jgs. I N I I A R I T A N T: S O F P O L A N a .
How deplorable muft be the ftate of that country, when a
' law of that .nature was thought requifite to be enaited, yet is,
found incapable of being enforced. The generality, indeed,
of the Poliih nobles are not inclined either to eftabliih or give
efficacy to any regulations in favour of the peafants, whom,
they fcarcely confider as entitled to the common rights of
humanity*. A few nobles, hqwever, of benevolent hearts.
. and enlightened underftandings, have acted upon different
principles, and have ventured upon the expedient of giving
liberty to their.vaflals. The event has.fhowed this. projeCt
to be no left judicious than humane, no lefs. friendly to their
o.wn interefts.than to the happinefsof their peafants for it ,
appears.that in the diftriits, in which the new arrangement
was been introduced, the population of their villages is confi-
derably increafed,and the.reyenues.of their eftates-augmented,
ip a triple proportion.
The firibnoble who- granted freedom to his peafants,was-.
Zamoiiki, formerly great chancellor, who in 1760 enfran-
chifed' fix .villages in the palatinate of Mafovia. Thefe v i l lages
were, in 1 7 7 7 , vifited by the author of , the Patriotic,
Letters, from whom I received the followSng information :
On ipfpeiting the pariihr regifters-of births from, 17-5 8 to .
1768, that-is, during the ten years of ft a very immediately
preceding their enfranchifement, he found the number of
births 434 ; in. the,firft ten-years of their freedom, from .
1760 to. 17 70, 6204 and from 17 70 -to the beginning of .
*■7 7 7 1 585 births. By thefe extracts it appeared that
During the firft period there,were: only, 43. births']
lecond period
third period,
* Zamoiiki, in his new code o f laws, has
warmly fpoken in favour o f the peafants-;
bqt fuch are the national prejudices, that it
ist^mcertain. whether the diet will receive
62
77
each- year. r
that code, and confirm decrees, though ,,
formed upon the common, andinaturalr ighcs
o f mankind,
P E A S A N T S . >Jf3f3f
If we fuppofe an improvement of this fort to take place c h a p .
throughout the kingdom ; how great would be the increafe. Vm' ■
of national population !
The revenues of the fix villages, fince their enfranchifement,
have been augmented In a much greater proportion
than their population. In their ftate of vaflalage Zamoiiki
was obliged, according to the cuftom of Poland, to build
cottages and barns for his'peafants, and to furnilh them with
feed, horfes, ploughs, and every implement of agriculture;
fince their attainment of liberty they are become fo eafy in
their circumftantes, as- to provide themfelves with all thefe
neceflaries at their own expence ; and they like wife cheerfully
pay an, annual rent, in lieu of the manual labour,
which their matter formerly exacted from them. By thefe
means the receipts of this particular eflate have been nearly
tripled»
Upon figning the deed of enfranchifement of the fix villages,
their benevolent matter intimated fome apprehenfions
to the inhabitants, left, encouraged by their freedom, they
fhould fall into-every fpecies of licentioufnefs, and commit
more diforders than when they were.ilavesi The fimplicit'y
and good fenfe of their anfwer is remarkable; “ When we
“ had no other property,” returned they, “ than the ftick
“ which we hold in ohr hands, we were deftitute of all
encouragement to a right co n d u ita n d , having' nothing
“■to lofe, ailed on all occafions in an inconfiderate manner f
“ but as foon as our houfeS, our lands, and our Cattle, are our
‘ °wn, the fear of forfeiting them will be" a cbAftant- re-
“ ftraint upon our aitions»” The fincerity of this aifertion
was manifofted- by the event. While they were in a ftaffi“
of fervitude, Zamoiiki was occafionally obliged to pay fines
for -