lecture v-第3章

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limiting　the　principle　of　autocracy。　The　Sobor；　which　was　called
together　according　to　his　wish；　was　widely　different　from　the
ideal　of　a　truly　National　Assembly。　Of　the　457　members　who　were
present　at　its　sittings；　83　belonged　to　the　higher　clergy；　and
338　to　the　bureaucracy　and　the　higher　and　lower　nobility。　As　to
the　third　estate；　it　was　composed　of　only　21　hosts；　of　the　head
of　the　Guild　of　hosts　and　of　13　deputies　from　the　rural
districts。　This　assembly　was　presided　over　by　the　Patriarch；　the
Chief　of　the　Russian　clergy；and　unanimously　expressed　itself
favourable　to　Boris　Godounov；　to　whom　the　Russian　throne　was
offered　unconditionally。
　　　　Representatives　of　the　lower　classes　of　the　city　of　Moscow
appeared　in　1605　at　the　Sobor　to　which　the　false　Demetrius
entrusted　the　right　of　judging　the　boyar　and　future　Czar；
Basilius　Schouisky；　on　account　of　a　rebellion　which　he　had
instigated。　The　Sobor　condemned　Schouisky　to　death；　but　the　Czar
Demetrius　commuted　this　punishment　to　perpetual　banishment　to　the
City　of　Viatka；　whence　he　soon　returned　at　the　gracious　order　of
the　monarch。
　　　　The　Assembly　which　in　1606；　after　the　death　of　the　false
Demetrius；　elected　Schouisky　as　the　Czar　of　Russia；　was　not　a
Sobor　in　the　true　sense　of　the　word；　for　it　was　chiefly　composed
of　the　boyars。　The　Moscow　mob　nevertheless　sanctioned　the
election；　and　the　new　Czar　was　eagerly　proclaimed　at　the
so…called　〃read　place；〃　in　front　of　the　palace。
　　　　This　election　of　Schouisky　has　some　claim　to　our　attention；
as　it　was　the　first　at　which　constitutional　limits　were　imposed
on　Russian　autocracy。　The　newly　elected　Czar　had　no　immediate
relation　with　the　dynasty　of　Rurik；　and　was　but　the　equal　of　the
other　boyars。　He　was　known　to　be　vindictive　and　to　have　a　great
number　of　relations　and　friends　who　would　be　ready　enough　to　make
use　of　his　power　for　their　own　advantage。　All　this　induced　the
boyars　to　protect　their　own　interests　by　the　creation　of　rules
which　their　nominee　was　obliged　to　accept。　According　to
Strahlenberg；　the　well…known　author　of　the　〃historical　and
Geographical　Description　of　the　Northern　and　Eastern　parts　of
Europe　and　Asia〃　（a　book　written　in　German　and　published　at
Stockholm　in　the　year　1703）；　the　constitutional　limitations
imposed　were　as　follows：　〃No　new　law　was　to　be　made　and　no
innovations　were　to　be　introduced　in　the　old　legislation　without
the　consent　of　the　Douma。　（Strahlenberg　calls　it　senatus。）　No　new
contributions　were　to　be　levied　unless　previously　discussed　and
accepted　by　the　same　Council。〃（6*）　These　constitutional
limitations　as　you　may　easily　perceive；　were　exactly　the　same　as
those　established　in　England　by　the　Magna　Charta　and　the　statute
of　Edward　the　First；　de　tallagio　non　concedendo；　but　whilst　the
English　people　entrusted　the　care　of　their　liberty　to　the　lords；
gentlemen；　and　citizens　in　Parliament　assembled；　the　Russian
boyars　wanted　to　keep　to　themselves　the　exclusive　control　of　the
sovereign　power。　This　caused　the　failure　of　their　constitution；
and　was　the　chief　reason　why；　on　the　occasion　of　a　new　election；
the　control　of　the　Constitutional　compromise　entered　into　by　the
people　and　the　Czar；　was　no　longer　entrusted　to　the　Douma　of　the
boyars；　but　to　the　representative　Assembly　of　the　whole　nation　
that　is　to　the　Sobor。
　　　　Schouisky　reigned　only　a　few　years。　In　1610　he　lost　the　crown
by　the　decision　of　a　new　Assembly　which　assumed　the　title　of
Zemski　Sobor；　although　it　was　chiefly　composed　of　the　boyars　and
the　Moscow　mob。　This　took　place　in　the　middle　of　July。　A　month
later　a　treaty　was　signed　by　the　boyars　and　the　chief　of　the
Polish　army；　by　which　Vladislas；　son　of　Sigismund；　king　of
Poland；　was　called　to　the　throne　of　Russia。　Like　his　predecessor；
the　new　Czar　accepted　certain　constitutional　limitations；　amongst
others　that　of　administering　justice　according　to　the　existing
customs　and　the　rules　by　law　established。　No　alterations　in　the
latter　could　be　made；　except　with　the　consent　of　the　Council
（Douma）　of　〃the　whole　land。〃　These　last　words　meant　the　Zemski
