C H A P - V.
Inquiry into the prefent Jlate o f civilization in the Ruffian empire.—
Hivijion of the inhabitants into I. nobles, II. clergy,
III. merchants and burghers, IF. peafants.— General remarks
on thefe orders.— Privileges granted by the emprefs
to the merchants, burghers, and peafants.— State o f vaf-
falage.— Conclujion,
B00K IV / fU CH has been written concerning the great civilization
. 1V1 which Peter I. introduced into this country ; that he
obliged the people to relinquiih their beards, and their na-
tional drefs ; that he naturalized the arts and fciences; that
he difciplined his army, and created a navy \ and that he
made a total change throughout each part o f his extenfive
.empire. We may readily allow the truth o f this eulogium
with refpect to his improvements in the difcipline o f his
army and the creation o f a navy, for thefe were objects
within the reach o f the perfevering genius o f a defpotick
fovereign; but the pompous accounts o f the total change
which he effefted in the national manners, feem to have
been the mere echos o f foreigners, who have never vifited
the country, and who have collected the hiftory o f Peter from
the moft partial information. For though a nation, when compared
with itfelf at a former period, may have made a rapid
progrefs towards improvement, even when the degree o f that
improvement, i f put in competition with the refinements of
other nations, feems fcarcely to ex ift; yet, as the exaggerated
-accounts which I had heard and read of the great civiliza-
ii0P diffufed throughout the whole empire, made me expeft
7 a
a more poliihed ftate o f manners than I found, I muft own
I was afioniihed at the barbarifm in which the bulk of the ' . »
people ftill continue. I am ready to allow that the principal
nobles are perfe&ly civilized, and as refined in their entertainments,
mode o f living, and focial intercourfe, as thofe
o f other European countries. But there is a wide difference
between poliihing a nation, and poliihing a few individuals.-
The merchants and peafants ftill univerfally retain their
beards, their national drefs, their original manners ; and, what
is moft remarkable, the greateft part o f the merchants and;
burghers o f the large towns, even the citizens of Peteriburgh-
and Mofcow, refemble, in their external appearance and general
mode o f living, the inhabitants o f the fmalleft village :
and, notwithftanding the rigorous edidts iflued by Peter I. *
I can venture to aflert, that o f the 1 1,500,000 males, which
form the population o f the Ruffian empire, at leaft nine
millions wear their beards \ being fcarcely lefs attached at-
prefent to that cuftom than their anceftors in former times,
when the fine for cutting off a finger was" rated at in 3d.
that for cutting o ff the beard, or whifkers, at 4J. so d t.
The greateft part o f the peafants,. who form the bulk o f
the nation, are ftill almoft as deficient in the arts as-they were-
before Peter’s time, although the fciences have ftburiihed in--
the capital- But the civilization o f a numerous and widely
% it ordonna a u x R u ffe s de q u itte r “ on en ivra it les v ie u x b o ia r s, e t o n leu r
“ l’ habit lo n g e t la b arbe . U n e amende “ ta illa it la barb e d ’une- man iéré fi r id icu l'e ,,
“ fu t impofée a u x amateurs obftinea d e “ q u ’ ils étaien t o bligés de g a rd e r la e h am -
“ 1,’ancien u fage . Bien, des Ruffes e t fur-tout “ b r e pen dan t p lu iieu r sm o i3 , on dé fe fa ire •
“ les R o zk o ln ik s , rega rdaient le ch an g e - “ rafer. O n a t ta ch a it a u x p o r tes des v ille s *
“ ment d ’h ab it comme un renoncement à “ -u n modelle dirn ou v e l h a b it, e t o n ro gn a it "
la religion, et difaient q u ’il valaient m ieu x “ la robe dé c e u x q ui ne v o u laien t pas p a y e r :
“ perd re la tê te que la .b a rb e : ils fu ren t “ on les rafait malg ré eu x dans les rùes®’*
“ obligés de p a yer un droit pou r n’ ê tre pas L ’E v e fq u e , I V . p . 15 7 .
“ rafés,. et ils recevaient u n .je t to n qui le u r . f H a y g o ld , I . p . 337*-
“ ■ lèrv a it de q u ittan c e. Sou ven t à la .c o u r
difperfedi