42
AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE.
monastic institutions were declared to be useless, and their
lands forfeited to defray the expenses of the state. The
Prussian government, however, did not expel the sister-
hood and hang them as useless vagabonds, like the
said Henry, but allowed the last members of the rich
“ Stift ” decent pensions, and their abbess the enjoyment
of her princely honours until her death, which occurred
a short time since. Across this square at Essen, therefore,
the peasants might for a long time be seen trooping to pay
in money what in former times was levied in kind—the
first-fruits or rent of the land ; and although many praisers
of the good old times lamented the change that an English
artist has commemorated in his picture of the courtyard
of Croyland Abbey, still the Germans live too near the
reality of that picture, and know too much of its back-
ground, to wish to return to its epoch. The lay impro-
priators brought with them well-defined contracts, which
the spirit of the times and of the Prussian administration
were alike willing to adhere to, and to interpret favourably
for the peasant. But while the services, as part of the old
contract, were thus modified, the suit (a word borrowed
by Norman lawyers from the French, to signify the duty
offollowing the lord to the field) became also more clearly
defined, and eventually included every male subject,
without regard to property or other distinctions. The
gathering of the vassals upon an emergency to do battle in
the cause of the lord of the soil, has given way to the an-
nual conscription, and to the spring and autumnal military
manoeuvres. The personal bickerings of jealous neighbours
have been superseded by the policy which prevents all
probability of war except upon the largest scale ; but if
AGRICULTURE OX THE RHINE.
43
the landowner be not altogether freed from the chances of
this greater evil, it is a benefit fully recognised on all
sides that the smaller calamity is effectually removed.
Even the chance of a European war is now nearly
reduced to the display of the means required to check the
periodical ebullitions of one restless power, by whom
central Europe is kept in a state of continual alarm. The
Prussians have almost solely to thank their French neigh-
bours for the immense military establishment that is
supported by the devotion of the people to their king
and their national institutions. Every man is enrolled
between the age of eighteen and forty, cither in the stand-
ing army or the militia, the first draft of which, comprising
men from twenty-five to thirty-five years of age, forms
the military strength of the nation. This arrangement
has been sneered at by superficial tourists ; but they have
not told us by what other means M. Thiers would have
been prevented from invading Germany in 1840. The
French minister had then a good opportunity of executing
a “coup” at sea, where he was well prepared. He was
prevented from attempting it by the imposing attitude
maintained by 400,000 Prussians and as many Austrians,
well equipped, with horses and artillery in abundance.
Again a change comes over the spirit of our dream,
and the edicts of the ministers Stein and IIardenberg not
only recognise the ownership of the soil in the peasant’s
hands, but allow him to redeem, at a moderate valuation,
all dues and services, w'hether in labour, in kind, or in
money. The advantage of this somewhat violent release
from dependence must be tested by two standards : first,
the tendency to abuse the position of the landlord towards
his dependent cultivator; secondly, the advantage at-