Note 57 — PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE. (continued 8)

The Kaiser was in theory the temporal lord of the whole earth; according to the words of the Sachsen-Spiegel, “Zwei swert liess Got in ertriche zu beschirmene dy Christenheit, dem Pabste das geistliche, den Keiser das werltliche.” “Two swords has God left to the world to protect Christianity; (having given) to the Pope the spiritual, and the temporal to the Emperor.” The claim of the Empire to universal dominion was indicated by the sword pointing to the four points of the heavens, while as the “Holy Empire” it was its duty to exterminate not only the Heathens and the Moslems, but also the false Christians, as the members of the Greek Church were regarded by the West. In the medieval constitution of the Empire, a symbolical character prevails throughout. Seven were its shields: of these the first was borne by the Emperor; the second by the spiritual Electors; the third by the temporal Princes; the fourth and fifth by the Counts and Knights of the Empire; the sixth by their vassals; and the seventh by the free burghers and peasants. Seven, also, was the original number of the Hereditary Electors of the Empire. Three spiritual Princes, the Archbishops of Mayence, Cologne, and Treves, as chancellors, respectively of the Empire, of Burgundy, and of Italy. Four temporal Electors: the Prince Palatine of the Rhine, who, as grand-carver, carried the imperial apple at the coronation; the Duke of Saxony Wittemberg, who, as marshal, carried the sword; the Margrave of Brandenburg, who, as grand-chamberlain, bore the scepter; and the King of Bohemia, who, as cupbearer, presented the cup. The election of the Emperor was held at Frankfort-on-the-Maine; the coronation at Aix; and the new Emperor held his first diet at Nuremberg.—Trans.