pockets but I found only gold-and that was worthless. Then I remembered my precious cigar. I lit the cigar and placed it between his teeth, and you ought to have seen the grateful smile of the unfortunate. Never did a cigar afford me as much pleasure as this one-which I did not smoke."-POSCHINGER.

There are circumstances in which death on the scaffold is as honorable as death on the battle-field. I can figure to myself worse modes of death than capital execution.— HESEKIEL.

Bismarck told Mr. von Keudel one day that he had assisted a young man whom the police were after. "I received instructions from Berlin to cause the arrest of a young man who had been politically badly compromised. Now it is not at all proper that a young man who had made a mistake should be persecuted as a revolutionist. It is certainly possible that he may regain his common sense, for that has happened to many a one of the 1848. Early in the morning I called on this young man and said to him: 'You had better travel as quickly as possible into some foreign country.' He looked at me in surprise. I said: 'You do not seem to know me; perhaps you need money to get away with. Take these few gold pieces and get over the boundary line as quickly as you can, or it might be said that police energy was superior to diplomacy.' On the following day of course the police could not find him."

The following incident is narrated by a Swedish lady in the Swedish newspaper, the Goeteborgpost. When I was a young girl

I was sent to Rome for a few months. I traveled with a lady companion of mature years and two maids. I had been told to spend a short time in Berlin. An aunt of mine had married a German and her son was at school in Berlin, but I had never seen him. My father wrote him a letter a few days before my departure from home, asking him to look after me while in Berlin. On my arrival in Berlin I was welcomed in the most cordial manner by my German cousin. He was a well-developed young man, with particularly bright eyes. For three days he was my faithful companion. Of course, he spoke no Swedish, but used elegant French. Never had I so pleasant a cavalier and I was very proud indeed of my German cousin. The hour of my departure came all too quickly. Just as I was about to leave he said to me: "Cousin, I have a confession to make. You see, cousin, I want to inform

you-that-I am-not-your cousin. My friend, your German cousin, that is the original, is so busily engaged preparing for the coming examination that he requested me to do you the favor your father had asked for. My name is Otto von Bismarck." I looked at him with the utmost surprise, but just then the wagon started and ended the adventure. Many years passed and the unknown Bismarck became Prince and Chancellor. I had been married forty years when I again visited Berlin. I wrote a few words on a card and sent the message to the prince. The result was that within an hour I received an invitation to the palace of the Chancellor and very quickly found myself in a lively conversation with him. Bismarck was in the best of humor. Bismarck said to me: "It was due to you that I cultivated the muses in Berlin, but since that time I have had no success in that direction."-LIMAN.

At the time that Bismarck was Prussian ambassador at Paris the Hessian chargéd'affaires in France was Graf Enzenberg. It was this nobleman's hobby to collect autographs of famous statesmen. On one of the pages of his album Guizot had written the following: "All through my long career I have learned to forgive much and often, but to forget nothing." M. Thiers had written underneath: "A little shortness of memory cannot detract from the sincerity of forgiveness." Bismarck was asked to inscribe something on the same page and so wrote at the bottom: "As for myself, existence has taught me to forget many things and get myself forgiven for a great many more.”—A FELLOW STUDENT.

When Dohm was sentenced to imprisonment for publishing a gross joke against the little Princess of Heuss-Lobenstein, his powerful friend obtained his pardon from the king, and Bismarck himself allowed many things to appear in the paper which, if he had wished it, he might have punished with all the severity of the Prussian press laws. When, however, he was once ridiculed in the Kladderadatsch for his bad shooting at a chamois hunt at Gastein the pride of the noble sportsman was hurt and the unequal friendship was on the point of coming to a sad end. To attacks of this kind he is very sensitive. Accusations of perjury and violations of the constitution will not spoil his appetite; nay—and this is very characteristic of the man-he will bear any criticism, whether just or unjust, that is openly made against him with a quietness which is usually only the property of singularly noble

natures; but whoever casts a doubt upon his personal honor, his family, his nobility, or his courage, may be sure that the attack will not pass unnoticed.-SCHLESINGER in The Fortnightly Review, July 15, 1866.

