The estate of the Empire, or, An abridgement of the laws and government of Germany cast into dialogues for the greater conveniency of a young prince that was instructed therein / by Lewis Du-May ... ; translated into French by D'Alexis Esq. ... ; now faithfully rendered into English.

VI. Dialogue.

This Dialogue will give you a perfect know∣ledge of the Ecclesiastical Princes of Germany; wherein he shows how many there were in former times, and how many there are now, as well Bi∣shops, Abbots, Abbesses, as other Ecclesiastical Prelates. How many Orders of Knighthood, what power they have, and what observance they are under. And because ordinarily some Churchman is Director of the Circles of the Empire, he speaks of the Directors of all the Circles; then he dis∣courses of every Bishoprick in particular: And afterwards he passes to the Abbots, and to the ori∣ginal of the Teutonique Knights; how they be∣came so potent, and how they have lost those great Provinces they had acquired. After that, he shows how the Prelates are become so rich; how they obtain their Dignities, which he makes appear not to be after the same manner now as anciently.