His subjects, in their turn, he felt should bear cheerfully
whatever duties and burdens he imposed upon them. Every one was to
remain in the station in which birth and education had placed him. The
noblemen were to be landholders and officers; to the citizens belonged
the towns, trade, manufacturing, instruction, and invention; to the
peasant, the land and the menial work. But in his sphere each one was
to be prosperous and happy. Equal, strict, ready justice for every
one; no favors to the highborn and rich--rather, in case of doubt, the
humble should have the preference. To increase the number of useful
men; to make every activity as profitable and as perfect as possible;
to buy as little as possible abroad; to produce everything at home,
exporting the surplus--these were the leading principles of his social
and economic theories. He exerted himself incessantly to increase the
acreage of arable land, and to provide new places for settlers. Swamps
were drained, lakes drawn off, dikes thrown up. Canals were dug and
money advanced to found new factories. At the instigation and with the
financial support of the government cities and villages were rebuilt,
more solid and sanitary than they had been before. The farmers' credit
system, fire insurance societies, and the Royal Bank were founded.
Everywhere public schools were established. Educated people were
brought in from abroad; the government officials everywhere were
required to be educated, and regulated by examination and strict
inspection.
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