On arriving at the Russian capital he found that it was the latest fashion among the Russian aristocracy to have mottoes on their carriages. Immediately he ordered the word Nitchto, a sort of Russian Nil admirari [to wonder at nothing] to be painted on his own carriage, and thus made his début in high society.-SCHLESINGER in The Fortnightly Review, June 1, 1866.

"People! What did they mean by people? No expression," he said, "has been more misused in recent years than this word. Everybody understands by it just that which suits his ends; namely, a certain number of individuals whom he has succeeded in winning for his views."-DAWSON in The Fortnightly Review, May, 1895.

On some occasion a lady, on being presented to the prince, remarked that as she had on that morning been introduced to Count Beust, she had had the honor of speaking in one day to the two greatest statesmen of her time. "Madam," the Chancellor replied, "you flatter me too much, calling me a great statesman compared to my Austrian colleague. His excellency has four and twenty great ideas every day of his life, and I in four and twenty years have had only one."-DICEY in The Nineteenth Century, March, 1894.

At a dinner in the Winter Palace when Alexander II. proposed a toast to his uncle, King William I., Bismarck promptly emptied his glass. The Czar, whose glass was still half filled, then proposed the health of Bismarck; the latter looked somewhat confused, then answered the Czar, saying: "I should like to oblige your majesty, but among us Germans there is an adage, 'He whose intentions are honest empties his glass.'" There was a twitching about the mouth of the Czar, but he ordered his glass filled before he drank the toast he had proposed.-PosCH

INGER.

He told me further that he kept in his family papers a copy of the treaty of Nikolsburg on which the king had written with his own hand: "I sign, vanquished by the violence of my prime minister."-THIERS.

No sooner had the door closed behind the King of Saxony (Gastein, 1863) than Bismarck threw down a table with glasses

on it and smashed them to pieces. "I must break something," he cried. "Now I breathe again."-The Quarterly Review, October, 1890.

At the outset of the Danish war old Field Marshal or "Papa" Wrangel was at the head of operations. There was some fear that the western powers might object to the German troops entering Jutland; in consequence of which a telegram was sent to the Field Marshal, bidding him advance no further, who thereupon wired back to King William that "these diplomatists, who spoil the most successful operations, deserved the gallows." Bismarck took care to ignore Wrangel's presence whenever he met him on later occasions, which could not fail to annoy him. One day, however, they met at dinner, having both been invited to the king's table. It was a peculiarity of Wrangel that he always called everybody "Du," or "thou"; and, turning to Bismarck, who sat next to him, he said, "My son, canst thou not forget?" "No," was the curt reply. After a short pause Wrangel began again: "My son, canst thou not forgive?" "With all my heart," answered Bismarck, and the two remained friends until Wrangel's death. -POSCHINGER.

Examples abound of great men on the eve of great events a prey to despondency and unconscious of the brilliant career in store for them. Bismarck is one. "St. Petersburg, March 25, 1861. For the rest I have reconciled myself to the life here, do not find the winter at all as bad as I thought, and ask for no change in my position till, if it is God's will, I retire to Schoenhausen or Reinfeld, to set the carpenter at work on my coffin without unnecessary haste. The ambition to be minister quits a man now for manifest reasons, which are not at all suited for written communication. In Paris or London I should exist less comfortably than here, and not have more to say upon matters; a change in abode is half way in dving."Quarterly Review, January, 1879.

