the imperial
authority was completely shattered. The power of the petty rulers of
small states increased and overshadowed that of the central authority.

"The emperors Ferdinand and Matthias treated the Protestants with so
much severity, committing the most flagrant outrages upon them, that it
brought on the Thirty Years' War. When Matthias died, the insurgents
declared the throne vacant, and chose the Elector Frederick emperor.
The Protestant princes fought for him, while the Catholic powers
sustained Ferdinand II., Archduke of Austria. Peace was established, by
the treaty of Westphalia, in 1648, by which Germany lost a portion of
her territory. After these events, the power of the emperors waned
still more, until their title was little more than a surname of the
rulers of Austria. When Prussia became a great Protestant power, under
Frederick the Great, she was a check upon Austria, and prevented the
latter from reestablishing the ancient power of the German empire.

"The French revolution practically destroyed the empire. Francis II. of
Austria, overwhelmed by Napoleon, ceded to him the country on the left
bank of the Rhine. When the Rhenish Confederation of Napoleon was
formed, in 1806, Francis resigned the crown of the German empire, which
was thus formally dissolved. Many changes in territorial limits were
made, and the free cities lost their independence. The country was
either actually or virtually subject to Napoleon, who dictated its
policy, and levied heavy contributions upon it.

"As it was not possible for all these small states to maintain their
separate independence unaided, when the Allied Powers had driven
Napoleon from Europe, and restored the nations to their original
condition, it became necessary to regulate the affairs of Germany.
Prussia objected to an independent empire, whose power might endanger
her safety and progress; and a confederation of the states was formed
in 1815, which exists at the present time."[3]

[3] Dissolved in 1866.

The professor continued to describe the country, and to define the
powers and duties of the Federal Diet; but as many changes have been
made in the government and in the states, it is not necessary to
transcribe his remarks to these pages. He promised, as occasion might
offer on their travels, to give the students further explanations of
the nature of the territory, governments, and local peculiarities of
the several states they might visit. The boys we