RUSSIA. 



517 



RuwU. UU/jrace humnn nature. It may, however, be said with 

 ^^T^^ trull), that many of the I\ussi,-in modes of villainy are 

 no! .sinuhir in the world. Hut there is one mighty 

 difference between Russia and other nations in tl,, 

 spec!. In Russia, it may lit* laid down as a fact, that 

 the merchants, with a very few exceptions, all act upon 

 the same nefarious system, whereas in other countries 

 it is principally among the lower and the lowest classes 

 of merchants and dealers that the refinement of roguery 

 The Russians are trained up to villainy from 

 their youth ; and the expertness of boys of eight and 

 ten years of age in the arts of their masters is incre- 

 dible ; they are children in almost in every thing, but 

 men in deception. And so widely diffused is the sys- 

 tem of imposition, that even the peasant, who knows 

 little beyond his field, his yard, his horse, and his teJt-ga, 

 (a small cart,) is a perfect knave when he comes to 

 market. Unfortunately also, the same system prevails 

 wherever the Russians have conquered, or treacherous- 

 ly acquired new dominions. The Tartars in the Kri- 

 mea, and the Georgians at Tiflis, have completely 

 adopted the Russian mode of commerce with all its de- 

 testable details. Should the ferocious mountain tribes 

 of the Kaucasus be brought under subjection, one of 

 the first changes from their primitive state will be the 

 acquisition of the art of deceit in all its bearings and 

 refinements. This is proved by the progress which 

 some of the less savage of them have already made in 

 that vice by their commerce with the Russians. 



According to Dr. Lyall, " while the moral degrada- 

 tion of the merchants rouses our indignation and dis- 

 gust, it awakes our sympathy and compassion. But 

 alas, no speedy change is anticipated, because their 

 pitiable state is deeply entwined with the wofully 

 corrupt administration and the political condition of 

 the empire ; it forms one of the rotten spokes of one 

 of the rotten wheels which hitherto have kept the 

 mighty rotten machine of civil administration in mo- 

 tion." 



Peasantry. * tn ' P ensanlr ,>/- ^ ne fourth and last class of the sub- 

 jects of Russia is composed of the peasants. As they form 

 the bulk of the population, and are all slaves, their 

 real condition deeply interests humanity, and deserves 

 serious attention ; more especially as the widely dif- 

 ferent accounts of authors, of equal veracity, have tend- 

 ed much to perplex public opinion. Dr. Clarke's live- 

 ly delineation of the extreme misery of the state of 

 the slaves excited much interest and general indigna- 

 tion against their proprietors ; but Dr. Lyall, who has 

 paid the greatest attention to this subject, charges the 

 late distinguished professor with extravagance and ca- 

 lumny, and ridicules his account of the peasants of 

 Russia being fed upon et the bark of trees, chaff, and 

 other refuse, quass, rvaler, and fish-oil" Indeed, in 

 consonance with a number of other authors, he says, 

 that the peasantry of Russia generally live well. They 

 highly esteem their black bread, an excellent whole- 

 some and nourishing article; their kvass, when good, 

 a simple pleasant drink ; their stchi, or cabbage-soup, 

 sweet or acidulated ; their condiments, salt, leeks, 

 onions, and garlic ; articles to be found everywhere in 

 Russia ; their salted cucumbers ; their kasha, or boil- 

 ed millet, eaten with butter or with oil daring the 

 fasts ; their milk, which in the country at least, is 

 generally added to the articles of their diet, as also 

 eggs,, and vegetables, and especially mushrooms ; be- 

 sides, at times, butcher's meat, and various kinds of 

 pies on Sunday and festivals. The poorest fare, ex- 



cept in time of famine, even a Russian is reduced to, 

 i formed of black bread and salt, boiled millet and 

 butter, all nutritive substances. Because many of the 

 articles of food and the kvast of the Russians, are not 

 highly esteemed by travellers at their first arrival in 

 their country, it is not to be supposed that they are 

 bad, or coarse, or unhealthy. Foreigners, after a re- 

 sidence of some time in Russia, often become extreme- 

 ly fond of all the articles of the Russian boor's table; 

 and the peasantry would not exchange them for the 

 luxuries of Asia and southern Europe, nor indeed of 

 the world. Although Dr. Lyall is of opinion that the 

 generality of the peasantry fare well, and that their lot 

 is comfortable, yet he candidly admits that numbers are 

 oppressed, and most inhumanly treated. When some of 

 the rich nobles, in consequence of dissipation and debt, 

 are pressed for money, their serfs are among the first 

 who know the fact, and who experience their impa- 

 tience and rapacity. The obrok, or yearly capitation 

 tax, is augmented, or demanded before the regular 

 time, or conditions are sometimes offered in order to 

 obtain more easily the fulfilment of their desires. But 

 ; such a demand is like an imperial ukaz, it has a des- 

 potic influence ; for the vassals well know that non- 

 compliance with it, if within their capability, would 

 draw vengeance upon themselves. They well know 

 the genius of their master, and carefully remark his 

 humour and his general way of action ; and as they 

 are very cunning, they secrete their property, and in- 

 vent a thousand excuses. But it is chiefly the vassals 

 of the poor and of the extremely poor nobles, whose 

 case calls for sympathy and commiseration. The ne- 

 cessities of their lords, when combined with avarice 

 or rapacity, reduce humanity to the most abject con- 

 dition. It is not merely in respect of money that the 

 peasants are oppressed. The time fixed by law which 

 they ought to have for tilling their own land, and 

 managing their own affairs, is directly encroached up- 

 on, or almost altogether taken up with their master's 

 work. They themselves, their wives, and their child- 

 ren, and their horses, are continually occupied in la- 

 bouring for their lords, or in advancing some favourite 

 scheme. Regret is generally evinced when new build- 

 ings or gardens are among the plans of their pro- 

 prietors, as they are well aware there will be new ex- 

 actions on their time and toils. Part of their sorrow 

 also flows, at times, from the prospect of no indulgence 

 in indolence. Even when the boors wish to refuse 

 compliance, and to speak their minds, they lose cou- 

 rage, and to avoid increasing the misery of their lot, 

 they are altogether mute. They know they are some- 

 times oppressed, contrary to the laws of their country ; 

 but the laws generally are as a dead letter to them. 

 How is a peasant to obtain redress who cannot quit 

 the spot without his master's permission ? And sup- 

 pose he had reached the courts of justice, what could he 

 do ? He may complain of his lord, and become the in- 

 strument for an attorney to obtain a present or a bribe 

 from his master, and thus the affair terminates. The 

 peasants, when dreadfully oppressed, sometimes become 

 exasperated, and sacrifice their tyrannical masters, in 

 the same way as the nobles sacrifice their sovereigns. 

 They resolve upon his death, and they accomplish it 

 More frequently, however, this is the lot of cruel 

 stewards. The irritated boors unite in a body ; the 

 oppressor is murdered, and no single individual is re* 

 sponsible. 

 Some of the lords of the creation also make unjust 