Diplomatist

When Bismarck was Superintendent of Dikes, a meeting of property owners was called for the purpose of obtaining the signatures necessary for the construction of a new dam over some real estate. The meeting opened at nine o'clock in the forenoon; the farmers were well represented at the gathering in the large reception room of the hotel. The table, on which lay the agreements, stood near a door leading to a small adjoining room, which had also another entrance. Just

as the clock struck Bismarck appeared in the uniform of a reserve officer, took off his sword and placed it against the wall. The farmers were discussing noisily whether the dam was at all necessary, as the old dam had lasted so long, would probably last longer, etc. Bismarck listened for some time without saying a word; then he seized his sword, brought it with both hands down on the table, and cried out: "Now, you keep quiet; I have something to say." The farmers regarded the tall figure on the other side of the table with indignation, but were silent. In a short speech Bismarck called attention to the weak condition of the old dam and argued that it would certainly be better to take the little land necessary for a new dam than to sustain the serious damage almost sure to follow a spring freshet. The surveyor read the agreements and Bismarck asked for signatures. An old farmer, whose wrinkles were indicative of age, declared with deliberation: "You may be right, Mr. Superintendent, but I shall not sign." Bismarck's smile indicated that he had expected this refusal; he called the office boy and whispered a few words into his ear. Evidently following instructions, the lad passed through the crowd of farmers to the main door, locked it and placed the key on the table at Bismarck's hand. The farmers were nonplussed and inquired of each other what this procedure indicated. Bismarck arose: "It means that you will not leave here until you have signed," said he. The farmers regarded these words with complacency, but they adhered to their determination: "We do not sign." Bismarck lit a cigar, chatted with the surveyor and read the newspaper. An hour passed by without indications to surrender on the part of the farmers. Bismarck sent out for breakfast. The surveyor cleared the table and bread and butter, ham and eggs and beer were brought in. With the utmost nonchalance Bismarck disposed of his breakfast, to which he had invited the surveyor, the farmers being left to look on, not without curious eyes and grumbling stomachs. After the table had been cleared the agreements were again produced. After another hour had passed one of the farmers, who had evidenced a greater interest in the breakfast proceedings than any of the others, offered to sign. Having done so, he was permitted to pass out through the small door, the table being moved aside sufficiently to permit him to reach it. In less than half an hour all had signed and the surveyor expressed his surprise that everything had passed off so nicely. "Yes, dear, it is only necessary to know

how to handle such a gang," said Bismarck.POSCHINGER.

He had not been elected to the legislature [the United Diet at Berlin], but, the person chosen being ill, the young squire went as a substitute; nothing was expected of him: he tells us that at his first election speech he was pelted with stones and the only recorded parliamentary speech of his at that period was a protest in a little provincial assembly, "against the excessive consumption of tallow in an almshouse."-WHITE.

An amusing incident belonging to the early part of Bismarck's career may conclude this part of the subject. It is connected with his maiden speech, received by his audience with similar shouts of laughter and indignation as those which roused the ire of the youthful member from Maidstone. Bismarck did not, like Lord Beaconsfield, hurl a prophecy of future success at his antagonists, but his retort was none the less significant. Calmly he drew a newspaper from his pocket and began perusing its contents in the most unconcerned manner until the president had restored order.-HUEFER in The Gentleman's Magazine, 1877.

When Count Schwerin, who occupied the presidential chair, remarked that he would be obliged to call the honorable member to order if he made the constitution of his country an object of derision, he insolently replied that he would not accept any warnings and that hitherto he had given the president no occasion to call him to order; when the president carried out his threat, he shook himself like a dog that has just come out of water and made some remarks which we will not repeat here.-SCHLESINGER in The Fortnightly Review, June, 1866.

In the summer of 1851, he told me, that the Minister, Manteuffel, asked him one day abruptly if he would accept the post of ambassador to Frankfort, to which (although the proposition was as unexpected a one as if I should hear by the next mail that I had been chosen Governor of Massachusetts) he answered, after a moment's deliberation, Yes, without another word. The king the same day sent for him and asked him if he would accept the place, to which he made the same brief answer, "Ja." His majesty expressed a little surprise that he made no inquiries or conditions, when Bismarck replied that anything which the King felt strong enough to propose to him, he felt strong enough to accept.-JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY, Correspondence.

