[p. 571]
Since Charles V the Spanish and Austrian monarchies have no longer been united, and for a century both have been possessed by entirely different families. Austria has lost great provinces, France and England have risen to an equal greatness of power, Prussia and Russia have formed; Austria has long since ceased to be the monarchy that would have had no equal in Europe. A system of the European balance has formed, that is, a system by virtue of which ordinarily all the powers of Europe take an interest in a war and each power is prevented from reaping the fruits even of the most fortunate war, either alone or [only in] proportion to the advantages it has won. Wars have in themselves so much altered their nature that the conquest of a couple of islands or a province costs efforts of many years, immense sums, etc.
The idea of a universal monarchy has always been an empty word. That it was not carried out, when the plan was conceived, shows the impossibility of its execution and thus the emptiness of this thought; but in more recent times there can no longer be any talk of it.
Notwithstanding this, Austria remains overpowerful in Germany, that is, more powerful than any German estate is, more powerful than many of them together. At the same time, however, Prussia has come into this very relation. Austria and Prussia stand on an equal rank with regard to a danger for the German estates. What was otherwise called German freedom would have to guard itself against both.
[10. Civic Freedom and the Freedom of the Estates]
Of two principles – the danger to the Protestant religion and the fear [of] universal monarchy – by the seizing of which it has become possible for a state to obtain great influence in Germany, the former is no more; with regard to the latter, the desire to aggrandise itself at the
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