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a　foreigner　to　share　with　him　the　high　dignity　of　a　first　German
elector　and　of　inheriting　it　after　his　death。

Dalberg　read；　perhaps；　in　the　gloomy　mien　of　the　gentlemen　the
thoughts　which　they　dared　not　utter；　for　he　hastened　to　communicate
to　the　Diet　the　motives　which　had　influenced　him　in　making　the　above
named　selection。　He　told　them　he　had　acted　thus；　not　in　his　own
interest；　but　in　order　to　maintain　the　menaced　constitution　of　the
German　empire；　and　to　place　it　under　Napoleon's　powerful　protection。
He　then　informed　them　joyfully　that　the　Emperor　of　the　French　had
already　approved　of　the　appointment　of　his　uncle；　Cardinal　Fesch；
and　promised；　moreover；　that　he　would　devote　his　personal　attention
to　the　regeneration　of　the　German　empire　and　always　afford　it
protection。

The　members　of　the　Diet　had　moodily　listened　to　him；　their　air　had
become　more　and　more　dissatisfied　and　gloomy；　and　when　the　elector
paused；　not　a　single　voice　was　heard　to　propose　the　vote　of　thanks
which　Dalberg；　on　concluding　his　remarks；　had　asked　for；　but　only　a
profound；　ominous　stillness　followed　his　speech。

This；　however；　was　the　only　official　demonstration　which　the　German
Diet　ventured　to　make　against　the　appointment　of　Cardinal　Fesch；　and
their　silence　did　not　prevent　the　consummation　of　this　unparalleled
measure。　A　foreigner；　not　even　familiar　with　the　German　language；
now　became　coadjutor　of　the　archchancellor　of　the　German　empirea
foreigner　became　the　first　member　of　the　German　electoral　collegea
foreigner　was　to　have　the　seals　of　the　empire　in　his　hands；　keep　the
laws　of　Germany　in　his　archives；　and　preside　at　the　election　of　the
emperors　and　at　the　sessions　of　the　Diet！

And　this　foreigner　was　the　uncle　of　the　Emperor　of　the　French；　of
the　conqueror　of　the　world。　But　the　German　Diet　was　silent　and
suffered　on。

The　horizon　of　Germany　became　more　and　more　clouded；　the　Diet
continued　its　sessions　quietly；　calmly；　and　inaudibly　in　the　old
city…hall　at　Ratisbon。

It　was　reported　everywhere　that　the　Emperor　of　France　was　about　to
give　a　new　constitution　to　the　German　empire；　and　that　the　Emperor
of　Germany　had　pledged　himself　in　the　treaty　of　Presburg　not　to
oppose　the　plans　of　Napoleon　in　relation　to　Germany。

The　Diet　paid　no　attention　to　these　rumors；　it　remained　in　session；
and　did　not　interrupt　its　silence。　It　remained　in　session　while　the
secondary　German　princes；　whose　ambassadors　were　assembled　in
Ratisbon；　hastened　in　person　to　Paris；　in　order　to　appear　there　as
humble　supplicants　in　the　anterooms　of　the　emperor　and　Talleyrand；
and　to　win　the　favor　of　Napoleon　and　his　minister。　This　favor；　they
hoped；　would　gain　for　them　crowns　and　states；　render　them　powerful
and　influential；　and　give　them　a　brilliant　position。　For　Talleyrand
had　secretly　whispered　into　the　ears　of　all　of　them：　〃Those　who
oppose　the　emperor's　plans；　and　refuse　to　accept　his　protection；
will　be　mediatized！〃　＇Footnote：　Mediatized　position　of　the　small
German　states；　when　their　princes　were　under　an　emperor。＇　Every　one
of　these　secondary　German　princes　hoped；　therefore；　that　the　others
would　be　mediatized；　and　that　he　would　receive　the　possessions　of
his　neighbors。

Every　one；　therefore；　was　most　jealous　in　protesting　his　entire
submission　to　the　emperor's　will；　and　in　trying　to　gain　as　much　as
possible　by　flattery；　bribery；　and　humble　supplication。　It　seemed　as
though　in　Paris；　in　the　anterooms　of　the　emperor　and　his　minister
Talleyrand；　a　market…booth　had　been　opened；　in　which　dice　were　being
thrown　for　German　states　and　German　crowns；　or　where　they　were　sold
at　auction　to　the　highest　bidder！　＇Footnote：　Enormous　bribes　were
paid　by　the　German　princes　to　win　the　favor　of　the　prominent
functionaries　of　the　French　empire；　in　order　to　be　saved　by　their
influence　from　being　mediatized；　and　to　obtain　as　valuable　additions
to　their　territories　as　possible。　Diplomatic　gifts　were　not　even
secretly　distributed；　but　the　business　was　carried　on　as　publicly　as
if　the　persons　concerned　in　it　had　been　on　'change。　Everybody　knew
that　the　Prince　of　Salm…Kyrburg　had　bought　of　one　of　the　French
ministers　two　hundred　thousand　bottles　of　champagne　at　an　enormous
rate；　that　Labesnardiere；　Talleyrand's　first　secretary；　had　received
half　a　million　of　francs　from　Hesse　Darmstadt；　and　that　the　Duke　of
Mecklenburg　had　promised　him　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand
Fredericks　d'ors　if　he　should　retain　his　sovereignty。Vide
Montgaillard；　〃Histoire　de　France；〃　vol。　x。；　p。　115。＇

The　Diet　heard　only　rumors；　vague　rumors；　about　these　proceedings；
and　remained　quietly　in　session。　It　met　every　day　and　waited。

