Untitled - 24grammata.com

254: POLITICAL CONSEQUENCESman to allow himself to be blinded by passion ;it was toMm only the groundwork of a project which soon occupiedhis whole attention, as far as it was directed to the government of Germany, and the design of which was to maintainand increase the imperial power by the suppression of theparty opposed to him. As soon, however, as this party perceived their danger, a closer alliance, among the Protestantprinces and states, was the natural consequence.Thus, after the league of Smalcald, (1530,) both partiesstood, prepared for war, awaiting the contest ;nor wouldthis have been so long delayed, had not the emperor beenengaged upon some other of his numerous undertakings.When, at length, a lapse of sixteen years had brought matters to the point he wished, and he fairly took the field,(1546,) the result showed that the courage of his opponentswas not equalled bytheir abilities ;while the issue of thebattle of Miihlberg (1547) seemed to exceed even his boldesthopes. He had scarce, however, begun to enjoy the fruitsof his victory, when the daring hand of a stripling tore fromhis grey head the laurels which a few days sufficed to lose,but which it had taken a life of labour to collect; andMaurice, by the treaty of Passau,(1552,) dispelled alldreams theof ambition in which Charles had so long revelled.Such, in a few words, was the progress of events whichoccurred in the German empire at this momentous crisis,and which determined its future fate. But even then Germany had ceased to be the Germany of olden times.new Theand mighty interest which had been awakened, produced^ corresponding change in the politics of the empire.Its princes Bad learnt to estimate their power ; they hadthemselves in a position which obliged them to call itinto action ; apd, although the preliminary treaty of Passau,TORfirmed as it was by the subsequent peace, concluded,155,atAttgsbiiFgh,liad secured equal constitutional rightsto both the new and the old party, it was impossible thatthey should relapse into their former indolence, and with it,into their former political nonentity. Although the wordsof peace were on men's lips, they had not put away resentment and distrust from their hearts ; the new energy whichthe ikforamtion had imparted to polities remained in fullt0ree ; the two parties watched each other ready armed for