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Before the year 1807, the landed estates in Prussia, 

 as in most other parts of Europe, were in the posses- 

 sion of large proprietors. Many of them could only 

 be held by such as were of noble birth ; and the mer- 

 chant, the manufacturer, or the artisan, however 

 much money he might have accumulated, could not 

 invest it in such land until he had obtained a patent 

 of nobility. These restrictions were removed by the 

 king, about the year 1807, when the French had over- 

 run the country. 



A Tenantry in our sense of the term was then, as 

 it still is, almost unknown. The land was worked 

 by a class of persons in some respects slaves ; and in 

 most respects but little removed from that condition. 

 In many cases they had an hereditary kind of right 

 to some use of the land, such as to grow one crop of 

 Corn according to a prescribed course, whilst the lord 

 had the right of pasture between the crops. These 

 peasants were sold with the land, or descended to the 

 heir, and were bound to perform certain labour or 

 services for the lord. They could not, on the other 

 hand, be dismissed from their holdings, nor had their 

 superior any power over the property they might 

 happen to be able to accumulate. 



The conditions upon which the peasants held their 

 portions of land, were very various, some having a 

 greater, and others a less share of the use of them ; 

 some doing greater, and others less service for them. 



By a series of legislative measures, marked by a 

 character of peculiar boldness, which were enacted 

 from 1807 to 1811, the whole of the enslaved pea- 

 sants have become converted into freemen and free- 

 holders. In some cases the holdings have been equally 

 divided, and the peasant has his moiety in perpetuity. 

 In cases where the lord's claims for personal services 

 were more extensive, the peasant had a smaller share 

 in the land. In some instances, compensations in 

 money were settled by compact between the lords 