In May, 1851, shortly after his appointment as Chancellor of Legation, he wrote from Frankfort to his wife: "Intercourse here consists of little but mutual distrust and espionage. If there were really only something to find out or to conceal! Those here are worrying themselves about the merest rubbish and these diplomatists with their pompous peddling always appear to me a good deal more ridiculous than a member of the Second Cabinet in all the pride of his lofty station. Unless external accidents should accrue and we super-sagacious creatures are incapable of either bringing them about or of dealing with them-I know exactly how much we shall effect in one, two or five years from the present time, and will engage to do it all myself within twentyfour hours, if the others be only truthful and sensible for a single day. I never doubted that, one and all, these gentlemen prepared their dishes of water, but such thin, mawkish water-soup as this, devoid of the least appearance of richness, positively astounds me. Send me your village schoolmaster or road inspector, clean-washed and combed-they will make just as good diplomatists as these. I am making tearing progress in the art of absolutely saying nothing in an indefinite number of words; I write letters, many pages long, which read as glib and smooth as leading articles; and, if after reading them Manteuffel can tell what they are about, he knows a good deal more than I do. Each one of us behaves as if he believes that his neighbor were stuffed full of ideas and projects, if he only chose to let some of them out; and in reality all of us put together know no more what is going to become of Germany than a grocer's paper bag knows about next summer. No one-not even the most malignant skeptic of a Democratcould conceive what an amount of quackery and humbug there is in this diplomacy."BUSCH.

When he represented Prussia in the Diet at Frankfort he strongly suspected that his letters and despatches were overhauled in transit, on behalf of Austrian diplomacy; indeed, he complained of it bitterly. Nor was he the only complainant. Others seem to have suffered in a like manner; though whether they were equally ingenious in discovering a remedy is doubtful. On one occasion, after a stormy meeting, Bismarck and the Hanoverian representative, or secretary of the Hanoverian representative, walked away together; and as they walked the Hanoverian touched upon this sore sub

ject, asking Bismarck how he managed to get his letters safely through, if he did manage it. "You shall know by and by," was the answer, and on they strolled together, talking on indifferent subjects. Presently the Hanoverian representative remarked that Bismarck led the way out of the fashionable quarter of the town into more dingy and yet more dingy by-ways, and wondered a little, but went on. As they entered a street which would be called a slum in London, the Han overian observed with attention that Bismarck drew out his gloves, which usually reposed in his pocket; and not only did he clothe his left hand, but, more surprising still, he drew on his right glove also, buttoning each carefully. This done, he looked about him, and, apparently discovering what he sought, advanced to the little shops called "general," where the poor provide themselves with tea, cheese, pickles, dried fruit, lamp oil and many other commodities. "Come in with me," said Bismarck to his friend, after looking through the shop window; and as they entered he raised his voice and continued a conversation, of which the Hanoverian did not recollect the beginning. Ruse obvious, was at once understood. "Boy," said Bismarck to a dull-looking lad behind the counter-and interrupting his talk to do so"do you sell soap?" "Yes, sir." "What soap? What sorts have you?" "This and this and here's another," said the boy, putting before Bismarck a variety of stronglyscented cakes. "Well, and how much is this?" the diplomatist asked, handling one of the cakes; "and how much is this?" fumbling with another. The price named, a piece was selected and the conversation went on while the soap was being wrapped in paper. Now Bismarck, as if suddenly recollecting himself, plunged his hand into a breast pocket and drew out an unenclosed letter. Apparently annoyed at his forgetfulness, he cried: "Do you sell envelopes, boy?-bring them out." Envelopes-wretched things-were produced; the letter was placed in one of them and, asking for pen and ink, Bismarck set out to write the address. But, with a monstrous thick glove on, and tightly buttoned up, this was not easy to do. So, flinging down the pen impatiently, he said, "Here, boy, you can write, I suppose? 'Mr. Smith"" etc., etc.

The scrawl finished, Bismarck took the letter and left the shop. "Now," said he to his friend as they passed outside, at the same time putting the letter to his nose, "what with the soap, the herrings, the candles and the cheese, I don't think they'll smell my despatch under that." The perfect detail of

this expedient is highly illustrative of Bismarck's way of doing things.-New Review, 1890, subsequently published by BARON DE MALORTRE in Cornhill Magazine, September, 1898.

