Sobor； the States…General or Parliament of Russia。
I shall not attempt to narrate the events which prevented the
accession of a Polish and Catholic prince to the throne of
Russia。 It will be enough for my purpose to state that the people
and the clergy were unanimous in their dislike to this foreign
and 〃heretical〃 ruler。 The folkmotes； or veches； not only in
Novgorod； but also in those parts where they had hitherto been
quite unknown； as in Kasan； or Nijni Novgorod； entered into
correspondence with each other； local militia united； and an
army； called into existence by the patriotic sentiments of simple
burgesses like Minin； marched from Nijni Novgorod to Moscow；
under the command of Pojarsky。 At the same time a correspondence
was begun with the object of forming a new Sobor； which was to be
a really representative body； composed of delegates sent by all
the estates。 The writs of summons sent out by the head of the
army； Pojarsky； have fortunately been preserved； so that we can
get a clear notion of what was meant at that time by the term
〃General Council of the land；〃 a term employed more than once in
the documents of the time。 Addressing the people of Poutivl or of
Wichegodsk； the commander…in…chief insists on the necessity of
sending to Jaroslav； the place selected for the meeting of the
new Assembly； two or three men from each of the estates （chinov）
of the nation。 From Jaroslav the Sobor； following the army；
removed to Moscow； where it sat in common with the boyars of the
council； the high commission of the clergy （osviaschenini Sobor）；
and the representatives of the regular and irregular military
forces； that is； the Strelzi and the Cossacks。 It was this
Assembly which elected Michael Theodorovich Romanov to be Czar of
Russia。
Before proceeding to the election of the Czar； the Sobor
called on all the inhabitants of the country to fast for three
consecutive days。 It then passed a law； due mainly to the
influence of the popular section of the Assembly； prohibiting the
election of any foreign prince。 The nobility would have had no
objection to the placing of a Swedish or Polish pretender on the
vacant throne。 The higher and lower orders differed widely as to
the man they wished to choose from among the Russian boyars； the
names of Golitzin； Vorotinsky； Troubezkoy； and even that of the
dethroned Basilius Schouisky； were； for a time； to be found on
the list of candidates supported by the nobility。 The first to
declare himself in favour of the young Romanov was one of his
relations named Scheremetiev； and his proposal was favourably
listened to by the lower nobility； the Cossacks and the
burgesses。 His election； however； was so unexpected an event that
his own father； a bishop then closely imprisoned by the Poles；
was the first to suggest； in a letter written to Scheremetiev；
that certain constitutional limits should be imposed On the power
of the future Czar。 Strahlenberg（7*） is quite correct in his
statement that the idea of these limitations was borrowed from
Poland where already in the middle of the sixteenth century；
under Stephen Bathory； the States…General； or Seim； and the
Council possessed considerable rights。 The reasons which operated
in favour of the young Michael Romanov were； first of all； his
relationship with the extinct dynasty of Rurik through his great
aunt； Anastasia Romanov； who was one of the wives of ivan the
Terrible； secondly； the small number of relations which was
looked upon as a safeguard against further depredations on the
demesne lands in the form of beneficiary donations； and thirdly；
the popularity of his family； which had been persecuted by the
boyars from the time of Boris Godounov。 His father； Philarete；
who had been forced to become a monk； was especially endeared to
the nation by his virtues； he had attained a high position among
the clergy； having been made Bishop of Jaroslav。
The late Patriarch Germogen； who had been much beloved by the
people； had also been favourably disposed towards the election of
young Romanov； and this fact contributed greatly to secure him
the sympathy of the clergy。 At the time of his election Michael
was but a boy of fifteen； and his father being a prisoner in
Magdeburgh； Scheremetiev and the members of his party looked upon
it as highly probable that the real government would pass into
their hands。
The Sovereign power which was offered to young Romanov was
far from being the same as that enjoyed by Ivan the Terrible。
Autocratic power had had to yield before the new theories of
constitutional limitations directly imported from Poland。 That
Michael had to sign a compromise is a fact briefly mentioned by
Russian eye…witnesses； such as Kotoschichin； as well as by
foreigners then residing in Russia。 The chronicles of the city of
Pskov speak of it in contemptuous terms。 It was not enough； say
they； for the boyars to have reduced the country to the miserable
state to which they had brought it。 They wanted to go on in the
same way of pillage and oppression； they had no regard for the
