r79^- extracts from Coxe't travels. -•: 



" The first Polifh noble who granted freedom to hij 

 peasants, was Zanjoitki, formerly great chancellor, -who, in: 

 J 7^0, enfranchised six villages in the paktihate of Alaso- 

 via. Tlaese villi^es were, in 1777, visited by the author 

 of the pRtriotic letters, from whom I received the follow 

 ing ir.formation. ' On inspecting the pariili registers of 

 births from 175S to 176S*, that is, during the ten years 

 of slavery, immediately preceding their enfranchisement, 

 lie foimd the number of births 434, in the first ten years 

 of tiieir freedom, from 1760 to 1770, 620, and from 1770 

 to the beginning of 1777, 585.' Upon signing the deed 

 of enfranchisement of the six villages, their benevolent 

 master intimated some apprehensions to the inhabitsnts, 

 that, encouraged by their freedom, they fhould fall into 

 every species of licentiousnefs, and commit more disorders- 

 than when thcywere slaves. The simplicity of their an^ 

 , swer i/ remarkable, ' "v^Tien we had no other property,' 

 returned they, ' than the stick which we held in our 

 hands, we were destitute of all encouragement to a right 

 conduct, and, having nothing to lose, acted ox^ all occasii 

 ons in an inconsiderate manner ; but as soon as .our hou- 

 ses, our lands, and our cattle are our own, the fear of for-i 

 feiting them will be a constant restraint upon our actions.' 

 " The sinceifty oa this'arseBtion was manifested by the 

 event. While they were in a state of servitude,- Za- 

 moiski was occasionally obliged to pay fines for disorders 

 tummitted' by his peasants, who,' in a state' of drunkennefij 

 v/ouid attack and sometim.es kill pafssngers ; since their 

 freedom he has seldom received any complaints of this 

 joft- agiinst them. Z^moiski, pleased with the thriving 

 state of the six villages; has enfranchised the peasants on 

 ail his estates." 



Our author says, Zaraoiski's example has be.cn followed 

 by another noble'mafl, and a.clergyman,'\'Vith similar succcfs. 

 • I ai-ppoie this (houici be from 1748 to 1758. 



