6 E R 1\I A N r, 



torlcs of tlie Saxon emperors, their eminent abilities, and cn- 

 tcrprifing genius, not only added new vigour to the imperial 

 dignity, but raifcd it to liighor |)0\ver and pre-eminence. 

 Otho the Great nv.rclied at the head of a numerous army into 

 Italy, and, after the example uf Ch;ulemagne, gave law to 

 that country. On !iis arrival at Rome, he was confccral/.d 

 by tlie pope, and crowned emperor of the Romans. He 

 treated popes and depofed them by liis fovcreign mandate. 

 He aanexcd the kinc;dofn of Italy to the German empire. 

 Elated with his fuccefs, he afTiimcd the title of C'sfar Au- 

 giislus, A prhicc, born in the heart of Germany, pretended 

 to be the fuccefTor of tic emperors of ancient Rome, and 

 claimed a ri'^fht to the fame power and prerogative. Sec the 

 biotjrapliical article Otiio. 



But %vhile the empcrcr, by means of thefe new titles and 

 Bcw dominions, gt-ad'-ially acquired additional authority and 

 fplendour, the nobility cf Germany had gone on at the fame 

 time extending their privileges and jurilulftian. The fituation 

 of affairs was favourable to their attempts. The vigour which 

 Charlemagne had given to government quickly relaxed. Th.e 

 incapacity of fome of his fuccefTors was fuch, as would have 

 encouraged vaflals, lefs enterprifing than the nobles of that 

 age, to have claimed new rights, and to have alTumed new 

 powers. The civil wars in which other emperors were en- 

 gaged, obliged them to pay perpetual court to their fubjecls, 

 on whofe fupport they depended, and not only to connive at 

 their ufurpations, but to permit and even to authorize them. 

 J'iefs gradually became hereditary. They were trarifmitted 

 not only in the direft, but alfo in the collateral line. The 

 iiiveftiture of them was demanded not only by male but by 

 Female heirs. Every baron began to exercife fovcreign jurif- 

 diftion within his own domains, and the dukes and counts of 

 Germany took wide Reps towards re ]denng fiieir territories 

 ditlmct and independent fiates. Tlie S.ixon emperors ob- 

 lerved ilieir progrefs. and v.-erc aware of its tendency. But 

 as they could not hope to humble valTals al.-cady grown too 

 potent, unlefs they had turned their whole force and atten- 

 tion to that enterprife, and as they were extremely intent on 

 their expeditipns into Italy, which they could not undertake 

 \vithout the concurrence of their nobles, tliey v/ere follcitous 

 not to alarm them by any dirett attack on their privilccjes. 



rhcy aimed, however, at undermining their power. V\"ith 

 tliis view, they incoafiderately bellowed additional territories, 

 and accumulated new lionours on the clergy, in hopes that 

 this order might ferve as a counterpoife to that of tlie nobi- 

 lity in any future ftruggle. 



- The unhappy effects of this fatal error in policy vrerc 

 quickly felt. Under the emperors of the Fra:iconian and 

 Svvablaa lijies, whom the Germans, by their voluntary elec- 

 tion, placed on the im.perial throne, a new face of things ap- 

 peared, and a fcene was exhibited in Germany which afi.o- 

 niflied all ChriHendom at that time. The popes, hitherto 

 dependent on the emperors, and indebted for power as well 

 as dignity to their beneficence and protection, began to claim 

 a fupcrior jurifdiftion, and in virtue of authority, which 

 they preteni'rd to derive from heaven, tried, condemned, ex- 

 communicated, and depofed their former matters. Thefe 

 pretenfions gave rife to the facStions of the Guelphs and Ghi- 

 beliiies, of which the former was attached to the popes, and 

 the latter to the emperors. Pope Gregory VII. had ob- 

 ferved that the princes and nobles of Gernianv had acquired 

 fuch confidcrable territories and fuch extenfive jurifditfion, 

 as rendered them hot only formidable to the emperors, but 

 ilifpofed them to favour any attempt to circumfcribe fheir 

 power. He forefaiv that the ecclefialtics of Germany, raifed 

 almoll to a level with its princes, were ready to fupport anv 

 jierfon who v/ould llaiid forth as the protector of their pri- 



\ilegrs and indepcndenef. With both of thefe Gregory ne- 

 gotiated, and had fccured many devoted adherents among' 

