InSpainandtheEmpireSpainfiguredlittleinEuropetillthelatterpartofthefifteenthcentury；
tillCastileandArragonwereunitedbythemarriageofFerdinandandIsabella；
tillthetotalexpulsionoftheMoors，andtillthediscoveryoftheWestIndies。Afterthis，notonlySpaintookanewform，andgrewintoimmensepower；but，theheirofFerdinandandIsabellabeingheirlikewiseofthehousesofBurgundyandAustria，suchanextentofdominionaccruedtohimbyallthesesuccessions，andsuchanadditionofrankandauthoritybyhiselectiontotheempire，asnoprincehadbeenmasterofinEuropefromthedaysofCharlestheGreat。ItispropertoobserveherehowthepolicyoftheGermansalteredinthechoiceofanemperor；becausetheeffectsofthisalterationhavebeengreat。WhenRodolphusofHapsburgwaschoseintheyearonethousandtwohundredandseventy，oraboutthattime，thepovertyandthelowestateofthisprince，whohadbeenmarshalofthecourttoakingofBohemia，wasaninducementtoelecthim。Thedisorderlyandlawlessstateoftheempiremadetheprincesofitinthosedaysunwillingtohaveamorepowerfulhead。Butacontrarymaximtookplaceatthisera。CharlestheFifthandFrancistheFirst，thetwomostpowerfulprincesofEurope，werethesolecandidates；fortheelectorofSaxony，whoissaidtohavedeclined，wasratherunabletostandincompetitionwiththem：andCharleswaschosenbytheunanimoussuffragesoftheelectoralcollege，ifImistakenot。AnotherCharles，CharlestheFourth，whowasmadeemperorillegallyenoughonthedepositionofLouisofBavaria，andaboutonehundredandfiftyyearsbefore，seemstometohavecontributeddoublytoestablishthismaxim；bythewiseconstitutionsthatheprocuredtopass，thatunitedtheempireinamoreorderlyformandbettersystemofgovernment；andbyalienatingtheimperialrevenuestosuchadegree，thattheywerenolongersufficienttosupportanemperorwhohadnotgreatrevenuesofhisown。Thesamemaximandothercircumstanceshaveconcurredtokeeptheempireinthisfamilyeversince，asithadbeenoftenbefore；andthisfamilyhavinglargedominionsintheempire，andlargerpretensions，aswellasdominions，outofit，theotherstatesofEurope，France，SpainandEnglandparticularly，havebeenmoreconcernedsincethisperiodintheaffairsofGermany，thantheywerebeforeit：andbyconsequencethehistoryofGermany，fromthebeginningofthesixteenthcentury，isofimportance，andanecessarypartofthatknowledgewhichyourlordshipdesirestoacquire。
TheDutchcommonwealthwasnotformedtillnearacenturylater。Butassoonasitwasformed，nayevenwhilstitwasforming，theseprovinces，thatwerelosttoobservationamongthemanythatcomposedthedominionsofBurgundyandAustria，becamesoconsiderableapartofthepoliticalsystemofEurope，thattheirhistorymustbestudiedbyeverymanwhowouldinformhimselfofthissystem。
Soonafterthisstatehadtakenbeing，othersofamoreancientoriginalbegantomingleinthosedisputesandwars，thosecouncils，negotiations，andtreaties，thataretobetheprincipalobjectsofyourlordship’sapplicationinthestudyofhistory。Thatofthenortherncrownsdeservesyourattentionlittle，beforethelastcentury。TilltheelectionofFrederictheFirsttothecrownofDenmark，andtillthatwonderfulrevolutionwhichthefirstGustavusbroughtaboutinSweden，itisnothingmorethanaconfusedrhapsodyofevents，inwhichthegreatkingdomsandstatesofEuropeneitherhadanyconcern，nortookanypart。FromthetimeIhavementioned，thenortherncrownshaveturnedtheircounselsandtheirarmsoftensouthwards，andSwedenparticularly，withprodigiouseffect。