Extract from a book by Robert Pinkerton⁽¹⁾ entitled:-

Russia:  or, Miscellaneous observations on the past and present state of that country and its inhabitants.

Published 1833     Link:-https://archive.org/details/russiaormiscella00pinkuoft

Covna

Intolerance of the Roman Catholics Route from Covna to Rossiena, the Capital of Samogitia⁽²⁾ Pierist Monks Dominican Monks their Schools, fyc. State of the Jews Departure from Rossiena Fair of Titifian Intoxication of the Peasantry their condition General Aspect ofthe Country The District Town of Shawel Freemasonry in Russia its suppression Arrival in the Samogitian Town of Telsh Prejudices of the Ro- man Catholics against the Reading of the Scriptures Willingness of the Russians to receive them Poverty of the Nobility of Samogitia The Jewish Synagogue The Bernardine Monks State of Education among the Lithuanian Roman Catholics Arrival at Polangen Interview with the Prince Bishop Gedroitz Arrangements made with him for distributing the Samogitian Scriptures.

COVNA. -This ancient town, finely situated for commerce at the confluence of the Villia and Niemen, bears numerous marks of depopulation, poverty, and decay. The pavement of the market-place is nearly overgrown with grass, and many of the public buildings seem hastening to ruin. The population does not exceed 4000, of whom a great proportion are Jews, and the rest Roman Catholics. The pastor of the few hundred Germans still remaining in the place told me that he should be obliged to leave his people, because they could not support him. He complained of the Roman Catholics, as being excessively intolerant, and great enemies to the diffusion of Gospel light among their people. A decree of the Russian Government, prohibiting all traffic betwixt Germany and Russia through this city, has depopulated and ruined it, notwithstanding its many advantages as a frontier mart. From Covna we continued to travel down the banks of the Niemen for about twelve versts ; when we changed horses at a village swarming with Jews, with whom I left a Testament and a few Tracts. At Srednik, another populous Jewish town, I conversed with the people for an hour, and gave them two Hebrew Testaments and a Hebrew Tract. We prosecuted our journey all night, northward, till about four in the morning, when we arrived at the district town of Rossiena. With some difficulty I obtained a room in the house of a Jew, where I attempted to get a few hours rest ; but the place was so cold and uncomfortable, that I felt not at all refreshed by it. On inquiry after those persons in authority to whom I was recommended, I found some of them absent ; and those with whom I had an opportunity of conversing seemed exceedingly shy and indifferent to the cause : they spoke of the circulation and reading of the Holy Scriptures as things forbidden and sinful ; and they acted accordingly. Rossiena is chiefly inhabited by Jews ; and is now but an insignificant-looking place, though formerly the residence of a Voivod⁽³⁾  under the Poles. It looks more like a village than a town : the houses are mere wooden huts, and most of the streets not even paved. The Samogitian population of the district of Rossiena amounts to about 90,000. The Pierist Monks have a College here. I called upon them ; and was civilly received by one of their Teachers, who spoke French. They have 220 boys in their school, the sons of the surrounding Schleachti or nobility. It was Sunday evening when I paid this visit. Hearing music and dancing in a house opposite, I inquired what that meant: "O!" said they, " these are our scholars, preparing to pass their school examination tomorrow." The Pierists knew nothing of the Samogitian Testament, nor of its translation. I called, next, on the Dominican Monks, whose monastery is rather a fine building indeed, the only one in the town. The abbot was shy, and cold : he assured me that THEY stood in no need of Bibles ; and that as to the peasants, they had no time to read them. He even smiled at the idea of a poor peasant attempting to read the Bible, as a thing quite out of character with his situation in life ! " Again," objected he, " our peasantry have no money to buy them." I replied, that the Samogitian Testament only cost fifty kopicks (2s). "No, no," said he; " give me a number, gratis, and I will dispose of them as I think proper." While thus conversing with the superior, several of the monks entered, dressed in their white camlet robes, sleek, and puffing with the exertion of ascending the stairs. All of them looked very suspiciously at me ; and seemed to say, " What has this heretic to do among us?" I left them without gaining my object; for though the superior promised to send to me for a copy of the amogitian Testament to examine, and then to order a number from Wilna, yet, as he did not keep his word in the first instance, I had no reason for believing that he would in the second.

1)  Reverend  Robert Pinkerton  D.D. (Doctor of Divinity) (born 1780 at Foulshiels near  Selkirk ,  Scotland     - died 7 April 1859 at Reigate, Surrey, England ) was a Principal Agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society  (BFBS). He was a respected  missionary ,  linguist , translator and author of several books including, most notably; “The Present State of the Greek Church in Russia” published 1816, and “RUSSIA or Miscellaneous Observations on the past and present state of that country and its inhabitants” published 1833. Dr. Pinkerton traveled widely, especially in  Russia , Europe ( Germany  in particular) and  Greece  encouraging the setting up of Bible societies, writing copiously about his travels and translating other authors’ works from Russian, Greek and other languages.     

Extract is from the start of Chapter XI

2)  Samogitians  (Lithuanian:  Žemaičiai   ,  are a part of the Lithuanian ethnicity inhabiting the region of Samogitia in Lithuania. Many speak the  Samogitian dialect of the Lithuanian language.   

Even though Samogitians are politically not considered to be an ethnic group, 2,169 people declared their ethnicity as Samogitian during the Lithuanian census of 2011, of whom 53.9% live in Telsai County    

3)  Voivodes   were the ex officio members of the Lithuanian Council of Lords   

  < Home