 them, before he ventured to enter the lifls againtl the head of 

 the empire. He began his rupture with Henry IV. upon a 

 pretext that was popular and plaufible. He complained ot 

 the venalitv and corruption with which the emperor had 

 granted the invclliturc of benefices to eccleilaflics. He con- 

 tended that this right belonged to him, as the head of thr 

 church ; he required Henry to confine himfelf within th.e 

 bounds of th-; civil jurifdiction, and to abftain for the future 

 from fuch facrilegious encroachments on th.e fpintnal domi- 

 nion. All the ccnfures of the church were denounced 

 againd Henry, becaufe he refufed to relinquifii thefe powers 

 wiiich his predecefTors had uniformly exercifed. The moH 

 confiderable of the German princes and ecclefiailics were ex- 

 cited' to take arms again 'l him. His mother, his v.ife, his 

 fons, v.'ere v.Tought upon to difregard all the ties of blood 

 and duty, and to join the party of his enemies. At length, 

 the emperor v/as even obliged to appear as a fupphcant at 

 the gate of the callle in which the pope refidcd, and to 

 Hand there three days barefooted in the depth of v.nnter, im- 

 ploring a pardon, wliicli he obtained with difnculty. 



This att of humiliation degraded the imperial dignity. 

 The two faftions kept Germany and Italy in perpetual agi- 

 tation during three centuries, and, notwithllanding the re- 

 turn of fome fliort intervals of vigour, under the adminiilra- 

 ticn of a few able emperors, the imperial authority continued 

 to decline. During the anarchy of a long interregnum, fub- 

 fequcnt to the death of William of Holland, it dwindled 

 down almoft to nothing. 



In the year 1273, Rodolphus of Hapfburgh, the foinider 

 of the houfe of Aullria, was elecled emperor, not that iie 

 might re-e!lablifh and extend the imperial authority, but be- 

 caufe his territories and influence were fo inconfidcrable a;; to 

 excite ho jealoufy- in the German princes, who were wilhng 

 to preferve the forms of a conititution, the power of which 

 they had deftroyed. Several of Rodolph's fuccefTors were 

 placed on the imperial thrOne from th.e fame m.otive, and al- 

 moll every remaining prerogative was wrelled out of the 

 hands of feeble princes, unable to exercife or to defend 

 them. 



During this period of turbulence and confufion, the con- 

 ftitution of the German empire underwent a total change. 

 The princes, the great nobility, the dignified eccleflaflics, 

 and the free cities extended their ufurpations. They claim- 

 ed and exerciied the right of governing their refpcctive ter- 

 ritories with full fovSreignty. They acknowledged no fupe- 

 rior with rcfpect to any point relative to the interior admi- 

 nil1rati6n and police of their domains. They enacted la-ws, 

 impoiedtaxcs, coined money, declared war, concluded peaee, 

 and exerted every prerogative peculiar -to independ^-nt 

 fiates. The forms of feudal fubc.-dination formed the only 

 conneftion among the various members of the community. 

 This bond of union, however, was extremely feeble. 



From the accefiion of Rodolph of Haplburgh, to the 

 reign of MaxiiTiilian, the empire felt every calam.ity wliich a 

 fta.e m.ud endure, when the authority- of government isfo 

 much relaxed. The diffenfions among its rsembers gave- rile 

 to perpetual private wars, which were carried on v.-ith all the 

 violence that accompanies refentment when unreftrained by 

 fuperior authority. Rapine, outrage, exactions, became uni- 

 verfal. The variety of expedients employed to refiore order 

 and tranquillity, prove that the grievances occafioned by this 

 Hate of anarchy had become intolerable. Arbiters were 

 appointed to terminate the differences among the fcveral 

 ftates. The cities united in a league to check the extortions 

 of the nobility, and the latter fonr.id eonfederacits to main- 

 tain 



