Houses that contribute to the War in 884000 Money,

Houses that contribute towards Carriages} 424000

and Provifions,

Houses 1,308,000

Souls.

Which are at a medium of five Per-} 6,540,000

fons to a House, make

I have feen another by which the Empire was divided into eighty-four Parts, for raifing the Czar's Fleet in 1697:

Thefe Calculatious comprehend all the Muscovites and their feveral Colonies from Chioff to China, and the Ice Sea.

As the Ground lies in moft Parts untilled, and the Improvement of every Gentleman's Revenue is the Number of his Peafants, or Subjects; it has been the old Maxim of the Muscovite Officers in all their fuccessful Wars to carry off as many of the People as they could, and plant them on their own Estates: Several

Several Towns on the Wolga, are the Fruits of their former Expeditions in Poland, and Lithuania; and they have at prefent drained above one third of the Inhabitants from Ingria and Livonia, and fettled. whole Villages of them in the Southern Parts towards Veronitz, who finding their new Slavery eafier than their old, the Earth more fruitful, and the Climate more gentle, would, I believe, never return back, though left at Liberty; an irreparable Lofs to the King of Sweden, if ever those Provinces fhould return to their former Mafter. Ingria has in fome Measure been re-peopled by Colonies of Mufcovites: Most of the great Families now in being are of foreign Extraction; as the Galliczyns, Apraxins, Narefkins, &c. from Poland; the Circafkys from Tartary; and the Czar prides himself in a Prussian Original.

They are divided into three Ranks, the Nobility, called KNEAS; the Gentry, called DuoRNINS, and the PEASANTS.

Degrees

Nobility.

The KNEAS, or Dukes, were anciently Heads of the little Governments into which this Country was divided, but were all fubdued in Time by the Princes of Volodomir, who tranflated their Refidence to Mofco, and took upon them the Title of WELIKI KNEAS, or Great Duke: The Races of these Families ftill retain their ancient Title, and feveral Poles tranfplanted thither, as they became confiderable, affumed the fame Mark of Diftinction, on Pretence of being defcended from

their

their WAYWODES, or Palatines. This Title is dif

ferently refpected, according to the Revenue or Employment of the Perfon; for those Dukes who fub- . mitted on Condition, and received Eftates in Exchange for their petty Sovereignties, ftill continue in fome Splendor; others have raised themselves again, by their civil or military Service, while the reft are reduced to the lowest Poverty and Contempt: And two Years ago, there were near three hundred Kneas common Soldiers in Prince Menzicoff's Regiment of Dragoons. To remedy the Confufion of this Title, the Czar has begun fince his Progrefs to make fome Alterations: His late firft Minifter Golowin, and General Gordon, were made Counts by the Emperors Alexander Menzicoff his Favourite, was made Prince of the Empire, four Years ago: But the Czar's Ambition increafing with his Succefs, he thought of beftowing his own Honours, and foon after created Prince Menzicoff Duke of Ingria. When Monfieur Golofkin, his present first Minifter and Great Chancellor, was made a Count by the Emperor, he received foon after the fame Title from the Czar, who has fince made his High Admiral Apraxin, and Lord Privy-feal Sotoff, both Counts, without any Recourfe to the Imperial Court, and defigns by Deegrees to introduce the Title of Baron's and Knights; he has already inftituted an Order of Knighthood in Honour of St. Andrew, who wear a blue Ribband and Star in Imitation of the Garter.

The

The DUORNINS are Country Gentlemen, moft

whereof hold their Lands by Knights Ser- Gentry.

vice, to appear in War on Horse-back;

formerly it was fufficient to send a Man well armed and mounted, but the present Czar makes them of their Sons ferve in Perfon, if they cannot buy Intereft enough with his Minifters to be excufed: When they appear in the Field, they are not allowed a Servant, though they may be Mafters of fome hundred Peasants, and are obliged to do all the Duties of common Soldiers; but their greatest Mortification is, that fuch of their Peasants as will but lift Volunteers, are immediately declared Freemen, and: in equal confideration with their Mafters, though; the point of Honour has not yet prevailed fo far, as to give many Inftances of this Nature. Such of the Duornins as live on their Eftates, and are far from Mofco, are at much ease, and give themselves great Airs, though they are again as humble and fubmiffive to the chief Nobility and Officers; for this Country is the perfect Model of Bayes's Grand-dance, where every one has his Share of Slavery and Worship; except

Peasants.

The PEASANTS, who are perfect Slaves, fubject to the arbitrary Power of their Lords, and transferred with Goods and Chattles; they can call nothing their own, which makes them very lazy, and when their Master's Task is done, and a little Bread and Firing provided for the Year, the

great

great Bufiuefs of their Life is over, the rest of their Time being idled or flept away, and yet they live content, a couple of earthen Pots, a wooden Platter, wooden Spoon, and Knife, are all their Houfhold Goods; their Drink is Water; their Food Oatmeal, Bread, Salt, Mushrooms, and Roots, on great Days a little Fifh, or Milk, if it is not a Faft; but Flesh very rarely; thus mere Custom in them fhames the pretended Aufterities of Philofophy and false Devotion, and fits them admirably for the Fatigues, of War, which, if once familiar by Ufe and Discipline, will certainly advance far in a People, who go as unconcerned to Death, or Torments, and have as much paffive Valour as any Nation in the World.

Their Religion is the Eaftern or Greek Church, ftill more corrupted by Ignorance and SuReligion. perftition; they think to fatisfy the second Commandment by allowing no carved Images, but their Churches are filled with miferable

Images. Paintings without Shade or Perfpective, and yet fome of thofe Dawbings, as well as the finer Strokes of the Italian Pencils, are faid to be the Work of Angels; particularly a celebrated Piece of the Virgin Mary with three Hands, which is preferved in the Monaftery of Jerufalem, about thirty Miles from Mofco: The Refpect paid to thefe Pictures is the groffeft kind of Idolatry, and Worship. makes up a principal Part of their Devotion; to these they bow and crofs themselves; every Child has its own Patron Saint allotted him at Baptifm,

and