most sacred of our goods, the gift we hold from God!
Above all authorities, the laws that are transmitted by tradition have seemed to me most important. But now they are insignificant, because this one commandment, "Knead thy bread," etc, has filled my heart and mind.
It will result, if it is promulgated, in depriving the priests of bread; for now they eat it without laboring, and no one dare reproach them with their idleness. But then, every one will cast this truth in their face.
141. When I left my manuscript after having transcribed the preceding article (for I have taken six months to copy my work at odd moments), they came to ask us to lend bread to the city of Krasmoïarsk. The inhabitants of our village—veritable Jews—had by a vote taken in the communal assembly, accorded fifty- measures of wheat to the magazine of the Mir.[1] Why have they given so little? "Because the mare has eaten all the bread."[2]
Several persons congratulated the man who took the initiative in this proposition; but many were angry "Fifty measures! fifty measures! But that is only twenty pounds to each house.
- ↑ Or communal magazine, where each household should contribute, for the use of the indigent, the tenth part of its harvest.
See, on this subject, A. Leroy-Beaulieu, Religion in Russia. Revue des Deux-Mondes, Sept. 15, 1888. 1° 423.
- ↑ Russian proverb. It is a pretext employed to evade giving this alms.
