When I visited Edwahlen, the family of the proprietor were absent on their travels. " They rob you of many a poimd of butter and flour by travelling, do they not ?" said I to an old peasant with whom I had entered into conversation ; " and no doubt you have more to pay and to suffer when your master is travelling far away from you." " Why, sir," said the old man, " I don't think it does any harm for our masters to visit foreign countries. They see the freedom of other peasants, and if they have been severe they come back mdder, and try to ameliorate our condition. Those gentlemen who always remain at home learn nothing but hunting and playing cards, and that wastes more money than traveUing. But we dont like them to remain too long, for we like better to be ruled by our own lords and fathers than by their substitutes." I was surprised to find these sensible and independent feelings in a serf concerning the conduct of his master. I have often since had opportunities of observing the sound philosophy of the Lettes, whom we very falsely imagine sunk in the lowest depths of slavish apathy, and of admiring the general clearness of their views, particularly with regard to their relation to their lords.
I visited the pastor of Edwahlen, an amiable and sensible man, who received me with all the open hospitality of tlie country, and who has since become one of my truest friends. The pastors here are mostly foreigners, or the children of foreigners, who are "imported" or "bespoken" by the nobles as tutors and teachers, and who, after learning the language of the country, usually exchange the pedagogue's chair, which is seldom quite free from thorns, for the pulpit, wliich is always well lined and cushioned. In fact, it would be difficult to find a German country where the clergymen lead so pleasant a life. Their appointment indeed depends entirely on their patrons ! but when once appointed they are tolerably independent, can only be displaced by a consistorium, and have small endowments quite independent of the nobility. These endowments are generally sufficient to support the pastor and maintain his household very comfortably. They are little separate estates, with their own serfs, and their own independent jurisdiction. These parsonage lands lie at a little distance from the nobleman's estate to which they belong, and every great domain has its little dependency of parsonage lands attached to it.
The parsonages are regarded as little communities in themselves, the pastors dating their letters and documents, " Pastoral Edwahlen" — Pastoral Hasenpoth — Pastoral Grobin, &c. The principal income of a minister is derived from his lands. They have seldom fixed stipends, and the only actual money they receive, are the copeks and small coins brought them at christenings, sacraments, &c. They sometimes, to eke out their means, go on what are called praying journeys to the huts of the peasants^ who make them small presents of flax, eggs, cloth, butter, fowls, &c. ; the peasants also bring some present with them whenever they visit their pastor. These prayer journeys, which are certainly rather unworthy of the dignity of a Christian apostle, are becoming less and less usual.
The political situation of the clergymen, and their relation to the nobihty, remain to be considered. They form a peculiar caste and liierarchy among themselves, and as such are in opposition to the nobility. As preachers of the gospel, as cultivated and Christian men, they ought to be the salt of the land, and should everywhere act as mediators between tlie poor and their masters; in many respects they fulfil these duties, and effect nmch by mild opposition to the nobles. This collision of classes, however, does not prevent the friendship of individuals. The pastors of the different districts may generally be found constant visiters and trusted friends at the castles of the nobility. The pastors are the authors, the antiquaries, the book-collectors, the historians, and the linguists of the country ; and almost every one has some branch, or at least some twig, of learning, which he cultivates with great diligence. In general, however, they are not so learned as the clergymen of Germany. Every Sunday, without exception, a sermon is preached in the Lettish language, and every month, as well as on festival days, an additional one in German. Every time also that a very large part of the congregation is German, a German .sermon is preached. On great festival days the preachers have not a little to do, as their districts are generally very large and populous, and the distribution of the sacrament alone, to a congregation of 700 or 1000 persons, is no easy work.