text:  [17] Besides the correspondence of Muenster and Gagern which refer only to the latter part of Stein's life from 1811 to his death we have only a notice in the _Conversations Lexikon_ and a short biographical sketch by Arndt (the Baron's secretary ) appended to his _Erinnerungen_ (Leipsig 1840 ) to guide us in the early part of Stein's career