text:  Diplomatists and mere politicians even the best of them are seldom--to say the least of it--the most noble specimens of human nature: there are bad and good amongst them of course; but Stein in his despotic sweeping style was fond of classing them all together as in one of his letters to Gagern; where after expressing his confident reliance on "Providence and the hand of a loving Father who guides all " he adds but "from the sly crafty animals called politicians--(the original is English)--from these _homunciones_ I expect nothing