The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume III: Being the Observations He Made in His Late Travels from Prussia thro' Germany, Italy, France, Flanders, Holland, England, &C. in Letters to His Friend. Discovering Not Only the Present State of the Chief Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts.Pöllnitz, Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von
History
The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume III: Being the Observations He Made in His Late Travels from Prussia thro' Germany, Italy, France, Flanders, Holland, England, &C. in Letters to His Friend. Discovering Not Only the Present State of the Chief Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts.
Pöllnitz, Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von
Europe -- Description and travel; Saxony (Germany) -- Court and courtiers
By virtue of this Treaty, the Elector claim’d that _Prussia_ depended on
no other Power; and that he held it immediately by Divine Right; and upon
this Plea he thought himself authoriz’d to be declar’d King. But before he
took this Step, it was necessary to secure the Consent of a Part, at
least, of the Princes of the Empire. As the Emperor’s Consent was not only
the most important, but the most difficult to obtain, the whole stress of
the Negociation lay almost at the Court of _Vienna_.
When _Dankelman_ arriv’d there, he did not find the Court in a Temper to
grant it. The august Title of a King conferr’d upon an Elector, was at
first thought to be prejudicial to the Imperial Authority, and it was
look’d upon as exposing of that Dignity, to acquiesce in the Elector’s
Demand before they had at least felt the Pulses of the Generality of the
Princes of _Europe_, and especially those of the Empire. ’Twas but
reasonable to imagine the Pope would oppose it strenuously upon the score
of the Protestant Religion, which by the Elector’s Advancement might
gather fresh Strength. All Kings in general were interested not to suffer
an Instance which had a seeming Tendency to authorize every Prince to take
the same Step, on the single Pretence of being possess’d of a Bit of Land,
and holding it of no Power but God. But the Persons from whom the
greatest Objections were expected, were the Electors; and indeed they had
reason to fear, 1. That when the Elector of _Brandenburg_ came to be a
King, he wou’d no longer look upon them as his Equals, but wou’d claim
certain Distinctions from them in the Empire and in the Dyets. 2. That he
would withdraw the Dominions of his Electorate from the Obedience of the
Empire, and from the Laws to which all the other Electors were subject.
This Article was of the utmost consequence to them, especially with regard
to the Contingent they are oblig’d to furnish towards Wars which concern
the Empire, and which are the more burthensome, the fewer Heads they fall
upon.
These being then the Notions of the Court of _Vienna_, _Dankelman_ had no
great Hopes of succeeding in his Negociation. Nevertheless the Court
always took care to keep fair with the Elector, whom they look’d upon as
an Ally that was well worth preserving; and perhaps they flatter’d
themselves they should get more by Promises and Expectations than by
granting him his Demand.
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