recruits ; for by thefe means he becomes extremely interefted
' that none of his peafants migrate without permiffion from
the place o f their nativity. Thefe circumftances occafion a
ftriking difference in the fate o f the Ruffian and Poliih peafants
even in-favour o f the latter, who in other refpedts are
more wretched. I f the Polifh boor is oppreffed, and he
éfcapes to another mafter, the latter is liable to no pecuniary
penalty for harbouring him ; but in Ruffia the perfon who
receives another’s vaffal is fubject to an heavy fine. With
refpedtto his own demands upon his peafants, the lord is re-
ftrained by no law either in the exadtion o f any fum, or in
the mode o f employing them. He is abfolute mafter o f
their time and labour : fome he employ's in agriculture ; a
few he makes his menial fervants, and perhaps without
wages-; and from others he exadts an annual payment *.
Each vaffal, therefore, is rated according to the arbitrary
will o f his mafter. Some contribute four or five fhillings
a year ; others, who are engaged in traffick or trade, are
affeffed in proportion to their fuppofed profits. Several in-
ftances of thefe exactions fell under my obfervation ; a ma-
fpn who was rated £ 6. per annum; a fmith £ i i . %, and
others as high as ¿2 0 . With regard to any capital which
they may have acquired by their induftry, it may be feized,
* t h e emp iels thus exprefles h e r ie lf on “ e t a e x ig e r du payfan de3 redevances q u i
this he ad. “ fo ien t de natu re à 1’eloigne r le moins
“ 11 n’y a gn erc de v illa g e , qui ne pa ye “ q u ’il fera poffible de fa maifon e t de fa
“ fes redevances en arg en t. L e s poffeffeurs, “ famille. P a r c e moyen l ’on mettra l’ag r i-
,q u l ne vo yen t jamais ou que très rare - 41 cu ltu re en v ig eu r , e t la popula tion a u c .
“ men t leurs villages, impotent ch aque tête “ mentera dans l ’em p ire.” In f tru â io n , & c .
“ à un à deux et ju fq u ’à c in q roub les , fans p . 79.
“ V em b a r a fle r comment le payfan s’y p r e n - T h is cuflom o f o b lig in g th e peafants to
“ d ra Po u r g’ag ner oe t a rg cn t . . p a y an annual fum in money w ith ou t th e ir
“ I t f e r o i t très neceffaire de prefcrire au x h a ving always fufficient refources to p ro cu re
“ poiTeffeurs des L o ix q ui les bb lig ent à th a t fum, freq u en tly drives th e neceffitous
“ a g ir avec plus de c irco n fp e â io n dans la to the m o ll defperate modes o f a cquirin g it.
“ manière dont ils fe fo n t p a y e r leurs droits,
and there can be no redrefs ; asj according to the old feudal C!^ p-
law, which ftill exifts, a flave cannot inftitute a procefs *— v— <
againfl his mafter. Hence it occafionally happens that feve-
ral peafants who have gained a large capital cannot purchafe
their liberty for any fum, becaufe they are fubjeft, as long
as they continue flaves, to be pillaged by their mailers.
The mode adopted by many landholders with their peafants
reminds' me o f that formerly pradtifed by the Romans
in regard to their flaves, Atticus, we are told, caufed a numerous
body o f flaves to be inftrudted in the art o f copying
manufcripts, which he fold at a very high price, and.raifed by
that means a confiderable fortune. Upon funilar principles
fome o f the Ruffian nobility fend their vaffals to Mofcow or
Peteriburgh for the purpofe o f learning various handicraft
trades: they either employ them on their own eftates, let
them out for hire, fell them at an advanced price, or receive
from them an annual compenfation for the permiffion o f
exercifing their trade for their own advantage.
In regard to the lord’s authority over their perfons, according
to the ancient laws, he might try them in his own courts
of juftice, or punifh them without any procefs ; he could
inflidt every fpecies of penalty, excepting the knoot, order
them to be whipped, or confined in dungeons; he might
fend them to houfes o f corredtion, or banith them into Siberia
; or, in fhort, take cognizance of every mifdemeanor
which was not a publick offence. He had, indeed, no power
over their lives; for, i f a flave was beat by order o f his
mafter, and died within the fpace o f three days, the latter
was guilty o f murder, unlefs other reafons could be affigned
for his demife. But was not this almoft a mockery of juftice?
forfurely a man might be terribly chaftifed without fuffering
death within three days ; and i f a vaflal died within that
fpace, and, his mafter was a man of confequence, who was
V o l. II, Q to .