MOSCOW. 
121 
Peter the Third was a greater friend to the CI ™r. 
Russian nobility , during three months, than all ' ■ ' ' 
the sovereigns of Russia in the collected periods 
of their power. While under the oppressive 
and degrading discipline of Paul, they kneeled, 
and kissed the rod. Peter liberated them from 
slavery and from corporal punishment ; he per- 
mitted them to sell their effects, and to settle 
in other countries ; to serve, if they pleased, 
under other sovereigns ; — in short, he gave them 
all they most desired; and they assassinated 
their benefactor, 
The swarm of servants in their palaces has Servants <>f 
been already noticed. A foreigner wonders how biiity. 
this can be maintained. The fact is, if a noble- 
man have fifty or five hundred servants, they 
do not cost him a rouble. Their clothes, their 
food, every article of their subsistence, are de- 
rived from the poor oppressed peasants. Their 
wages, if wages they can be called, rarely ex- 
ceed in their value an English halfpenny a day'. 
In the whole year, the total of their daily pit- 
tance equals about five roubles, forty-seven 
copeeks and a half: this, according to the state of 
exchange at the time we were there, may be 
estimated at twelve shillings and ninepence. 
(l) About, a copeeh and a half. 
