OMYN

The Golden Bull of Charles IV of Germany, Emperor of the
Holy Roman Empire, first published at the Diet of Nuremberg
in 1356, was a charter--sometimes called the "Magna Charta
of Germany"--regulating the election of the emperor. It was
called "golden" because the seal attached to the parchment
on which it was engrossed was of gold instead of the
customary lead. In a diet at Metz in the same year six
additional clauses were promulgated.

By some historians the origin of the imperial electoral
college is assigned to the year 1125, when at the election
of Lothair II certain of the nobles and church dignitaries
made a selection of candidates to be voted for. But until
the promulgation of the Golden Bull the constitution and
prerogatives of the college were never definitely
ascertained.

The personal traits and the languid reign of Charles IV have
been treated by historians with derision. He forgot the
general welfare of the empire in his eagerness to enrich his
own house and aggrandize his paternal kingdom of Bohemia.
The one remarkable law which emanated from him, and whereby
alone his reign is distinguished in the constitutional
history of the empire, is that embodied in the Golden Bull.
By this instrument the dignity of the electors was greatly
enhanced, and the disputes which had arisen between members
of the same house as to their right of suffrage were
terminated. The number of electors was absolutely restricted
to seven.

After a solemn invocation of the Trinity, a reprobation of the seven
deadly sins, and a pointed allusion to the seven candlesticks and the
seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, the Golden Bull proceeds to the subject
of the imperial election. It provides, in the first place, for the safe
conduct of the seven electors to and from Frankfort-on-the-Main, which
is fixed as the place of election; it directs the archbishop of Mainz to
summon the electors upon the death of the emperor, and regulates the
manner in which their proxies are to be appointed; it enjoins the
citizens of Frankfort to protect the assembled electors; and forbids
them to admit any stranger into the city during the election.

It next prescribes the form of oath to be taken by the electors; and
also forbids them to quit the city before the completion of the
election; and after thirty days restricts their diet to bread and water.
A majority of votes is to decide the electio