EMPIRE, or The empire, used absolutely and without any addition, signifies the empire of Germany: called also, in juridical acts and laws, The holy Roman empire. It had its beginning with the ninth century; Charlemagne being created first emperor by Pope Leo III. who put the crown on his head in St Peter's church on Christmas-day in the year 800.
Authors are at a loss under what form of government to range the empire. Some of them maintain it to be a monarchical state, because all the members thereof are obliged to ask the investiture of their states of the emperor, and to take an oath of fidelity to him. Others consider it as a republic, or aristocratic state, because the emperor cannot resolve or determine any thing without the concurring suffrages of the princes. It is added, that if they require investiture from, and swear fealty to him, it is only as head of the republic, and in the name of the republic, and not in his own; just as at Venice every thing is transacted in name of the doge. Others will have the empire to be a monarcho-aristocratic state, i. e. a mixture of monarchy and aristocracy; because, though the emperor in many cases seems to act sovereignly, yet his decrees and resolves have no force, in case the state refuse to confirm them. Lastly, it has been called an aristocratic state, because the diet, wherein the sovereignty is lodged, is composed of princes and the deputies of the cities; and is divided into three orders or bodies, called colleges, viz. the college of electors, the college of princes, and the college of cities.
We say, diet of the empire, circles of the empire, fiefs of the empire, princes of the empire, estates of the empire, members of the empire, capitulations of the empire. See DIET, CIRCLE, PRINCE, CAPITULATION, &c.
The states or estates of the empire are of two kinds, mediate and immediate. The immediate states are those who hold immediately of the empire: Whereof, again, there are two kinds; the first, such as have seats and voices in the imperial diet; the second, such as have none. The mediate states are those who hold of the immediate.
The states which now compose the empire are, The princes of the empire, the counts of the empire, the free barons of the empire, the prelates of the empire, the princesses or abbesses of the empire, the nobles of the empire, and the imperial cities.