The church revolted against nature, then the castle revolted against the church, then the city revolted against the castle, then the individual revolted against the city... This was a series of revolts repeated in almost every country in Europe, but never was it more evident, more profound in its impact, or more worthy of study than it was in the German countries in particular. The power of nature was great in every land, but never greater than in the land where north and south met, which sang to nature, sanctified it, and preserved from its singing and sanctification of nature a common instrument in its arts and worship to this day. The power of the church was great in every nation, but never greater than in the nation on which the pillars of the "sacred state" were built and over which the priesthood dominated until it pushed it to the Reformation. The power of the castle was great in every country, but never greater than in the countries where the princes divided their states into states, and the states were divided into provinces, and where the period of feudalism extended into the twentieth century, and where the veneration of the nobility became a religion alongside religion; so that the Saxon nobles once complained about their children being baptized with the same water as the children of the lowly! The power of the city was great in every country, but never greater than in the country where the "free cities" were famous and where they were independent in their interests, systems, and constitutions.