Czar； did not fear him on account of his youth； and all the more
so since they had induced him； at the time of his accession to
the throne； to take an oath； by which he renounced the right of
inflicting capital punishment on persons belonging to the higher
nobility。 Capital punishment was to be superseded by close
imprisonment。 No mention is made in the chronicles of any further
limitation of the Sovereign power of the Czar。
The well…known Kotoschichin； who was alive at the time；
speaking of the accession of the Czar Alexis； son of Michael
Romanov； notices the fact that； 〃contrary to the custom
established by his predecessor； the new Czar signed no charter by
which he undertook to inflict capital punishment only in
accordance with law and justice； and to consult the boyars and
men of the Douma on each and every question concerning the
government of the land； so that no decision might be come to
without their assent。〃 Although Kotoschichin speaks more
positively as to the constitutional character of the limitations
imposed on Russian autocracy in the first quarter of the
seventeenth century； we must notice the fact that he says nothing
of the part which the Sobor or Parliament was called upon to play
in this experiment in limited monarchy。 He mentions only the
boyars and the men of the Douma； not 〃those of the land；〃 a
phrase used at that time when speaking of the members of the
Zemski Sobor。
The Swedish writer； Fokkerodt； is more explicit when he
affirms that in the compromise signed by Michael； the young Czar
promised to give free course to the judicial proceedings of the
courts； so as to inflict no punishment on his own authority； to
introduce no new law without the consent of the Sobor； to abstain
from levying any tax without the consent of this representative
Assembly； and to begin no war without its counsel and
approbation。
As to Strahlenberg； his statement is as follows： Before the
coronation Michael was forced to accept the following conditions：
He promised to （1） uphold and protect the existing creed of
Russia； （2） to keep no memory of injuries inflicted on his
family； to forget and to forgive all past animosities； （3） He
took also the obligation to make no new laws or alter old ones；
and to take no important measure which might contradict the
existing laws； or suspend the legal proceedings of the court of
justice。 （4） He promised as well to begin no wars and to make no
peace by his own will。（8*）
This view of the power of the Sobor is confirmed by the fact
of its quasi…permanent presence at Moscow during the whole reign
of the first Romanov。 The laws and proclamations issued at that
time generally contain the following characteristic expression：
〃According to our order （oukas） and the decision of the whole
land （po vsei zemli prigovorou）。〃 The whole land cannot mean
anything else than the representatives in Parliament assembled。
Many important questions were discussed and settled by the
Sobor。 In the first years of the reign want of money obliged the
Czar more than once to have recourse to forced loans and
benevolences。 These were levied side by side with the regular
taxes on the goods of merchants and peasants （torgovii i soschnii
liudi）； the taxes received the consent of the Sobor； the
benevolences were endorsed by it。 The nomination of a new
Patriarch in 1619 was also their work。 The annals of the time
tell us that the boyars； the dignitaries of the Court； and all
the people of the 〃Moscovite State〃 called on Michael and asked
him to induce his father Philarete to accept the primacy of the
Russian church。 Two years later； in 1621； a new Sobor was
consulted on the question as to whether Russia should go to war
with Poland。 The Estates gave an answer in the affirmative； but
the want of money and soldiers forced the Government to postpone
the execution of this decision。
From 1622 the Sobors lose their character of quasi…constant
assemblies； each remaining in session for several years and begin
to be called only on special occasions； whenever their services
were required for the settlement of important questions of State。
In 1632 war with Poland necessitated the levying of new
subsidies。 The Sobor Was accordingly assembled and gave its
consent to the imposition of a general tax on all the estates of
the empire； on the tradesmen as on the 〃men of service。〃 The
amount of money to be demanded from the latter was not fixed；
each person could pay what he liked。 The sums produced by the tax
were intended for the payment of the army。 During the next two
years we find the Sobor consulting the Czar on matters of war and
taxation； on the relations of the land with Poland and the
Tartars of the Crimea。 The Czar complained of the ill…treatment
to which his envoy was subjected by the Khan。 The superior
clergy； whose answer alone has been preserved； insisted on the
necessity of building fortresses on the Southern boundaries of
the Moscovite empire； in those cities of the Ukraine； which like
Belgorod or Voroneg； remained for centuries the pioneers of
Christianity and culture in the southern steppes of Rus