us they are too much absorbed in the active duties of their profession; when brought into contact with royalty and statesmen, they have seldom been more to them than the healers of their ailments, and the companions with whom they have unbent in their leisure hours; and yet there is much forcible truth in some remarks which occur in a sketch of Stockmar, by a German friend. Speaking of the important effect of his medical studies on his moral and political views, and on the practical art of life :

"He thus acquired,' says Meyer, 'his real science and art, which, even after he had given up their practical pursuit, yet remained for life the foundation of his scientific thought and critical action. Even later in life, as a statesman, he was fond of looking upon a crisis in political or domestic affairs, from his own medical point of view; always anxious to remove as fast as possible every pathological impediment, so that the healing moral nature might be set free, and social and human laws resume their restorative power. And still more clearly, perhaps, did he show his medical antecedents, by the way in which he was able at once to recognise the existence of such social diseases or accidents, by his power of pene

trating at one glance the whole man or the whole situation of things, by the help of single expressions and acts; regulating, at once, his own acts and conduct according to that diagnosis.' (vol. i. p. xl.)

During the years 1812-15, he was busily occupied as an army surgeon, in which capacity he attracted the notice of Prince Leopold, of Coburg, who, when his marriage with the Princess Charlotte was settled, offered him an appointment as his physician in ordinary. His ready acuteness soon made it manifest to his apprehension that it would be impolitic for him to encounter the professional jealousies of his English medical compeers; with singular tact he speedily withdrew from. all ostensible medical attendance even upon his master, and subsided into the functions of Secretary, Keeper of the Privy Purse, and Controller of the Household. So early in life did the remarkable career, which he afterwards pursued without intermission, open itself to him; he fell at once into the right place for the exercise of the peculiar talents which he was gifted. His biographer enumerates at length the many admirable qualities which he possessed; we will, however, only notice here how much of the "spider" there was, so far as physical condition was concerned, in Baron Stockmar:

"These contrasts, already sufficiently startling, were still further increased by a weak physical organisation, which first seriously asserted its influence during his university career, frequently checking his aspirations and the elasticity of his mind; and developing by bodily suffering the seeds of the deepest hypochondria, which at times, and even in his early years, weighed down his spirits.

"Stockmar had to contend throughout his life with dyspepsia, and, for the greater part of it, with affections of the eye. The variations in the state of his health led to fresh contrasts in his disposition and in his powers of action. If the waves returned after a long ebb-tide, and the nervous system was freed from pressure, the reaction showed itself, as is often the case with excitable temperaments, even in his later years, by an astonishing vivacity and overflowing humour." (vol. i. p. xlix.)

In another passage further on we are told:

"Stockmar took Court life very easily. His greatest exertion in this respect consisted in joining the Royal dinner-table, when the Queen dined-and even on these occasions he, being chilly from bad health, was privileged to wear trowsers instead of the official 'shorts,' which were ill suited to his thin legs. When the Queen had risen from table, and, after holding a circle, had sat down again to tea, Stockmar would generally be seen walking straight through the drawing-room and retiring to his apartment, there to study his own comfort. That he should sacrifice the latter to etiquette, was not expected of him, as for months together he was a guest in the house, and his exceptional position was so well recognised, that

these deviations from courtly usage did not give offence, even in public.

"When the spring came, Stockmar suddenly disappeared. He hated taking leave, and his room would some fine morning be found empty." (vol. i. p. lxxx.)

We think, too, that it might very truthfully be said of him, that he wove webs. Such, at any rate, seems to have been the opinion entertained of him by some of his countrymen. Varnhagen, for instance, writes in his diary of October 2, " Baron von Stockmar was here, the Anglo-Coburg Intriguer." His biographer, with filial affection, repels the charge as injurious; and the perusal of the life, as presented to us, would go far to refute any such imputation affixed in an offensive sense. But still it would be hard to imagine that one so intimately mixed up with the most delicate and difficult questions, and who was so constantly at the bottom of them all, should not have had some considerable share in furthering projects which he had much at heart, and which were calculated to promote the family interests of those whom he so faithfully, and, we believe, so honourably served; at any rate it would have been difficult for political opponents not to have formed such a conclusion, especially when, at times, they may have felt themselves entangled in the meshes of a policy to which he could hardly have been a stranger. We conceive such remarks more applicable to affairs foreign to English interests than to those which concerned us as a nation, although in them Baron Stockmar was felt :

"Vous avez mené une existence souterraine, anonyme,' an old friend once observed to Stockmar. What you have really been, will soon be unknown to overyone.'

"Of this Stockmar was himself fully aware. In one of his letters he writes:

"The peculiarity of my position compelled me always anxiously to efface the best things I attempted and sometimes succeeded in accomplishing, and to conceal them as if they had been crimes. Like a thief in the night, I have often laid the seed corn in the earth, and when the plant grew up, and could be seen, I knew how to ascribe the merit to others, and I was forced to do so. Even now people often tell me of such and such things, and how this or that arose and came to pass; and in so far as they only speak of the second stage of their production, they are right enough. But those good people know nothing of the first stage. The growth of a plant requires air, light, warmth, &c.; and so it might seem to these different elements, that without the influence of each of them, there would have been no plant at all, and as far as they go they are right enough. But the first and chief merit is undoubtedly due to him who, of his own motion, and solely for the eventual benefit of others, laid the seed corn at the right time in the right soil. If, then, men and circumstances generally combine to envelope in night and dark