Jn Inquiry into the Principles 'of Taxation. 7 



be fufftred to tyrannize over their tenants or vaffalsy 

 whilft the country is, at the fame time, made a 

 prifon to its inhabitants, by the fevereft prohibi- 

 tions of emigration. At the beginning of the fix- 

 te.enth century, there fubfifted, in Ruflia, no 

 other flaves, except prifoners of war. A new ar- 

 rangement took place after the conqueft of Cafan 

 and Aftracan. Thcfe beautiful and fertile pro- 

 vinces fo powerfully attracted the peafantry, that 

 a rigorous law enfued, in 1556, which confined 

 them all to their own glebe. And they were thus 

 at once divefted of property and perfonal liberty. * 

 Similar revolutions have occurred in the other 

 northern ftates, and:., the confequences have been 

 penury, wretchednefs, . and a degradation of the 

 human fpecies. In France, the tax called the 

 'Tailky ufed to be levied on men, who, being 

 without any other property than their neceflary 

 utenfils, and fubfifting folely on their daily wages, 

 could not be compelled to payment, even by 

 violence itfelf. Every , coUedtor, who was con- 

 ftrained to undertake the levy of the tax, had 

 authority to call upon the four perfons in the dif- 

 tri(5t, whofe proportion of the Taille was the 

 greateft, to fill up all deficiencies ; and they were 

 thus forced, by the fale of their effe6ts, or by 

 imprifonment, to expiate the negligence of the 

 colledor or the poverty of their neighbors j not- 



• Abbe Raynal. 



B 4 withftanding 



