consequence of this
reform, lost the power of enriching themselves by their oppressions and
frauds, complained bitterly of the change, and mourned, like good
Conservatives, the ruin which this radicalism was bringing upon the
country, but they were forced to submit.

Whenever there was any thing in the private manners and customs of the
people which Peter thought was likely to impede in any way the
effectual accomplishment of his plans, he did not hesitate at all to
ordain a change; and some of the greatest difficulties which he had to
encounter in his reforms arose from the opposition which the people
made to the changes that he wished to introduce in the dress that they
wore, and in several of the usages of common life. The people of the
country had been accustomed to wear long gowns, similar to those worn
to this day by many Oriental nations. This costume was very
inconvenient, not only for soldiers, but also for workmen, and for all
persons engaged in any of the common avocations of life. Peter
required the people to change this dress; and he sent patterns of the
coats worn in western Europe to all parts of the country, and had them
put up in conspicuous places, where every body could see them, and
required every body to imitate them. He, however, met with a great
deal of difficulty in inducing them to do so. He found still greater
difficulty in inducing the people to shave off their mustaches and
their beards. Finding that they would not shave their faces under the
influence of a simple regulation to that effect, he assessed a tax upon
beards, requiring that every gentleman should pay a hundred rubles a
year for the privilege of wearing one; and as for the peasants and
common people, every one who wore a beard was stopped every time he
entered a city or town, and required to pay a penny at the gate by way
of tax or fine.

The nuisance of long clothes he attempted to abate in a similar way.
The officers of the customs, who were stationed at the gates of the
towns, were ordered to stop every man who wore a long dress, and compel
him either to pay a fine of about fifty cents, or else kneel down and
have all that part of their coat or gown which lay upon the ground,
while they were in that posture, cut off with a pair of big shears.

Still, such was the attachment of the people to their old fashions,
that great numbers of the people, rather than submit to this curtailing
of their vestments, preferred to pay th