Sobor；　the　States…General　or　Parliament　of　Russia。
　　　　I　shall　not　attempt　to　narrate　the　events　which　prevented　the
accession　of　a　Polish　and　Catholic　prince　to　the　throne　of
Russia。　It　will　be　enough　for　my　purpose　to　state　that　the　people
and　the　clergy　were　unanimous　in　their　dislike　to　this　foreign
and　〃heretical〃　ruler。　The　folkmotes；　or　veches；　not　only　in
Novgorod；　but　also　in　those　parts　where　they　had　hitherto　been
quite　unknown；　as　in　Kasan；　or　Nijni　Novgorod；　entered　into
correspondence　with　each　other；　local　militia　united；　and　an
army；　called　into　existence　by　the　patriotic　sentiments　of　simple
burgesses　like　Minin；　marched　from　Nijni　Novgorod　to　Moscow；
under　the　command　of　Pojarsky。　At　the　same　time　a　correspondence
was　begun　with　the　object　of　forming　a　new　Sobor；　which　was　to　be
a　really　representative　body；　composed　of　delegates　sent　by　all
the　estates。　The　writs　of　summons　sent　out　by　the　head　of　the
army；　Pojarsky；　have　fortunately　been　preserved；　so　that　we　can
get　a　clear　notion　of　what　was　meant　at　that　time　by　the　term
〃General　Council　of　the　land；〃　a　term　employed　more　than　once　in
the　documents　of　the　time。　Addressing　the　people　of　Poutivl　or　of
Wichegodsk；　the　commander…in…chief　insists　on　the　necessity　of
sending　to　Jaroslav；　the　place　selected　for　the　meeting　of　the
new　Assembly；　two　or　three　men　from　each　of　the　estates　（chinov）
of　the　nation。　From　Jaroslav　the　Sobor；　following　the　army；
removed　to　Moscow；　where　it　sat　in　common　with　the　boyars　of　the
council；　the　high　commission　of　the　clergy　（osviaschenini　Sobor）；
and　the　representatives　of　the　regular　and　irregular　military
forces；　that　is；　the　Strelzi　and　the　Cossacks。　It　was　this
Assembly　which　elected　Michael　Theodorovich　Romanov　to　be　Czar　of
Russia。
　　　　Before　proceeding　to　the　election　of　the　Czar；　the　Sobor
called　on　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　country　to　fast　for　three
consecutive　days。　It　then　passed　a　law；　due　mainly　to　the
influence　of　the　popular　section　of　the　Assembly；　prohibiting　the
election　of　any　foreign　prince。　The　nobility　would　have　had　no
objection　to　the　placing　of　a　Swedish　or　Polish　pretender　on　the
vacant　throne。　The　higher　and　lower　orders　differed　widely　as　to
the　man　they　wished　to　choose　from　among　the　Russian　boyars；　the
names　of　Golitzin；　Vorotinsky；　Troubezkoy；　and　even　that　of　the
dethroned　Basilius　Schouisky；　were；　for　a　time；　to　be　found　on
the　list　of　candidates　supported　by　the　nobility。　The　first　to
declare　himself　in　favour　of　the　young　Romanov　was　one　of　his
relations　named　Scheremetiev；　and　his　proposal　was　favourably
listened　to　by　the　lower　nobility；　the　Cossacks　and　the
burgesses。　His　election；　however；　was　so　unexpected　an　event　that
his　own　father；　a　bishop　then　closely　imprisoned　by　the　Poles；
was　the　first　to　suggest；　in　a　letter　written　to　Scheremetiev；
that　certain　constitutional　limits　should　be　imposed　On　the　power
of　the　future　Czar。　Strahlenberg（7*）　is　quite　correct　in　his
statement　that　the　idea　of　these　limitations　was　borrowed　from
Poland　where　already　in　the　middle　of　the　sixteenth　century；
under　Stephen　Bathory；　the　States…General；　or　Seim；　and　the
Council　possessed　considerable　rights。　The　reasons　which　operated
in　favour　of　the　young　Michael　Romanov　were；　first　of　all；　his
relationship　with　the　extinct　dynasty　of　Rurik　through　his　great
aunt；　Anastasia　Romanov；　who　was　one　of　the　wives　of　ivan　the
Terrible；　secondly；　the　small　number　of　relations　which　was
looked　upon　as　a　safeguard　against　further　depredations　on　the
demesne　lands　in　the　form　of　beneficiary　donations；　and　thirdly；
the　popularity　of　his　family；　which　had　been　persecuted　by　the
boyars　from　the　time　of　Boris　Godounov。　His　father；　Philarete；
who　had　been　forced　to　become　a　monk；　was　especially　endeared　to
the　nation　by　his　virtues；　he　had　attained　a　high　position　among
the　clergy；　having　been　made　Bishop　of　Jaroslav。
　　　　The　late　Patriarch　Germogen；　who　had　been　much　beloved　by　the
people；　had　also　been　favourably　disposed　towards　the　election　of
young　Romanov；　and　this　fact　contributed　greatly　to　secure　him
the　sympathy