I asked the minister about the celebrated cigar story. “At the sittings of the military commission, when Rochow represented Prussia at the Diet, only Austria smoked. Rochow, being a passionate smoker, would certainly have liked to do likewise, but did not venture. When I came, I too longed for a cigar; and, as I saw no reason why I should not have one, I begged a light from the president, and my request seemed to strike him and the other gentlemen with astonishment. It was manifestly an event for them. Now only Austria and Prussia smoked. The other gentlemen thought the matter so important that they sent home a report upon the point. The matter required much consideration and for half a year only the two great powers smoked. Then Schrenkh, the Bavarian Ambassador, began to support the dignity of his position by smoking. Nostitz, of Saxony, would have liked to join us, but seemed not to have received permission from his minister. On the next occasion, seeing the Hanoverian Bothwer indulging himself, he seems to have had an understanding with Rothberg; for he presently took a cigar from his case and smoked away. There were only left Wurttemberg and Darmstadt. But now the honor and importance of their states demanded a similar right; and so at the following sitting the Wurttemberg delegate took out a cigar-I see it before me now, it was a long, thin, yellowish thing-and smoked half of it as a sacrifice to the Fatherland."-BUSCH.

If a newspaper ventured to express the opinion that the Bismarck ministry did not possess the confidence of the nation, it was open to the charge of having preached "hatred and contempt for the government"; press trials for "failure in the respect which is due to the king," occurred every day; nay, it has even happened that Liberal newspapers were prosecuted for having printed a despatch of Earl Russell's which had been officially published and presented in due form by the British ambassador to the Prussian MinisterPresident. In this, too, was seen a failure in the respect that is due to majesty. Fortunately the poison of corruption had not yet entered into the core of the Prussian bench. The charges brought by the public prosecutor were not always followed by conviction; nay, the acquittals on the part of the judges (press trials not being decided by a jury in

Prussia) were perhaps as frequent, or even more so, than the accusations of the government; but this had no effect in inducing the latter to cease its prosecutions. That those whom it accused should be convicted was not always the main object; all it sometimes wanted was to confiscate the copies of a Liberal journal or periodical, and thereby to inflict heavy losses on its proprietors. If, after several weeks, the case was decided against the government, and the confiscated copies had to be returned, this was but poor consolation for the proprietor; for he had no alternative other than to resign himself to be ruined by a systematic repetition of the procedure or to restrict his opposition to the government within the narrowest bounds. . . In Prussia newspapers are paid for a quarter in advance; what advertiser would invest his money in it?-SCHLESINGER in The Fortnightly Review, July 15, 1866.

...

Roon [1859] urged him to stand firm. "Call Herr von Bismarck, your majesty," said Roon. "He will not be willing to undertake the task," said the king; "besides he is not here and the situation cannot be discussed without him." "He is here and at your majesty's orders," replied Roon. That afternoon Bismarck went to Babelsberg. When he was in audience the fate of Prussia trembled in the balance. The king [Frederick William IV.] sat at a table with papers on it. One of them was the act of abdication already signed. He asked Bismarck whether he would undertake to carry on the government in the face of a hostile majority. “Most certainly," was the reply. "Notwithstanding that the supplies may be stopped?" continued the king. "Yes," said Bismarck, and, as he used to tell the story, in as decided a tone as he could command. The powerful personality and attitude of the statesman so impressed the king that he then and there tore up the act of abdication and also a long memorandum of sixteen pages of foolscap which he had written for publication in justification of his policy and conduct.-The Quarterly Review, October, 1898.

In 1865 I was at Gastein with Count Blome, an Austrian, discussing with him the so-called Gastein agreement. I was told that the count said that he judged the character of a man by his doings at the gambling table and that he frequently acted upon the impressions thus obtained. I thought, I will take care of you. On the next evening I played quinze with him and I gambled like a lunatic; I bet on all sorts of impossible cards so that in a short time I lost between