Copy 1, Volume 1

View of the Russian Empire during the reign of Catharine the Second, and to the close of the present century / By William Tooke.

  • William Tooke
Date:
1799
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: View of the Russian Empire during the reign of Catharine the Second, and to the close of the present century / By William Tooke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and almoft inacceflible to the inveflipations of the ordinary traveller. Here vagrant hordes of people, who, entirely addicted to the paftoral life, roam from place to place, fhunning the focial manners of towns and villages, negligent of agriculture, and leaving uncultivated and almoft in a defert-ftate vaft tracts of land bleffed with the moft favourable foil and the moft happy tempe- rature of feafons : there, peafants, and even in many places inhabitants of towns, flaves to a thoufand prejudices, languifhing in bondage to the moft ftupid fuperftitions; brought up, be- fides, in the fevereft fervitude, and, being accuftomed to obey by no other means than blows, are forced to fubmit to the harfheft treat- ment: none of thofe affectionate admonitions, thofe prudent and impelling motives, which wfually urge mankind to action, make any im- preffion on their degraded minds ; they reluct- antly labour the fields of a hard matter, and ftudioufly conceal from his knowledge thofe riches which fome accident, fo defirable in other countries, fhould haye led them to difcover ; as they would only augment the number of their toils and the heavinefs of their yoke. Hence - that carelefs contempt for the treafures prefented them by Nature, and the neglect of thofe bounties fhe
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