They  laid  before  the  elected  King  of  the  Romans  a  rigorous  capitulation,
constructed  on  the  principles  which  had  been  established  during  the  last
negotiations  with  Maximilian.2  In  this  it  was  decided  that  the  public
offices  should  be  filled  exclusively  by  Germans,  the  public  proceedings
carried  00  exclusively  in  the  German  language,  and  the  assemblies  of  the
empire  invariably  held  within  the  frontiers  of  the  German  nation.  Nor
did  the  electors  forget  their  own  privileges.  They  stipulated  that  they
were  to  have  seats  in  the  Council  of  Regency  ;  that  no  war  was  to  b  e
declared,  no  alliance  concluded,  no  diet  convoked — it  is  hardly  necessary
to  add,  no  tax  imposed — without  their  consent ;  whatever  was  acquired
by  the  counsel  and  aid  of  the  States  in  war,  should  remain  for  ever  the
property  of  the  empire.3

And  here  another  reflection  suggests  itself.  The  princes,  it  is  true,
elected  a  puissant  monarch  as  their  chief.  But  it  may  be  asked,  was
not  his  position,  which  rendered  inevitable  his  frequent  absence,  favour-
able to  the  development  of  their  own  power  ?

Under  a  prince  like  this,  who  had  to  govern  so  many  countries,  to
provide  against  so  many  wars,  they  could  most  easily  obtain  that  repre-
sentative constitution,  that  share  in  the  government  of  the  empire,  which
it  had  been  the  constant  object  of  their  endeavours  to  acquire  under
Maximilian.
