Catharine was rejoiced, Europe sang paeans--the
serfs waited.
She seemed to go further: she issued a decree prohibiting the
enslavement of serfs. But unfortunately the palace intrigues, and the
correspondence with the philosophers, and the destruction of Polish
nationality left her no time to see the edict carried out. But Europe
applauded--and the serfs waited. Two years after this came a deed which
put an end to all this uncertainty. An edict was prepared ordering the
peasants of Little Russia to remain forever on the estates where the day
of publication should find them. This was vile; but what followed was
diabolic. Court pets were let into the secret. These, by good promises,
enticed hosts of peasants to their estates. The edict was now sprung; in
an hour the courtiers were made rich, the peasants were made serfs, and
Catharine II was made infamous forever. So, about a century after Peter,
a wave of wrong rolled over Russia that not only drowned honor in the
nobility, but drowned hope in the people.
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