26 M. Seudant's Travels in Hungary. 



obligation was truly burthensome, in the disastrous times, 

 when the Turks were making continual inroads, Hungary 

 berng the barrier of Europe against those infidels. 



The noblesse enjoy very great privileges ; besides holding 

 all the places of public functionaries, being exempt from all 

 the permanent contributions, sitting in the diet, and having a 

 considerable number of votes there, they only are entitled to 

 have lands in possession. The burgesses can only possess 

 landed property within the territories of the free cities, and 

 the peasantry have little other property than their moveables. 

 The Hungarian gentleman is not, however, absolute proprietor 

 of his possessions ; in some respects, he has only the usufruct, 

 for on the extinction of male issue, the property reverts to 

 the state, which may dispose of it in favour of another family. 

 Seigniorial lands cannot be sold ; they may be mortgaged, and 

 the original proprietor, or his children, may reclaim, on reim- 

 bursing the sums advanced. This is attended with an advan- 

 tage to decayed families, and there are many examples to 1 

 attest it. 



So many privileges exclusively attached to the noblesse, are 

 at variance with the notions now prevalent in most other parts, 

 but the peasant here is not exposed to such inconveniences 

 as might be imagined. There was a time when the Hungarian, 

 peasant was really attached to the glebe; at present, he is free, 

 and contentment appears in the cottage no less than in the 

 palace. Such is the empire of the laws and of custom, that the 

 peasant's lot in Hungary is often superior to that of the same 

 class in countries that have more freedom. The noblesse 

 have possession of the soil, and the lord is obliged to divide 

 the land into farms of a certain proportion, and these he lets- 

 out to peasant cultivators. According to an urbarium, pub- 

 lished under Maria Theresa, wherein all the customs of long 

 standing were combined into a law, a complete farm was to 

 consist of a mansion, with courts, barns, a garden, a certain 

 number of acres of arable land, (forty-four Parisian) and a 

 smaller for meadows, in the proportion of six to forty-four. 

 The peasant takes a real interest in the soil, but for his loca- 

 tion, he pays in daily labour and other services. One who has 

 a complete farm owes to the lord, as services, fifty-four days' 

 labour in a year, with a cart and a double train of horses or 

 oxen. The farmer is also to deliver in annually, the ninth 

 part of the products of the land, (for the first crop only, for if 

 there be a second he pays nothing) the ninth part of his lambs, 

 kids, honey, &c. He has to support other charges fixed and 

 proportioned to different rights which he may acquire. But, 

 if, with permission, he clears a portion of waste land, he 



