The Russian conquest altered all this. The different ranks of society were divided into two classes ; firstly, those who paid taxes, and were liable to be taken as recruits; and secondly, those whose privileges exempted them from both. The first are called Okladisten, the second Exempten. All the classes of society yet spoken of, the serfs, the Halbdeutschen, the Klein deutschen, and the deutschen Bilrger, belong to the Okladisten, that is, whenever they are naturalized, for as foreigners they remain exempt, though of course, at the same time, debarred from many rights appertaining to naturalized subjects. As all Okladisten are liable for certain offences to be punished by public flogging, all wealthy people try in some way or other to escape from this class, by obtaining either a diploma of nobility, or some office conferring the desired piivileges. The aristocracy, or Exempienj are again divided into Literaten and Adel. All clergyirAcn
368 ELEMENTS OF THE POPULATION.
and pastors, tog'ether with the physicians, lawyers, and professors, form the L,iteraten, as distinguished from the great landowners, or Adel. All the lAteraten are Germans. The pastors have generally been tutors who emigrated from Germany. At the very head of society, stand the formerly '■'■ Ilerren vom Adel."
The nobility of the diflPerent provinces are divided into four bodies or knightly colleges, those of Livonia, Esthonia, and Courland, and fourthly that of the Oesel islands, comprehending all the nobility of the Oesel Archipelago. No one can become a nobleman in the Baltic provinces, except he be chosen by one of these colleges. They have the right of refusing admission into their body even to Russian princes. Animated by the haughtiest esprit de corps, the nobles have often withheld the " Indigenat" from illustrious and distinguished men ; although, on the other hand, rich merchants and lawyers who happened to have powerful IViends among the " Adel," have often been received into their body. In the Swedish time many Swedish families, as those of Wrangel, Lowis, and Igelstrom, were incorporated ; and since the Russian conquest, several Russian grandees have been admitted. Almost every German country, Bavaria, Westphalia, Swabia, Saxony, Switzerland, &c., have their representatives among the nobiUty here ; though most of the races came originally from Westphalia and Lower Saxony.
Not only socially but geographically are the divisions of the population in these provinces very strongly marked. The inhabitants of Esthonia, Livonia, and Courland, have indeed, in language and manners, much in common, much that is characteristic of tlie German Baltic provinces of Russia ; but a more practised eye will discover much that is characteristic only of particular parts. The Livonian German is as difterent from the German of Courland, as the Saxon is from the Prussian, and the Bavarian from the Austrian, and they despise one another quite as intensely. Upon the whole the Livonian is considered as the most refined and cultivated, the Esthonian as the best soldier, and the Courlander as possessed of most natural ability. Even within each province, differences may be observed between the inhabitants of different parts ; and a practised eye and ear, for instance, can readily dlscoA^er whether a German of Courland comes from the neighbourhood of Libau or Mitau.
In comparison with the Germans, Lettes, and Esthonians, the other elements of the population, the Swedes, Poles, Jews, Gipsies, and Russians, are very insignificant. Of these, of course, the Russians are by far the most important. A few small islands, Wrangelsholm, Nargen, Worms, Runoe, &c., are inhabited by a race of Swedish origin, who preserve much of their original Swedish character. The nobility of Swedish origin have however become thoroughly Germanized.
The Poles are found occasionally in the towns, but they are few and scattered, and are completely lost among the rest of the population.
The gipsies wander homeless through Esthonia, Livonia, and Courland, as through other countries, and contlmie their old nomadic way of life, in spite of the severest laws agauist them! They are less numerous in Livonia than in Courland. They employ themselves nnich in the same way as in other countries, namely, as hoise-stealers, cattle-dealers, tinkci9, icc. They are in many eases still permitted to remain inuler the command of tliL'Ir own chiefs or gipsy kings, because they pay more rcsixH't
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to them than to any other authorities, and because these chiefs can be made responsible for the offences of their subjects. For instance, if a gipsy king is threatened with punishment for the thefts of his people, the offender is soon discovered.