RUSSIA. 
487 
than the social feeling of the convivial philanthropist. Clarke 
says that “ they consider the honour of their families so materi¬ 
ally implicated in maintaining a numerous table, that should 
any of the satellites which usually surround them, forsake his 
post at dinner, and swell the train of any other person, the 
offence is rarely forgiven; they will afterwards persecute the 
deserter by every means of revenge within their power; and, 
not being burdened by scruples of conscience, they generally 
find means of indulging their vengeance.” 
Among the people in general hospitality is, however, uni¬ 
versal, and founded on the purest motives of tenderness and 
duty. 
The clergy are exempt from taxation, and from corpora 
punishment; which privileges are extended to each eldest 
son, who must, however, though his father is excused, take 
the risk of being called upon for military service. 
The high clergy, who are all monks, are generally men of 
considerable information. But the lower orders, by far the 
most numerous, including the popes, or parish priests, with a 
few exceptions, know little beyond the performance of the 
duties of their calling. Few of them are worthy men ; most 
of them are dissolute and irregular in their lives, and freely 
indulge in potations of spirits. They are rarely seen in genteel 
society, and by no means receive that attention or deference to 
which their holy calling, entitles their contemporaries in this 
country. They are in the primitive stage, in so far as regards 
theology. With respectto customs and manners, and general 
mode of life, some may be said to be, in the imitative stage of 
civilization, a step more elevated than the peasantry; while 
the bulk of them cannot claim that distinction. 
The citizens are divided into three guilds or classes, ac¬ 
cording to the amount of capital they possess, and have 
some most whimsical privileges proportioned to their rank. 
Those of the first rank, with a capital of from 10,000 to 
50,000 roubles, may carry on home or foreign trade ; may be 
owners of ships; may drive a carriage with two horses; and 
are exempt from corporal punishment. The members of the 
second guild, possessing a capital of from 5000 to 10,000 
roubles, can only carry on home trade, but enjoy all the other 
rights of the first guild. The members of the third guild must 
enjoy a capital between 1000 and 5000 roubles; they may 
carry on retail trades, be proprietors of barges and boats, 
keep taverns, and drive one horse, though not in a coach ; 
but are not exempt from corporal punishments. Besides these 
there are the foreign and designated citizens. In this class is 
comprehended each person who has twice served any civic 
office ; learned men and artists who can produce academic 
testimonials; bankers who possess capitals from 100,000 
to 200,000 roubles; wholesale dealers, that keep no shops, 
and ship-owners, that use the sea. These may harness two or 
four horses to a coach; may possess country houses and 
gardens ; may own ships; and are exempt from bodily penal¬ 
ties. None of the trading classes are exempt from the mili¬ 
tary conscription ; but they are allowed to procure substitutes. 
Though the merchants of the first and second guilds are 
often rich, they by no means present any resemblance to the 
dignified characters called by that name in England. The 
Russian merchant degraded by law, destitute of liberal 
education, cannot of course be capable of that independence 
and lofty sense of honour, which so eminently distinguish 
his class in all free governments; but it is said that he wants 
even common honesty. Dr. Lyall tells us that the Russians 
demand three, four, six, or even ten times the value of an arti¬ 
cle, or more than they accept of; adulterate their goods and 
wares ; and use false weights and false measures. “ The Rus¬ 
sian merchants, shopkeepers, and dealers,” he continues, 
“ cheat in the quantity, in the quality, andjin the price. If they 
miss their aim in the quantity, they succeed in the quality; 
and if they fail in both, it will be ten to one that they are 
successful in the price. The wary even are cheated in one or 
two of these.ways, and the stranger is often duped by strata¬ 
gem in all the three.” 
The nobles, clergy, and merchants are not so abstemious in 
regard to drinking as the peasantry. 
The next class is that of th z peas ants, or free inhabitants, 
of the country. In this rank are included, 1st. The ancient 
race of proprietors who cultivate their own lands, but do 
not enjoy the right of possessing slaves. The males of this 
description amount to about 1,150,000. 2d. The Tartars, 
the Bashirs, and several other races, less numerous, to the 
south of Siberia, who are all proprietors of the lands they 
cultivate. 3d. The peasants of Finland. Since the ac¬ 
quisition of New Finland, the privileges enjoyed by the 
peasants of that country, under the Swedish government, 
have been continued and confirmed to them; and the same 
rights granted to those of Old Finland, where all are now 
either proprietors or renters. 4th. The colonists, consisting 
of foreign families of agriculturists, who are proprietors of 
the lands they cultivate, and whose number is about 65,000. 
5th. The military colonists. 
The class next below these is that of the Serfs. They 
are chiefly peasants on the crown lands, or of the province 
of Livonia. Of the first of these, the crown peasants, 
labour in the fields, the others in the mines and manufac¬ 
tories. The lot of this class seems to be placed on the con¬ 
fines betwixt liberty and slavery. They may rise.to the 
rank of citizens, they may acquire property, they enjoy the 
protection of the laws; and, under some restrictions, may 
quit their residences to obtain employment for a limited 
time; but they are liable to be hired to the service of the 
mines, or to be sold. Although the empress Catharine 
rarely gave these peasants away as presents to favourites, and 
Alexander never did so, yet there is no legal security 
against the practice; and consequently their condition is 
scarcely less precarious than it was formerly. The peasants 
of Livonia, amounting to about 560,000, were slaves until 
the year 1804, when they first obtained the rights of serfs. 
They are now subject to some peculiar claims, but those 
claims are fixed, and they cannot be removed from the 
soil without their own consent. 
The last and most numerous class is that of the slaves. 
They are in law considered as things, not as persons; may 
be bought, sold, or exchanged, with no more restrictions 
than are enacted in dealing for cattle: and have no other 
protection against their masters than what is created by a 
regard to pecuniary interest. They belong to the 
nobles, or to such civil or military officers as have acquired 
the right of possessing them. They are divided into agri¬ 
cultural, mining, manufacturing, or domestic slaves, and 
have their condition only improved when drawn for mili¬ 
tary service. 
Of the condition of the Russian peasants, horrible 
pictures have been drawn. But they are not in all respects 
wretched, nor are they all equally so. Dr. Lyall informs 
us that they generally live well. They highly esteem their 
black bread, an excellent, wholesome and nourishing article, 
their kvass, when good, a simple pleasantdrink ; their stchi-, 
or cabbage-soup, sweet or acidulated; their condiments, 
salt, leeks, onions, and garlic; articles to be found every¬ 
where in Russia; their salted cucumbers; their kasha, or 
boiled millet, eaten with butter or with oil, during the fasts; 
their milk, which in the country at least, is generally added 
to the articles of their diet, as also eggs, and vegetables, 
especially mushrooms; besides, at times, butcher’s meat, and 
various kinds of pies on Sunday and festivals. The poorest 
fare, except in time of famine, a Russian is ever reduced to, 
is formed of black bread and salt, boiled millet and butter, 
all nutritive substances. Although Dr. Lyall is of opinion 
that as the generality of the peasantry fare well, their lot is 
comfortable, 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, the obrok, or yearly capitation tax, is 
augmented, or demanded before the regular time. Such a 
demand is like an imperial ukaz, it has a despotic influence; 
for the vassals well know that non-compliance with it, if 
within their capability, would draw vengeance upon them¬ 
selves. As, however, they are very cunning, they secrete 
their 
