The Present State of Germany. Samuel Pufendorf
the former Ages the conjunction of two or three of these Cities together made a great Power, and they were terrible to the Princes],a but now [their Wealth is much]b reduced, and we may probably enough conjecture, they will [one after another be all reduced]c under the Yoke of the Princes: At least, the Bishops threaten those very much in which their Cathedrals are.
Hamburg.
There |[are also some potent Cities which preserve]|d their Freedom, though (perhaps) not very well grounded [non ita liquido jure]. |[For the Dukes of Holstein pretend a Right over HAMBURG, which this most wealthy City of all Germany will not submit to; and [but] it is thought [the Strength of it and]+ the Jealousie of the neighbouring Princes (who envy the King of Denmark the possession of this fat Morsel) will preserve it.32
Breme.
The King of Sweden has such another Dispute with the City of Breme [n], without which he can never secure that Dukedom;e and perhaps the Kings of Sweden have too much reason [are right] to suspect that [that] City was admitted into the Diet, in the year 1641, [among the free cities,] when [they began to suspect those Princes]a would become Masters of this Dukedom[, on purpose to keep it out of their hands, and deprive them of this <46> convenience and security].b
Brunswick.
Hildisheim.
Magdeburg.
The City of BRUNSWICK doth strangely [greatly] weaken and disfigure the Dukedoms of Brunswick and Lunenburg, and by its Site interrupt their otherwise well compacted Territories: And yet they will never suffer the Bishop of Hildisheim to take possession of that City [Hildesheim].33 The Elector of Brandenburg is not very favourable to [an excessive liberty of] the Cities in his Dominions, [as is well known,] and therefore it is not improbable, the City of Magdeburg may [suffer the loss of her Liberty]c after the death of Augustus, of the House of Saxony.34
Erford.
They of Erford, weary of a doubtful Contest for their Liberty, submitted, and for their Folly and Cowardice were thought worthy to lose their Liberty. Wise men wonder also that the Dukes of Saxony have not seized the Citadel of Thuring [for themselves instead].35
Munster.
[A]nd I suppose, by this time, the Hollanders [Batavos] are made sufficiently [sensible they ought to have defended]d the Inhabitan[t]s of Munster against their Bishop; seeing it would the better have became them who took Arms against their own Prince, for their Liberties, to have assisted their Neighbours in a like Attempt.]|a, 36
The Knights of Germany
Divided into three Classes.
But they have no Vote in the Diet.
14. The Knights of Germany are not all in the same condition, part of them being immediately subject to the Emperor and the Empire, and another part being under the subordinate States, who are their Lords. They that belong to the first of these Classes, call themselves the Free Nobles of the Empire, and [the Conjunct,]b Immediate, and Free Nobility of the Empire. These, according to <47> the respective Circuits [districts] in which their Estates are, stand divided into three Classes, of Franconia, Schwaben, and the Rhine, which are again subdivided into lesser Divisions. They have of their own Order certain Directors and Assessors,37 who take care of those Affairs, which concern the whole Body of this Order; and [occasionally,] if any thing of great moment happen, they call a general Convention. But then they have no Place in the [Imperial] Diet, which they look on as a Priviledge for the saving of the Expences necessary in such an Attendance. And in truth it would be no great advantage to them to be admitted into the Diet, [to give their Votes].c In all other things they enjoy the same Liberties and Rights with the other Princes and Free States [estates], so that they are inferiour to the Princes in nothing but Wealth [opes].
To recompence this, they have great Advantages from the Ecclesiastical Benefices and Cathedral Churches [chapters] in which they are Canons; and by this way many of them [very easily] become Princes of the Empire. They that obtain this Honour [rank], have learned{, by the Pope’s example,}a to take good care of their Family and Relations; and besides, [I imagine] there is a wonderful satisfaction in the [enjoyment of great Revenues with small]b Labour. {For they employ their Curates or Vicars to make a noise in their Churches, so that they are in no peril of spoiling their Voices by any thing but Intemperance. And as to the inconveniences of living unmarried, their Concubines, which are not wanting,c cure [easily remedy] them. [Those that <48> make themselves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven, are in the mean time very scarce in Germany: And it is almost as infamous in a Nobleman, to be continent, as not to love Dogs and Horses].}d
[Moreover,] I have heard some of them complain that some of the Princes have an apparent disgust at their Priviledges [openly threaten their liberty], and look upon them with an evil Eye, because living in the midst of their Territories, they enjoy such large Exemptions [freedoms]: [And others say,]e such vast numbers of small Royolets [do much weaken the Empires in which they are suffered].f And [For] if a foreign War happen, they become an easie Prey to the Invaders [either side]: Yet for all this, these Gentlemen [knights] will not part with a certain Liberty for an uncertain Hazard or Danger; and the rest of the Princes will not [easily] suffer so considerable an Addition to be made to the Power and Riches of the [few] Princes they [the knights] live under, except some great Revolution open a way to this change, or by length of time and crafty Projects their [the latter’s] Estates be wasted and consumed.38
The Empire is divided into ten Circles.
15. We must here, in a few words, admonish [also advise] the Reader, that this vast Body of the Empire|[, by the appointment of Maximilian I. in the year 1512, was divided into ten [regions or] Circles[, as they are commonly called]]|,a the names of which are these; Austria, [the four Electorates on the Rhine:] Mentz [Mainz], Trier, Cologne, and the Palatinate, call’d the Lower Circle of the Rhine, the Upper Circle of the Rhine, Schwaben, Bavaria, Franconia, the upper and lower Saxony, Westphalia, that of Burgundy.39 The Kingdom of Bohemia, with the [adjoined] Provinces <49> of Silesia and Moravia, belong not to any of these Circles [or constitute a special circle]: Which yields us a clear proof, that it is rather united to Germany by a kind of League, than [a part of that Empire].b To which of these Circles any Place belongs, may be found [here and there] in common [reference] Books[, every where to be had]+. This Division was made [especially] for the more easie Preservation of the Publick Peace, and the Execution of Justice against contumacious [insubordinate] States and Princes. To which end each of them [the circles] has Power to name a General [ducem], for the commanding their Forces, and [the appointing their Diets, in which the principal Prince in the Circle, for the most part, presides;]c in which they take care for the defence of the Circle, and for the levying Moneys for the publick use [fiscal matters]. Yet a man may well question, whether this Division doth not tend [more to the Distraction and weakening of Germany, than its Preservation, the whole Body being by this means made less sensible and less regardful of the Calamities which oppress or endanger the Parts of it, and threaten (though at a distance) the Ruin of the whole].a
Thus much of the Parts of the [German] Empire. <50>
Of the Origine of the States of the Empire, and by what degrees [stages] they arrived to that Power they now have.
The