Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
Greig was appointed Head “Auditor” (judge) with the
Swedish army, and in 1669 Assessor or Member of the
Court of Appeal, an office which he held for fourteen years
at various places. After the death of the President he
wrote a petition asking for admission into the Riddarhus,
and for naturalisation as a Swedish noble, on the ground
of his long-continued service to the Crown and his old
noble Scottish descent (21st February, 1683). His desire
was granted in the same year. His coat-of-arms varies
slightly from that of the Scottish Greigs. In 1697 Walter
(or Gualter) died and was buried in the church of St
Nicholas. He left behind him the name of an honest and
just lawyer.1
Another Scot who held a high official appointment was
Casten Feif. His career is not a little remarkable. He
was the son of a simple Kryddkrämare (druggist), Peter
Feif, in Stockholm, who again was grandson of Alexander
Feif of Montrose (t ante 1628) and Jeaneta Rynd. In his
early boyhood, about 1670, he was sent to a hat-maker in
Finland to learn the trade; but not liking this, and his
master failing in business, he returned to Sweden. His
knowledge of the Finnish language recommended him for
the post of clerk in one of the king’s offices. After that
he rose rapidly, became Secretary of State in the Ministry
of the Interior, and in 1723 President of the Ministry.
Looking over the events of his life, and reading his letters,
one is indeed at a loss to understand how a man so utterly
without any brilliant gifts, so incapable of any great
independent action, could rise to such a height. But his
weakness became his strength under a monarch of
despotic wilfulness; he became the right hand of a
Charles XII., while he would never have left off copying
1 See Leben des Walter von Grciggcnschildt> Greifswald, 1730. Vitæ
Pomer.y vol. 14.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
