From the Diet of Worms to the Augsburg Confession - James Aitken Wylie

eligious domain into a secular and hereditary
duchy."
Albert, adopting the counsel of Luther, opened
to himself and his family the road that at a future
day was to conduct to the imperial crown. He
renounced his order of monk-hood, professed the
Reformed faith, married a princess of Denmark,
and declared Prussia an hereditary duchy, doing
homage for it to the crown of Poland. He was put
under the ban of the Empire; but retained,
nevertheless, possession of his dominions. In
process of time this rich inheritance fell to the
possession of the electoral branch of his family; all
dependence on the crown of Poland was cast off;
the duchy was converted into a kingdom, and the
title of duke exchanged for the loftier one of king.
The fortunes of the house continued to grow till at
last its head took his place among the great
sovereigns of Europe.
Another and higher step awaited him. In 1870,
at the close of the Franco-German war, the King of
Prussia became Emperor of Germany.
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