登陆注册
5382300000135

第135章 CHAPTER XX(7)

If the term is to be used at all, it must be applied to a group of families which cluster around the Court and form the highest ranks of the Noblesse. This social aristocracy contains many old families, but its real basis is official rank and general culture rather than pedigree or blood. The feudal conceptions of noble birth, good family, and the like have been adopted by some of its members, but do not form one of its conspicuous features. Though habitually practising a certain exclusiveness, it has none of those characteristics of a caste which we find in the German Adel, and is utterly unable to understand such institutions as Tafelf鋒igkeit, by which a man who has not a pedigree of a certain length is considered unworthy to sit down at a royal table. It takes rather the English aristocracy as its model, and harbours the secret hope of one day obtaining a social and political position similar to that of the nobility and gentry of England. Though it has no peculiar legal privileges, its actual position in the Administration and at Court gives its members great facilities for advancement in the public service. On the other hand, its semi-

bureaucratic character, together with the law and custom of dividing landed property among the children at the death of their parents, deprives it of stability. New men force their way into it by official distinction, whilst many of the old families are compelled by poverty to retire from its ranks. The son of a small proprietor, or even of a parish priest, may rise to the highest offices of State, whilst the descendants of the half-mythical Rurik may descend to the position of peasants. It is said that not very long ago a certain Prince Krapotkin gained his living as a cabman in St. Petersburg!

It is evident, then, that this social aristocracy must not be confounded with the titled families. Titles do not possess the same value in Russia as in Western Europe. They are very common--

because the titled families are numerous, and all the children bear the titles of the parents even while the parents are still alive--

and they are by no means always associated with official rank, wealth, social position, or distinction of any kind. There are hundreds of princes and princesses who have not the right to appear at Court, and who would not be admitted into what is called in St.

Petersburg la societe, or indeed into refined society in any country.

The only genuine Russian title is Knyaz, commonly translated "Prince." It is borne by the descendants of Rurik, of the Lithuanian Prince Ghedimin, and of the Tartar Khans and Murzi officially recognised by the Tsars. Besides these, there are fourteen families who have adopted it by Imperial command during the last two centuries. The titles of count and baron are modern importations, beginning with the time of Peter the Great. From Peter and his successors about seventy families have received the title of count and ten that of baron. The latter are all, with two exceptions, of foreign extraction, and are mostly descended from Court bankers.*

Besides these, there are of course the German counts and barons of the Baltic Provinces, who are Russian subjects.

There is a very common idea that Russian nobles are as a rule enormously rich. This is a mistake. The majority of them are poor. At the time of the Emancipation, in 1861, there were 100,247

同类推荐
  • 周易参同契

    周易参同契

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 高力士外传

    高力士外传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • WILD SONGS

    WILD SONGS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 阿难问事佛吉凶经

    阿难问事佛吉凶经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Malefactor

    The Malefactor

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 蔡屋围

    蔡屋围

    有人认为,蔡屋围是深圳的二奶,虽然出身不好,却真实地存在着,谁也抹不掉。陈思年便是蔡屋围当年的村民,农村城市化后的特区居民。我们这件事情发生在陈思年做了安然后妈的第七年。这一天的黄昏,安然的录取通知书,从半空中飘进陈思年的眼帘,陈思年激动得说不出话,她感觉再等上一小会儿,自己就会爆炸或倒在地上。她想让自己眼泪畅快地流,因为安然在她这个后妈的培养之下,修成正果,上了大学,可以免除安大山的后顾之忧,再也不用担心安然将来没有饭吃,没有好生活了。尽管医生在前几分钟还劝过她不要激动,因为眼下她还躺在医院的病床上。可陈思年能不兴奋吗?
  • 无敌升级系统

    无敌升级系统

    【玄幻系统,日更万字!】修炼升级不愁,做任务,杀人,抽奖,等级瞬间飙升!再难修炼的武技神通,到了哥的手里分分钟就能变顶级!啥?好感度达到95还能开启双修啪啪啪系统?混沌浩瀚,位面无穷,季晨携带命运系统踏上强者之路,少年轻狂,霸道绝伦,头枕日月,脚踏星河,左手搂圣女,右手抱魔女,试问宇宙星空之下,谁敢与我一战?
  • 做个富人

    做个富人

    本套丛书涵盖了人类取得成功的所有主、客观因素,分析成功规律性的原理,使成功学这种看似玄秘深奥的学问变成具体的可操作的方式方法。本套丛书无论从编撰体系还是引经博典,行文中体现成功的可操作性和实用性。成功学大师卡耐基说过:所谓成功学又是一门“经济的哲学”。本套丛书的目的不仅是帮助人们寻找最佳成功的方式方法,更重要的是帮助读者建立完善人格,享受丰富广博的知识。
  • 厨妃

