German states did not each possess an equal share of power and influence; some were more eminent than others. Among them there were, also, a few which might, with the greatest propriety, be denominated mountains, or states possessing a very high degree of political importance. But the seven mountains on which the Woman sits must have their elevations above all the other eminences in the whole Latin world; consequently they can be no other than the SEVEN ELECTORATES of the German empire. These were, indeed, mountains of vast eminence, for in their sovereigns was vested the şole power of electing the head of the empire. But this was not all: for, "besides the power of electing an emperor, the electors had a right to capitulate with the new head of the empire, to dictate the conditions on which he was to reign, and to depose him if he broke those conditions. They actually deposed Adolphus of Nassau in 1298, and Wen

*The form of deposition of this emperor was in words to the following effect: "Six years ago, the empire being vacant, we canonically elected Adolphus count de Nassau king of the Romans, knowing at that time no person more worthy of that digpity. At first he conducted himself wisely, following the advice of the most prudent electors and princes of his court; but, in a little time, he began to despise their advice, and listen to the counsels of young persons, without either sense or experience: then he found himself destitute of means and friends to assist him sincerely in bearing the burden of government. The electors, perceiving his indigence, and swayed by twenty other motives, have demanded the Pope's consent to depose him and choose another emperor, We are told that our envoys have ob

ceslaus in 1400. * They were sovereign and independent princes in their respective dominions,

tained the consent of his holiness; though those of Adolphus affirm the contrary. But we, having no regard to any authority but that which is vested in ourselves, and finding Adolphus incapable of governing the empire, do depose him from the imperial dignity, and elect Albert duke of Austria king of the Romans." See Modern Universal History, Vol. XXIX. pp. 249, 250.

*The following extract from the public instrument respecting the deposition of the emperor Wenceslaus exhibits in a very remarkable manner the great influence and authority of the Electors of the Empire. After summing up the various instances in which the emperor had shewn himself unworthy of the government, the electors proceed to depose him as follows: "Idcirco malum hoc, toti Christianæ Reip. exitiale, minimè diutius ferendum et tolerandum consentes, animo bene confirmato, post multos variosque Tractatus consultationesque, tum inter nos ipsos tum etiam cum aliis Principibus et Optimatibus Sacri Imperii, seriò habitas, pro Ecclesiæ salute, Christiani Orbis consolatione, Sacri Imperii honore et utilitate, præfatum Dominum Wenceslaum, tanquam negligentem et destructorem Imperii, eoque indignum, à Sacro Romano Imperio, omnique ejus dignitate hoc tempore penitus removendum esse duximus. Nos itaque Joannes Archi episcopus, nomine prædictorum Dominorum Sacri Romani Imperii Co-electorum, nostroque, tum commemoratis, tum pluribus aliis insignibus defectibus causisque moti, hac nostra Sententia, quam præsenti Scripto damus atque ferimus, prædictum Dominum Wenceslaum, ceu inutilem, negligentem, dissipatorem, et indignum Sacri Romani Imperii Defensorem, eodem Romano Imperio, omnique ejus gradu, Dignitate ac Ditione ad idem pertinente, privamus et submovemus: cunctis Principibus, Optimatibus, Equitibus, Ingenuis, Urbibus, Provinciis, et Subditis Sacri Romani Imperii denunciantes, eos ab omni Homagio et Juramento, Persona Wenceslai nomine Imperii præstito, prorsus

had the privilegium de non appellando illimitatum,' that of making war, coining, and exercising

esse liberos requirentes atque monentes eos sub Jurisjurandi fide, quâ Sacro Imperio adstricti tenentur, ne prædicto Domino Wenceslao, tanquam Romanorum Regi, deinceps obediant et obsequantur; neque illi Jus ullum, obsequium, censum, reditum aut ullam aliam obventionem, quocunque nomine tandem appellanda veniat, ceu Romanorum Regi, pendant, exhibeant, aut exhiberi permittant: sed ejusmodi debita utili et idoneo Romanorum Regi, divino favente Numine deinceps sufficiendo, asserè publico solio in Tribunalis usum erecto, Dominis Co-electoribus nostris ibidem judicio assidentibus, anno Dominicæ Incarnationis millesimo quadringentesimo, Indictione octavâ, feriâ sextâ, die vigesimâ mensis Augusti, paulum ante Nonarum tempus; Pontificatûs Sanctissimi in Christo Patris ac Domini, Domini Bonifacii Noni, Divinâ Providentiâ, Papæ, anno undecimo." See Dumont's Corps Diplo matique, Tom. II. pp. 274, 275, where the whole of this instrument will be found.

vent.

