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of the lords complained that they liad no longer perfect powerover their slaves. So many had left them for the towns, thatthey were forced to make irruptions into the regions on theOder for the purpose of obtaining Slavonic captives, whomthey transferred to their estates and ruled with all the des-potism of former ages. Still the towns continued to grow inwealth and importance, so that when Henry IV. was aban-doned by the princes of the empire, towards the end of theeleventh Century, the merchants and mechanics of the city ofWorms armed themselves in his defence, and having expelledtheir bishop, who was the monarch's enemy, offered to sustainhim against all his adversaries. The example of these Citizenswas followed by others, and the consequence was, the townsmenobtained not only a powerful fricnd in the Emperor, but afar greater object—permission to wear weapons of war; agrant which at one blow demolished the barrier betweenfreedom and slavery. Moreover, Henry V., who had no lessneed of their support, was even a greater feiend to them,. byraising the artisans to the dignity of " Cives Opifices" anddistributing them into corporations, according to their tradesor branches of industry,

When the working Citizens, however, were thus elevatedin social rank and allowed to bear arms like the free-born, theinnovation, of course, was far from agreeable to the proudburghers and nobles, whose duty originally it was to defendthe city; but at length time wore down the feudal distinctions,and the people of the towns rose to such power as to expelthe deputies of their ducal superiors, and to be able to assertthe right of electing their own magistrates; while eventuallythey became strong enough to refuse to admit their feudallord within the gates until he had dismissed all his followers.Having learnt, too, the advantage of dwelling in fortifiedplaces, they would not allow their princes to have residences