his empire into forty-three
provinces, forming twelve governments each under a viceroy and deputy,
who were assisted by a council elected by the nobles.

The courts were crude and mediaeval, but not more so than in the west
of Europe. Justice, such as it was, was administered by the General
Police Inspector, and in large cities there was a police officer for
every ten houses. Servants who failed to keep the house front clean
were punished with the knout. Peter created the Bureau of Information,
a court of secret police, and thus inaugurated the terrible spy system
which still disgraces Russia.

The douma was abolished, and in its stead Peter created a "Directory
Senate," which could meet only in presence of the czar. It was
originally composed of nine members, but it was afterwards increased
and at last embraced the duties of the Grand Council, the High Finance
Committee, and the Supreme Court. A fair idea of the moral and mental
condition of Russia's high aristocracy, may be had from a rule made by
Peter, forbidding the Senators under severe penalties, while in
session "to cry out, to beat each other, or to call one another
thieves."

Peter's visits to the west, taught him the value of factories. He gave
every possible inducement to foreign capital and skill to come to
Russia, and patronized home industry wherever he could, as by
purchasing the uniforms for army and navy from recently established
mills. Some of his methods appear strange, as, for instance, when he
ordered every town in Russia to send a stipulated number of shoemakers
to Moscow, to learn their trade. Those who continued to work in (p. 168)
the old fashion, were severely punished. The czar would have met with
greater success, if he had not been hampered by the cupidity of the
officials, who found means to secure the lion's share of the profits.

Peter discarded the old Slavonic alphabet and introduced the one used
at present. St. Petersburg had four printing presses, Moscow two, and
there were also some at Novgorod, Tchernigof, and other large places.
The first newspaper in Russia, the _St. Petersburg Gazette_, was
founded by him. He established, in 1724, the Academy of Sciences, in
imitation of the institution of that name of Paris.

St. Petersburg was founded in 1703. It was far from a promising site
for a new capital, the dreary wastes, dark forests, and marshes where
wild ducks and geese found a favorite feeding place. It was exposed to
freq