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"We, therefore, agreeing that this evil, so destructive to the Christian republic, is to be no longer borne with and tolerated, our mind being completely made up, after many and various treaties and consultations seriously had, as well among ourselves as also with the other princes and grandees of the Holy empire, for the safety of the church, the consolation of the Christian world, and the honour and advantage of the Holy empire, we have resolved that the aforesaid Lord Wenceslaus shall be henceforward entirely removed from the Holy Roman empire and all its dignity, as one negligent, the destroyer of the empire, and unworthy of it. We, therefore, John, archbishop, in the name of the aforesaid lords, co-electors of the Holy Roman empire, moved by our own interest, as well as by the notorious failings already mentioned, with many other causes, do, by this our sentence, which we give and report in the present instrument, deprive and remove the aforesaid Lord Wenceslaus, (as a person

every act of sovereignty. They formed a separate college in the diet of the empire, and had among themselves a particular covenant, or league, called the Kur verein. * They had precedence of all the

useless and negligent, a dissipated character, and an unworthy defender of the Holy Roman empire,) of and from the same Roman empire, and all his rank, dignity and power appertaining thereto. We also signify to all the princes, grandees, knights, freemen, cities, provinces, and subjects of the Holy Roman empire, that they are entirely liberated from all homage, and their oath given to the person of Wenceslaus in the name of the empire, We also require and admonish them by the oath which binds them to the Holy empire, that they do not henceforth obey and submit to the aforesaid Lord Wenceslaus as king of the Romans; and that they do not submit, present, or suffer to be presented to him as king of the Romans any law, favour, tribute, revenue, or any other matter by whatever name it may be called; but that they preserve dues of this kind for a proper and fit king of the Romans, through the favour of the Divine Being to be afterwards appointed. -From the public throne erected for the use of the Tribunal, our Lords co-electors sitting in judg ment, in the year from the Incarnation of our Lord 1400, the Indiction being 8, the day of the week Friday, on the 20th of August, a little before the commencement of the Nones; and in the eleventh year of the Pontificate of the most holy father and lord in Christ, Boniface the ninth, by the providence of God, Pope."

*This Treaty of Union was drawn up at Mentz the Monday after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, in the year of our Lord, 1399. The title of the instrument is thus translated into French by Dumont, in his Corps Diplomatique, Tom. II. p. 271. "Traité d'Union entre les Electeurs du St. Empire, par lequel ils se promettent reciproquement de se tenir etroitement unis tout le tems de leur vie, de se prêter une assistance mutuelle pour

other princes of the empire, and even ranked with kings." The heads of the Beast understood in this way is one of the finest emblems of the German constitution which can possibly be conceived; for as this empire was at the head of the Latin mo◄ narchy, the seven mountains very fitly denote the seven PRINCIPAL powers of which the German empire was composed. And, also, as each electorate, by virtue of its union with the Germanic body, was more powerful than any other Roman Catholic state of Europe not so united; so was each electorate, in the most proper sense of the word, one of the highest elevations in the Latin world. The time when the seven electorates of the empire were first instituted is very uncertain. The general opinion of German historians, especially the canonists, is that they derived their origin from an edict of Otho III. confirmed by pope Gregory V. in the year 996. Others say that they were not instituted before the reign of the emperor Henry IV in the eleventh century. Others refer their origin to

le maintien de leur Droit d'Election, et de ne consentir à aucune diminution de l'Empire, soit de la part du Roi des Romains, ou de quelque autre que ce soit." Treaty of Union betwixt the Electors of the Holy Empire, by which they reciprocally promise to keep strictly united the whole term of their life; mutually to assist each other for the support of their right of Election; and not to consent to any diminution of the empire, whe ther on the part of the king of the Romans, or from any other quarter. A similar treaty was again drawn up by them at Gelnhausen, July 5, 1502. See Dumont, Tom. IV. p. 31.

* See Rees' Cyclopædia on the word Elector.