Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/71

 Germany before the Protestant Revolt 33 and free towns to obey any particular desire of his unless he first convoke all the Empire to a diet. . . . The king of the Romans, or emperor, who proposes in the interest of the Empire to have a careful deliberation, sends a summons to each prince, whether ecclesiastical or secular, and to each of the free towns, that they should all within two months, or three, or whatever time may seem good to him, come together in a certain place, either in per- son or through representatives or substitutes, on business of importance to the Empire. And all those who are sum- moned are obliged to come within the limit set ; and if they do not come, they incur whatever penalty the king shall impose upon them ; and if they do not pay the penalty, they may be excommunicated 1 by the emperor, just as one is excommunicated by the pope. In this case it is free to all to rob and kill the person excommunicated. For this reason every one takes care to come to the diet or send a representative, and not to disobey the emperor in any mat- ter in which, with the consent of the Empire, he may com- mand. . . . When all the princes and representatives have presented themselves, either in person or through their substitutes, the diet opens. The king, or emperor, declares the object and cause for the calling of the diet ; he then submits a pro- posal ; the princes remain in consultation some days and then make their answer. This the king accepts, and makes another proposition (" iterum" as it is called), and so busi- ness proceeds, the diet either taking action or postponing its decision to another time. In this way two and some- times three months pass. But the princes or their representatives do not spend all their time in deliberating upon the matters for which the diet was summoned, but settle as well a thousand controversies between prince and prince, between free towns and princes, and between one town and another ; they make, moreover, divers provisions according as necessity demands. 1 Namely, put to the ban, i.e. outlawed. For an illustration, see below pp. 87 sq. How the diet is summoned The ban. Method of procedure in the diet. Disputes adjusted by the diet.