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The Rise, Progress, and Present State of the Northern Governments; Viz. the United Provinces, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and Poland
The Rise Progress and Present State of the Northern Governments Viz the United Provinces Denmark Sweden Russia and Poland Author:John Williams General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1777 Original Publisher: T. Becket Subjects: Europe, Northern History / Europe / General History / Medieval Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition... more » of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAP. IV. Of the Laws, Cu/loms, and Policy of Rus si A, reflecting Agriculture Manufactures, and Commerce. WHOEVER reflects upon the ftate of Ruma before Peter the Firft afcended the throne, will be filled with amazement, when he fees or hears of the changes which this empire has undergone fince that aera, and how much it is divefted of its ancient ftate of ignorance and barbarifm. Towards the clofe of the laft century Ruffia was very little known in the Commercial World, and if the czar Peter the Firft had not by the force of his fuperior genius perceived the wants of his fubjects, and the great advantages that commerce would procure them, and with a refolution peculiar to himfelf refolved to fupply thofe wants, and to procure them thofe advantages even againft their inclination, they might to this day have remained in their ancient ftate of barbarifm. Before this great prince left his own territories, he was totally unacquainted with the laws and regulations of other ftates, as much in facl as his own fubjects were then, and as much as the Tartars are at prefent; but by travelling through foreign ftates he informed himfelf of the means which were necefl'ary to be adopted to render a ftate flouriming and to make his fubjects happy, to draw them out of their ignorance and indolence, and to excite emulation among them for trade and commerce, the only fure means whereby a nation can be exalted to true greatnefs and power. R r 2 The The liberty and encouragement likewife which this great prince ga...« less