lecture v-第4节

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He　promised　to　（1）　uphold　and　protect　the　existing　creed　of
Russia；　（2）　to　keep　no　memory　of　injuries　inflicted　on　his
family；　to　forget　and　to　forgive　all　past　animosities；　（3）　He
took　also　the　obligation　to　make　no　new　laws　or　alter　old　ones；
and　to　take　no　important　measure　which　might　contradict　the
existing　laws；　or　suspend　the　legal　proceedings　of　the　court　of
justice。　（4）　He　promised　as　well　　to　begin　no　wars　and　to　make　no
peace　by　his　own　will。（8*）
　　　　This　view　of　the　power　of　the　Sobor　is　confirmed　by　the　fact
of　its　quasi…permanent　presence　at　Moscow　during　the　whole　reign
of　the　first　Romanov。　The　laws　and　proclamations　issued　at　that
time　generally　contain　the　following　characteristic　expression：
〃According　to　our　order　（oukas）　and　the　decision　of　the　whole
land　（po　vsei　zemli　prigovorou）。〃　The　whole　land　cannot　mean
anything　else　than　the　representatives　in　Parliament　assembled。
　　　　Many　important　questions　were　discussed　and　settled　by　the
Sobor。　In　the　first　years　of　the　reign　want　of　money　obliged　the
Czar　more　than　once　to　have　recourse　to　forced　loans　and
benevolences。　These　were　levied　side　by　side　with　the　regular
taxes　on　the　goods　of　merchants　and　peasants　（torgovii　i　soschnii
liudi）；　the　taxes　received　the　consent　of　the　Sobor；　the
benevolences　were　endorsed　by　it。　The　nomination　of　a　new
Patriarch　in　1619　was　also　their　work。　The　annals　of　the　time
tell　us　that　the　boyars；　the　dignitaries　of　the　Court；　and　all
the　people　of　the　〃Moscovite　State〃　called　on　Michael　and　asked
him　to　induce　his　father　Philarete　to　accept　the　primacy　of　the
Russian　church。　Two　years　later；　in　1621；　a　new　Sobor　was
consulted　on　the　question　as　to　whether　Russia　should　go　to　war
with　Poland。　The　Estates　gave　an　answer　in　the　affirmative；　but
the　want　of　money　and　soldiers　forced　the　Government　to　postpone
the　execution　of　this　decision。
　　　　From　1622　the　Sobors　lose　their　character　of　quasi…constant
assemblies；　each　remaining　in　session　for　several　years　and　begin
to　be　called　only　on　special　occasions；　whenever　their　services
were　required　for　the　settlement　of　important　questions　of　State。
　　　　In　1632　war　with　Poland　necessitated　the　levying　of　new
subsidies。　The　Sobor　Was　accordingly　assembled　and　gave　its
consent　to　the　imposition　of　a　general　tax　on　all　the　estates　of
the　empire；　on　the　tradesmen　as　on　the　〃men　of　service。〃　The
amount　of　money　to　be　demanded　from　the　latter　was　not　fixed；
each　person　could　pay　what　he　liked。　The　sums　produced　by　the　tax
were　intended　for　the　payment　of　the　army。　During　the　next　two
years　we　find　the　Sobor　consulting　the　Czar　on　matters　of　war　and
taxation；　on　the　relations　of　the　land　with　Poland　and　the
Tartars　of　the　Crimea。　The　Czar　complained　of　the　ill…treatment
to　which　his　envoy　was　subjected　by　the　Khan。　The　superior
clergy；　whose　answer　alone　has　been　preserved；　insisted　on　the
necessity　of　building　fortresses　on　the　Southern　boundaries　of
the　Moscovite　empire；　in　those　cities　of　the　Ukraine；　which　like
Belgorod　or　Voroneg；　remained　for　centuries　the　pioneers　of
Christianity　and　culture　in　the　southern　steppes　of　Russia；　and
which　were　periodically　plundered　by　the　Tartars。
　　　　Two　years　later　the　military　occupation　of　Asov　by　the
Cossacks　of　the　Don　and　the　impending　necessity　of　a　war　with　the
Crimean　Tartars　for　the　preservation　of　the　conquest；　caused　a
new　Sobor　to　be　convened。　This　Assembly　was　in　favour　of　war　and
accordingly　ordered　the　levy　of　military　forces；　〃even　from　the
villages　belonging　to　the　crown　land　and　the　lands　of　the
clergy。〃　In　1642　matters　concerning　the　fortress　of　Asov　again
became　the　immediate　cause　of　a　new　assembling　of　the　Russian
Estates。　As　the　Turks　had　no　intention　of　leaving　Asov　in　the
hands　of　the　Cossacks；　who　were　not　able　to　hold　it　themselves；
the　question　of　annexing　it　to　the　Russian　state　suggested　itself
to　the　Government；　though　it　involved　the　risk　of　incurring　the
responsibility　of　a　new　and　almost　imminent　war。　The　Czar　finding
it　necessary　to　know　the　feeling　of　the　nation；　summoned　one
hundred　and　ninety…five　persons　elected　by　the　Estates；　besides
the　Douma　or　Privy　Council　and　the　superior　clergy；　to　Moscow。
Nearly　all　classes　of　society　sent　representatives；　each　class
gave　its　opinion　or　advice　separately　on　papers　bearing　the
signatures　of　all　the　members　of　the　same　Estate；　while　the
dissentients　sent　in　their　opinions　on　separate　and　private
papers。
　　　　The　superior　clergy；　faithful　to　their　old　habits；　assured
the　Czar　that　they　were　quite　unable　to　advise　him　on　the
