GERMANY. 



tani tranquillity among their own order. Germany was di- nary aid^ which, on a few occafions thpy ohtaincd, vmc 

 -s-idcd into ten circles, in each of whicli a provincial jurifdic- granted fi)aringly, and paid with reludaji'ce. The 'cor.i ■- 

 tion was eftabliflisd. But all thefe remedies proved ineffec- quenceof this ilf-cumpaaed frame of government was, thai 

 tiial. At length Maximilian inflitiited the imperial chamber, the emperors imagined tlien.fclvos !o be the real foverei^r.s 

 a tribunal compofed of judges named partly by the emperor, of Germany, and aimed continually at recovering iheo^r- 

 partly by the feveral Hates, and veiled with avithority to de- cif: of thofe powers which the forms of the confiitulioa 

 cide nnally concerning all differences among the members of feemed to veil in them, and whjch tlicir prc-deceflbrs Charle- 

 the Germanic body, and thus reftored fame degree of vigour magne and the Olhos had aftua'.iy enjoyed. The prince* 

 to the imperial authority. and Hates, aware of thefe pretcnilous, watclied the motion* 

 But notvrithilanding the falutary effefts of thefe regula- of the imperial court to circamfcribeitspowerwithinlimitsilill 

 tions, the pohtical conilitution of the German empire, at more narrow. Tliis jealojfy of the imperial authority in- 

 tiie beginning of the fixteenth century, was of a fpeciisfope- creafed confiderably from die time that the eleclive power 

 culiar as not to refemble perf.xlly any form of government was vefted in a few princes of chief dignity, 

 known eitherin the ancient cr modern v.orld. It wasa complex During along period, all die members of the Germanic 

 bsdy, formed by the affociation of feveral ftates, electors, body had a right to affemble, and to make a chciice of the 

 priaces, dignitaries of the church, counts, barons, and free perfon whom'thcy appointed to be their iiead. But amidft 

 cities, c.ich of which poSeired fovereign and independent die violence and anarchy which prevailed for feveral centuriei 

 jurifdiftion within its own territories. Of all the members in the empire, feven piinccs, who poffeifed the moll cxtcii- 

 which compofed this united body, the emperor was the five territories, and who had obtained an hereditary title t» ■ 

 head. In his name all decrees and regulations, with refpeCl the groat offices of the ilate, acquired the exclufive'privileae 

 to points of common concern, were iiTued ; and to him the of nominating the emperor. This right was confirmed to them 

 power of carrying th?m into execution was committed. But by the golden bull (fee Bull); the mode of cxercifing it v.ai 

 this appearance of monarchical power in the emperor was afcertained, and they were dignified with the appellation of 

 more than counterbalanced by the influence of the princes EUfioys. (See Ej.ectou.) The nobility and free cities 

 and ftates of the empire in every acl of adminiilration. No being thus Jlripped of a privilege wliich they had once en- 

 law extending to the whole body could pafs, no refolution joyed, were iefs connefted witli a prince, towards whofe 

 that afpecled the general interell could be taken without the 

 approbation of the diet of the empire held at Ratilbon. 

 In this afTambly ever\- fovereign prince and ftate of the Ger- 

 manic body had a right to be prefent, to deliberate and to 

 vote. The decrees or receffes of the diet were the laws of 



elevation they had not co'ntributcd by their fufirage-s, and 

 came to be more apprehenfive of his aulhority. TheclcClors, 

 by their cxtenlive power, and the diftinguiihing privileges 

 wl;ich they poffefTed, became formidable to the emperors, 

 with whom they were placed almoll on a level in feveral acls 

 'fdictic 



ot junidxt'.on. Thus, the introduclion of the electoral col- 

 In this refpecl the German empire v/as fimilar to lege into the empire ftrcngthened the principles of difcord 

