b o o k Hevitch I I . and his immediate fucceffors; or from feveral
. V‘ . poliih, and other foreign families, who lettled in this empire.
In procefs o f time the number of thefe princes increafed to
fo confiderable a degree, that, according.to Lord Whitworth,
no lefs than 300 were common foldiers in prince Menzikot’s
regiment o f dragoons.
Though Peter the Great, in imitation of the other European.
courts,, introduced the titles o f count and. baron, ^ and
his example has been followed by his fucceffors: yet neither
thefe titles nor that o f prince above-mentioned have been
efteemed a fufficient aggrandizement; becaufe the greateft
favourites of the fovereign have been occafionally created by
the emperor o f Germany princes o f the German empire;
as prince Menzikof at the requeft o f Peter, and the princes
Orlof and Potemkin during, the prefent reign.
According to the fyftem introduced by Peter I. but which
has gradually been corrupted as it has receded from its fource,
every perfoa takes precedence from his military ftation ; he
muff rife in regular gradation,- and, before he can be an offir
eer, muff have ferved as a. corporal or ferjeant: but this ordinance
is eafily eluded; as frequently infants are made fer-
jeantsand corporals; and it is not neceffary to have ferved even
one campaign in order to attain precedence, as it may be conferred
by civil offices.
And although the law o f Peter I-. which compelled each
nobleman or gentleman, under pain of degradation, to ferve
in the army, was abolilhed by Peter * III .yet its. effects ftill
* T h e A b b e de C h a p p e , in a rema rk u p - “ privilege, o f freedom to th e m ob ility .’*
on th e abolition o f this law b y P e te r 111. is T h is roiftake arofe from m om.ffion in his
g u ilty o f a ridiculous miftake, when he f t p - de cree, in, w h ich th e nobles were o n ly de-
6 ' ....................................... *•------- L ,~- claredfree> w ith ou t th e addition o f to Jersey
or not to fe rv e r as they thought proper. Sec
A n t id o te , p . 148 to 15°»
fubfift.
p o le s , th a t before this decree th e nobles
w e r e j f« c « . A b o u t a week a f te r h is ac ce f-
t o n to th e throne P e te r went to th e fe n a t e ,
and d e clared , “ th a t he had g ran ted the
i
- fu b f ift . N o o n e u n d e r t h e r a n k o f a m a jo r , l e t h i s f o r tu n e c h a p .
.be e v e r fo c o n f id e r a b l e , is p e rm i t t e d to d r i v e m o r e t h a n t w o »— ,— >
h o l f e s ; u n d e r t h a t o f b r i g a d i e r m o r e t h a n f o u r : a n o b l e m
a n o f t h e h i g h e f t f o r tu n e a n d d i f t in d l io n , w h o h a s n e v e r
b e e n in t h e a rm y , is n o t a llo w 'e d , e x c e p t i n g b y t h e fp e c i a l
p e rm i f f io n o f th e c r o w n , t o u f e in t h e c a p i t a l a c a r r i a g e d r a w n
b y m o r e t h a n o n e h o r f e ; w h i l e a m e r c h a n t m a y h a v e tw o .
There are various methods, however, o f procuring military
dignity, and the privileges annexed to it. Amongft others,
a chamberlain, forinftance, to the fovereign, ranks as major-
general ; the office o f a fecretary in the different departments
o f government confers the rankof an officer ; and the contributor
of a certain fum to the foundling hofpital at Mofcow
obtains the rank o f a lieutenant.
Thefe regulations; and the eafe with which military rank
is acquired, has induced a German, fettled in Ruffia, to ex-
prefs. himfelf with fome humour in the following manner:
“ A nobleman is here nothing; his fituation in the army
“ alone marks the value o f his'exiftence. A phyfician has
“ the rank o f major; and dares, as a ftaff-officer, put four
horfes to his carriage, while others can only drive tw o ;
an apothecary in the imperial fervice has the rank o f a cap-
“ fain ;■ his apprentices that o f enfighs ; and the Wo fur-
geons o f the diftrict bear the rank o f lieutenants But
however ridiculous thefe promotions may appear, yet they
are founded on principles o f the foundeft policy: for,as by
a decree o f Peter the Great, every officer is noble during his
life, and the children o f a ftaff-officer are claffed among the
nobility ; any inftitution tending to increafe the number o f
this order of men, who alone are entitled to poffefs land, cannot
fail o f being highly beneficial to the fociety.
* S ch lo e tz e r ’ s B r iefwe ch fel fo r 1 7 8 : . p« 3 6 ^
O 2 Upon