chal conception of the family as a unit, one and
indivisible, was still so strong among these men that the elevation or
degradation of one member of a family was considered to affect deeply
the honour of all the other members. Each noble family had its rank in a
recognised scale of dignity, according to the rank which it held, or had
previously held, in the Tsar's service; and a whole family would have
considered itself dishonoured if one of its members accepted a post
lower than that to which he was entitled. Whenever a vacant place in
the service was filled up, the subordinates of the successful candidate
examined the official records and the genealogical trees of their
families, in order to discover whether some ancestor of their new
superior had not served under one of their own ancestors. If the
subordinate found such a case, he complained to the Tsar that it was not
becoming for him to serve under a man who had less family honour than
himself.

Unfounded complaints of this kind often entailed imprisonment or
corporal punishment, but in spite of this the quarrels for precedence
were very frequent. At the commencement of a campaign many such disputes
were sure to arise, and the Tsar's decision was not always accepted by
the party who considered himself aggrieved. I have met at least with one
example of a great dignitary voluntarily mutilating his hand in order
to escape the necessity of serving under a man whom he considered his
inferior in family dignity. Even at the Tsar's table these rivalries
sometimes produced unseemly incidents, for it was almost impossible
to arrange the places so as to satisfy all the guests. In one recorded
instance a noble who received a place lower than that to which he
considered himself entitled openly declared to the Tsar that he would
rather be condemned to death than submit to such an indignity. In
another instance of a similar kind the refractory guest was put on his
chair by force, but saved his family honour by slipping under the table!

The next transformation of the Noblesse was effected by Peter the
Great. Peter was by nature and position an autocrat, and could brook no
opposition. Having set before himself a great aim, he sought everywhere
obedient, intelligent, energetic instruments to carry out his designs.
He himself served the State zealously--as a common artisan, when he
considered it necessary--and he insisted on all his subjects doing
likewise, under pain of merciless