question；　it　was　not；　they　said；　their　custom　to　do　So；　for　it
was　the　Business　of　the　Czar　and　his　Douma；　their　sole　duty　was
to　invoke　God's　blessing　on　the　Czar's　undertakings。　Should　the
Czar；　however；　want　military　aid；　they　declared　themselves　ready
to　make　the　necessary　sacrifices　in　order　to　pay　the　soldiers；
and　that　according　to　their　means。　The　majority　of　the　Moscovite
nobility　expressed　themselves　in　favour　of　annexation。　The　Czar
ought　to　hold　the　newly　acquired　fortress；　but　he　should　merely
order　the　Cossacks　to　continue　their　occupation　of　it。　Volunteers
alone　ought　to　be　necessary　to　give　help　and　assistance。　Some
advised　that　soldiers　should　Be　sent　to　Asov；　not　only　from　the
cities　of　the　Ukraine；　but　even　from　Moscow。　All　sorts　of　men；
with　the　exception　of　serfs　and　such　as　had　lost　their　liberty
through　not　having　paid　their　debts；　ought　to　be　selected　for
that　purpose。　If　money　were　wanted；　each　Estate　ought　to　nominate
two　or　three　persons　whom　the　Czar　might　authorise　to　levy
subsidies　from　all　persons　and　goods；　from　officers　（prikasnii）
and　the　Czar's　suite；　from　widows　and　orphans；　from　〃hosts〃　and
merchants；　and　from　each　and　every　person　not　engaged　in　military
service。
　　　　Some　of　the　nobility；　amongst　others　those　of　Vladimir；
simply　promised　to　obey　the　Czar's　orders；　pointing　at　the　same
time　to　the　miserable　state　of　their　cities　and　country；　which
they　said　was　wellknown　to　the　Czar　and　to　the　boyars　of　his
Douma。　Much　more　peremptory　was　the　advice　given　by　the　local
nobility　of　certain　larger　cities；　such　as　Sousdal；　Juriev　（the
modern　Dorpat）；　Novgorod；　and　Rostov。　They　were　of　opinion　that
the　surrender　of　Asov　would　bring　down　the　wrath　of　God：　〃The
Czar　cannot　leave　in　the　hands　of　the　infidels；〃　said　they；　〃the
holy　images　of　John　the　Baptist　and　of　St。　Nicholas。〃　If　the　army
wanted　victuals　they　might　be　taken　out　of　the　magazines
belonging　to　the　cities　of　the　Ukraine。　Military　aid　could　be
given　from　Moscow　and　the　expenses　for　the　victualling　of　the
army　ought　to　be　laid　upon　the　whole　land；　without　exception。
Complaining　of　the　great　quantity　of　land　given　in　benefices　to
the　boyars　and　of　the　large　amount　of　money　got　by　bribes　and
extortions　by　the　officers　of　the　State　（prikasnii）；　who
afterwards　invested　it　in　vast　buildings　and　palaces；　the
burgesses　insisted　on　the　necessity　of　laying　part　of　the　burden
of　the　future　war　on　the　shoulders　of　that　class；　and　of　obliging
them　to　arm　the　soldiers；　they　maintained；　moreover；　that　their
fortunes　should　be　taxed　like　those　of　all　other　classes　of　the
State。　The　same　measures　ought　also　to　be　taken　with　the　clergy；
the　bishops　and　abbots　being　equally　called　on　to　equip　warriors；
according　to　the　number　of　serfs　they　possessed。　The　Czar　ought
to　issue　an　ukase；　stating　the　number　of　serfs　a　soldier　ought　to
possess；　or　rather　the　proportion　existing　between　the　number　of
his　serfs　and　the　service　required　of　him。　This　proportion　should
be　strictly　maintained　in　future；　and　those　who　had　not　serfs
enough　ought　to　receive　new　gifts　of　serfs　from　the　government。
Money　for　purposes　of　war；　they　also　insisted；　might　be　taken　out
of　the　treasuries　of　the　Patriarch　and　the　monasteries。
　　　　The　lower　nobility；　or　what　is　the　same　thing；　the　men…of…war
of　the　cities　of　Toula；　Kolomna；　Serpouchov；　Riazan；　Kalouga；
etc。；　were　even　more　precise　in　their　demands　that　the　proportion
of　military　service　should　tally　with　the　number　of　serfs　which
each　man…of…war　or　knight　possessed。　Those　who　had　over　fifty
serfs　ought　to　serve　without　pay；　and　also　contribute　to　the
expenses　of　the　war　by　supplying　food　to　the　army；　whist　those
who　had　not　more　than　fifty　ought　to　be　free　from　the　latter
obligation。
　　　　If　we　turn　our　attention　to　the　〃written　opinions〃　given　in
by　the　members　of　the　third　estate；　we　find　them　complaining　of
the　miserable　state　into　which　they　had　recently　fallen；　partly
because　all　the　commerce　of　Moscow　was　in　the　hands　of
foreigners；　and　partly　because　of　the　oppression　of　the　voivodes；
or　Governors　of　provinces；　who　had　superseded　the　freely　elected
heads　of　districts　（the　goubnii　starosti　of　the　sixteenth
century）。　The　delegates　of　the　hosts　and　merchants　of　Moscow
nevertheless　insist　on　the　necessity　of　holding　Asov；　pointing
out　at　the　same　time　that　they　receive　no　lands　from　the　Crown；
and　have　more　trouble　than　profit　in　the　levying　of　taxes　and
excise　duties；　and　generally　suggesting　to　the　Czar　the
impossibility　of　increasing　their　payments。
　　　　The　〃memorial〃　of　the　hundredmen　and　headmen　of　the　black
hund