 Achcean league in ancient Greece, or to that of the in the Germanic conilitution, which were continually ali- 

 ted Provinces of the Netherlands, and of the Swifs can- mentcd by the various and repugnant forms of civil policy 



the empire, which the emperor was bound to ratifv, and to 

 enforce 

 th 



Unit 



tons in modern times. But, as the acute liiftorian of the in the feveral ftates. The free cities were fmull repubhcs, in 

 •emperor Charles V. obferves, the Germanic body was not which the maxims and fpirit peculiar to that fpccics of go- 

 formed by the union of members altogether diliincL and in- verument prevailed. The princes and nobles to whom Tu- 

 d'?pendent. All the princes and ilates, joined in this afTor promc jurifdiclion belonged poffefied a firt of monarchical 

 ciation, were oiiginally fubjccl; to the emperors, and ac- power wi;hin their own territories. Their common dclJbcra- 

 knowledged them as Cavereigns. They originally held their tions could not be carried on with the fame fpirit while th; 

 lands as imperial iiefs, and owed the emperor all thofe fer- love of liberty and attention to commerce were the reignint' 

 vices wliich feudal vaffals are bound to perform to their liege principles in the cities; and the defire of power, and ardour 



lord. But ihof gh this pohtical fabjeCtion was entirely at an 

 erid, the ancient forms introduced while thcemperors governed 

 Germ.any with authority not inferior to that wliich the other 

 monarchs of Europe pofieired, ftill remained. Thus an op- 

 pofition was eilablifhed between the genius of the govern- 

 ment and the forms of adrainiftration in the German empire 



for mihtary glory, d:c goreniing palTions of the princes and 

 nobility, llie fecular and ecclefiaflical membciS of the em- 

 pire were as little fitted for union as the free cities and the 

 nobility. Coufiderable territories had been granted to fevo- 

 ral of the German bifliopries and abbcyt, and fome of the 

 higheft ofFiCcs of the empire, having. been aniiexcd to them 



The former coafidercd the empeior only as the head of a unalienably, were held by the eccltfiallics raifed to thefe dig 



confederacy, the members of which, by their voluntary 

 c!o;ce, raifed him to that dignity ; the latter feemed to iin- 

 }My that he is really inveftcd v.ith fovereign power. The em- 

 j)cror3 were dlilinguilhed by the moll pq^npous titles, and by 

 fich mark'! of dignity as intimated their authority to be fu- 

 perior to that of all other m.onarchs. The greateil princes 

 of the empire- attended and ferved them, on fome occsfions. 



mtles. The younger fons of noblemen of the fecond or- 

 der, who had devoted themfelves to the church, were com- 

 monly prom.oted to thefe llations of eoiincnce and power; 

 and it w;is no fmall mortification ^p the princes and great no- 

 bility, to fee perfo.is raifed from an inferior rank to the fainK 

 level witli themfelves, or even exalted to fupcrior dignity. 

 The cditcation of thefe cliurch— en, the genius of thtir pro- 

 felTion, and their connection with the court of Roir.e, render- 

 ed their character, as well as theirintcrell, different from diofr 



:;s officers of their houfliold. They exercifed prerogatives 

 w hich no other fovereigns ever claimed.' They retained pre- 

 tenfions to all the extenfive powers wh.ich llicir predeceffois of die other members of the Germanic body, with whofti 

 had ci/joyed in any former age. But, at the fame time, in- , tliey were called to ad in concert. Thus another fource </t 

 i'tead of poiTeffing that ample domain which had belonged to variance v.-as openrd. 



the ancientempcrors of Germany, and which llretchcd from . To all thefe caufes of diffenfion muH be added onewmcr*-, 

 Bafil to Cologne, along both banks of the Rhine, they arifing from the unec^ual dillribution of power and wo.iUk 

 were ihipped of all territorial property, and had not a foot among the ftates of tiie empire. The eledors and othei- 

 of land that belonged to them as heads of the empire. Their nobles of the higheft rank not only po Ife (fed fovereign jurif. 

 revenues were rcduaed almotl to nothing, and the extraordi- diclion, but governed fuch exter.five, populous, and rick 



D d2 " ccunlri:^ 