    厨妃

    成为名厨一直是她的希冀,本该享受成名的喜悦之际,她却因一时八卦看人跳楼而活活垫底而魂归西天!当她从混沌中醒来,发现自己穿越为被打得遍体鳞伤12岁无名哑Y头!*优质桃花男,轻扬唇片,慢条斯理的挥着筷子,对着满桌的美食大放阙词:“这食物是人吃的吗?看,这豆芽…这通心菜…你以为它们是你啊!”某女恶汗,杏目圆瞪的睨着他把满桌的菜肴快速的塞进肚子…雍容华贵的他,微微的瞪了瞪仍杵在圆桶旁的她片刻,悠然自得的宽衣解带:“现在的蚊子真是明目张胆啊!”尔后,优雅一笑,倾尽天下!某女猛得张红脸蛋,死鸡撑饭盖:“我只是想知道白嫩豆腐是如何炼成的而已…”话没说完,人影无踪。气得某男咬牙切齿!可爱的娃娃脸猛得一扑,兴致勃勃的嚷嚷:“我也要…我也要…”某女力撑不开他,便使劲全力一脚踢飞他!尔后,她拍拍手,继续洗羹做饭去!风尘翻滚,烽烟正直,铁蹄踏遍,尸横遍野!长发随风而起,黑衣翩然成翼,殷红染满大地。“我是你的妃,永远也是你的妃!如果爱我,你就马上走!走!”坚定的语气,决然的神情,深情掩埋在黝黑的眸子中…风吹过,风尘在前方飞舞…*他睿智从容,雍容华贵,天生俊美。他冷漠孤高,刚毅冷静,英气逼人。他妖冶妩媚,狡猾异常,八面玲珑。他脾气古怪,足智多谋,内敛深沉。他冷漠孤傲,心狠手辣,单纯细腻。他深沉多计,行事果断,温文尔雅。她是如何强悍,让众美男为她而痴狂?*七国风云,七国情。秦世子,宁爱美人不爱江山。齐守卫,生死相随,为君牡丹开一身。楚悍将,敢爱敢恨,却空留独影对明月。燕名相,追逐一生,竟是清风两袖。赵神医,欲爱不能,拂风远去。韩少主,抛旧我,舍命陪君子。魏商贾,情深缘浅,落花满地。滚滚红尘,烽烟四起,铁蹄踏遍天涯,残月空留冷寂。七国尘土,为谁染红?*走过路过的亲,千万别错过哦!收藏、留言、票票、花花、钻石、鸡蛋(最好就少啦)……偶全都稀罕哦!谢谢支持偶的亲!
  • 请缨日记

    请缨日记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 总裁我们结婚吧

    总裁我们结婚吧

    为了让唯一的亲人安心,她急于把自己嫁了。一场相亲,他娶了一个比自己小十三岁的丫头。她连恋爱都没谈过,单纯的像一张白纸。以为结婚就是洗衣服做饭过日子,可他却说自己不想老来得子,得抓紧时间快快当爹?
  • 影帝家的喵星人

    影帝家的喵星人

    姓名:苗杏仁。绰号:杏仁糖、喵星人。目前身份:猫。毛色:杏仁色。饲主:敖澈。居住地:主人的帽子、口袋、床上的枕头。技能:卖萌装死。
  • 本宫所向披靡

    本宫所向披靡

    传说那位一手遮天的长公主也曾对一人求而不得正经权谋文案四国鼎立,天下四分蜀国皇帝久病不起,太子未立,皇子内斗最终由皇帝最宠爱的长公主监国,垂帘听政…………可谁又能肯定,那位长公主就不想坐上龙椅呢诡计多端(划掉)心系家国腹黑长公主×清风朗月深情右丞相
  • 影后归来,楚少的神秘小娇妻

    影后归来,楚少的神秘小娇妻

    五年前,溪玥是楚逸尧身后怎么也甩不掉的的小尾巴,五年后,楚逸尧对待溪玥死缠烂打。宠着她,惯着她,做她的后盾。在这场名为爱情的游戏里,他追她逃,可终究抵不过命运的羁绊,将两人紧紧的拴在一起。
  • 谁的等待不复存在

    谁的等待不复存在

    推荐新书《沈先生今天又作死了》小虐大甜年少的我们都是赌徒,拿青春赌一场不知道有没有结果的爱情,若你足够幸运便会赢,若你不够幸运,那么这么多年的青春便是错付了。叶希到现在都不知道她有没有赌对,因为那名叫苏醒的少年爱过她,但是那个叫苏醒的男人却抛弃了她,原来我是你年少的喜欢,也是你之后权衡利弊可以丢掉的东西……所谓喜欢,隔山隔海都不怕,只怕那个人对你已经是放弃了。以前以为只要喜欢就可以了,现在才知道,喜欢是最廉价的东西。我很好,所以我祝你余生也很好,我们就此别过,余生各自安好。