And　at　length；　on　the　1st　of　August；　1806；　the　large　doors　of　the
hall；　in　which　the　ambassadors　of　the　German　empire　were　assembled；
opened；　and　the　minister　of　the　French　emperor　appeared　in　their
midst；　and　approached　in　solemn　earnest　the　green　table；　on　which
hitherto　Germany　alone　had　had　the　right　to　depose　her　notes　and
declarations；　and　on　which　hitherto　the　German　Diet　alone　had
written　laws　for　Germany。

But　Bacher；　the　French　minister；　came　to　force　a　new　law　upon　the
German　Dietthe　law　of　the　French　emperor。

The　representative　of　the　French　emperor　addressed　the　German　Diet
in　a　solemn　tone；　and　as　the　vast　session…hall　echoed　the　loud；
imperious　voice　of　the　foreigner；　it　seemed　as　if　he　called　up　from
their　graves　the　ghosts　of　past　centuries；　and　as　if　they　then
placed　themselves　like　a　protecting　gray　cloud　before　the　menaced
Diet。

〃The　German　constitution；〃　said　the　minister　of　France〃the　German
constitution　is　now　but　a　shadow；　the　Diet　has　ceased　to　have　a　will
of　its　own。　Hence　his　majesty；　the　Emperor　of　France　and　Italy；　is
not　obliged　to　recognize　the　existence　of　this　German　constitution
any　longer；　a　new　confederation　of　German　princes　will　be　formed
under　his　protection；　and　his　majesty　will　assume　the　title　of
Protector　of　the　Confederation　of　the　Rhine。　In　order　to　maintain
peace；　he　declared　formerly　that　he　would　never　extend　the
boundaries　of　France　beyond　the　Rhine；　and　he　has　faithfully　kept
his　word。〃　＇Footnote：　〃Memoires　d'un　Homme　d'Etat；〃　vol。　ix。；　p。
160。＇

And　after　Bacher　had　uttered　these　words；　sixteen　members　of　the
Diet；　twelve　princes；　and　four　electors；　rose　from　their　seats。　The
first　of　the　German　electors；　the　archchancellor　of　the　empire；
Charles　Theodore　von　Dalberg；　was　their　speaker；　and　he　explained　to
the　Diet；　in　the　name　of　his　fifteen　colleagues；　their　intentions
and　views。

〃The　last　three　wars　have　demonstrated；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃that　the
German　empire　is　rotten　and　virtually　destroyed；　hence　we　German
princes　of　the　south　and　west　of　Germany　will　sever　our　connection
with　a　constitution　which　has　ceased　to　exist；　and　place　ourselves
under　the　protection　of　the　Emperor　of　the　French；　who　is　anxious　to
secure　the　welfare　and　prosperity　of　Germany。　We　have　formed　a
confederation　among　ourselves；　and　the　Emperor　of　the　French　will　be
the　head　and　protector　of　this　league；　which　will　be　called　the
Confederation　of　the　Rhine。　Solemnly　and　forever　do　we；　princes　of
the　German　Confederation　of　the　Rhine；　renounce　the　German　empire
and　the　German　Diet；　acknowledging　none　but　the　Emperor　of　the
French　as　our　head　and　protector。〃

〃Yes；　we　renounce　the　German　empire　and　the　German　Diet；〃　exclaimed
the　sixteen　princes；　in　one　breath。　〃We　renounce　them　now　and
forever！〃

And　they　noisily　pushed　aside　the　high…backed　arm…chairs；　on　which
the　representatives　of　their　states　had　sat　for　centuries；　and　left
the　session…hall　in　a　solemn　procession；　headed　by　the
archchancellor　of　the　empire。　＇Footnote：　The　members　of　the
Confederation　of　the　Rhine　were　Bavaria；　Wurtemberg；　Baden；　the
archchancellor　with　his　territory；　Berg；　Hesse…Darmstadt；　Nassau…
Weilburg；　Nassau…Usingen；　Hohenzollern…Hechingen；　Hohenzollern…
Sigmaringen；　Salm…Salm；　Salm…Kyrberg；　Isenburg；　Aremberg；
Lichtenstein；　and　Von　der　Leyen。＇

The　remaining　members　of　the　Diet　gazed　on　them　in　profound　silence；
and　when　the　door　closed　behind　the　disappearing　princes　of　the
Confederation　of　the　Rhine；　it　seemed　as　though　strange　sounds　and
whisperings　filled　the　old　hall；　and　as　though　low　sighs　and
lamentations　resounded　from　the　walls　where　the　portraits　of　the
emperors　were　hanging。

The　remaining　members　of　the　Diet　were　filled　with　awe；　the　sixteen
vacant　chairs　struck　terror　into　their　souls；　they　rose　silently
from　their　seats　and　left　the　hall　with　hasty　steps。

But　on　the　following　day　the　German　Diet　met　again。　It　wanted　to
consult　and　deliberate　as　to　what　ought　to　be　done　in　relation　to
the　desertion　of　sixteen　of　its　members。

And　it　consulted　and　deliberated　for　six　days　without　coming　to　any
decision。　But　on　the　sixth　day　a　stop　was　put　to　the　debates。

On　the　6th　of　August　a　special　envoy　of　the　Emperor　of　Germany
appeared　at　the　city…hall　of　Ratisbon　while　the　Diet　was　in　session。
He　approached　the　green　table　and　saluted　the　small　remnant　of　the
great　assembly；　and　producing　a　large　letter　bearing　the　emperor's
privy　seal；　said　in　a　loud　and　solemn　voice：　〃In　the　name　of　the
emperor！〃

And　the　members　of　the　Diet　rose　f