Schmidt, Christopher

, a learned German, was born May 11, 1740, at Nordheim, and studied law at Gottingen. In 1762 he visited St. Petersburgh in company, with count Munich, in whose family he had been tutor for some time, but returned to his studies, and took his law degrees at Gottingen, whence he removed to Helmstadt. He was soon after appointed professor in the Caroline college at Brunswick, where he lectured on history, public law, and statistics until 1779, when the prince made him a counsellor and keeper of the archives at Wolfenbuttel. In 1784, the prince added the title of aulic counsellor. He died in 1801. In his visit to Russia he contracted a fondness for that country and its language, and employed much of his time on its history. This produced various works, published in German, “Letters on Russia,” “Materials for a knowledge of the Constitution and Government of Russia,” “An attempt towards a new introduction to the History of Russia,' 1 &c. &c. He published also” A manual of History,“V Historical miscellanies,” and “A History of Germany,” which is spoken of as an eloquent and useful work. ²