ome when no longer under the authority of a master? If the profits
from farming were already small, what would they be when no one would
work without wages? And this was not the worst, for it was quite evident
from the circular that the land question was to be raised, and that a
considerable portion of each estate would be transferred, at least for a
time, to the emancipated peasants.

To the proprietors who looked at the question in this way the prospect
of Emancipation was certainly not at all agreeable, but we must not
imagine that they felt as English land-owners would feel if threatened
by a similar danger. In England a hereditary estate has for the family
a value far beyond what it would bring in the market. It is regarded as
one and indivisible, and any dismemberment of it would be looked upon
as a grave family misfortune. In Russia, on the contrary, estates
have nothing of this semi-sacred character, and may be at any
time dismembered without outraging family feeling or traditional
associations. Indeed, it is not uncommon that when a proprietor dies,
leaving only one estate and several children, the property is broken
up into fractions and divided among the heirs. Even the prospect of
pecuniary sacrifice did not alarm the Russians so much as it would alarm
Englishmen. Men who keep no accounts and take little thought for the
morrow are much less averse to making pecuniary sacrifices--whether for
a wise or a foolish purpose--than those who carefully arrange their mode
of life according to their income.

Still, after due allowance has been made for these peculiarities, it
must be admitted that the feeling of dissatisfaction and alarm was very
widespread. Even Russians do not like the prospect of losing a part
of their land and income. No protest, however, was entered, and no
opposition was made. Those who were hostile to the measure were ashamed
to show themselves selfish and unpatriotic. At the same time they knew
very well that the Emperor, if he wished, could effect the Emancipation
in spite of them, and that resistance on their part would draw down
upon them the Imperial displeasure, without affording any compensating
advantage. They knew, too, that there was a danger from below, so that
any useless show of opposition would be like playing with matches in a
powder-magazine. The serfs would soon hear that the Tsar desired to set
them free, and they might, if they suspected that the proprietors
were trying to fr