DALBERG, KARL THEODOR ANTON MARIA VON, was born on the 8th of February 1744, at Hernsheirn. The barony of Dalberg was the oldest in Germany, and his father held high offices under the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz. Young Dalberg received a sound elti cation at home, and when only fifteen was sent to the University of Gottingen, whence he removed to that of Heidelberg, where in 1761 he received the degree of LL.D. He then travelled for a while, and on his return resolved to devote himself to the clerical profession, for which purpose he studied theology and the canon law at Worms, Manheim, and Mainz. He soon received ecclesiastical preferment, being made a prebendary of Mainz, and a canon of Wurzburg and Worms. In 1772 he received the appointment of governor of Erfurt, and during his long continuance In that office distinguished himself highly by his judicious and benevolent conduct. He was unwearied iu art, science, commerce, and agriculture; and the little town and district nnder his government flourished so remarkably as to testify to his capabilities for a higher situation. He maintained an Intercourse luring his whole life with the highest minds of Germany—Herder, Giithe, Wieland, Schiller, &c. His abilities and virtues attracted the attention of the Emperor Joseph and of Frederick the Great, by whose influence, in 1787, he was chosen coadjutor in the archbishopric and electorate of Mainz, to which, on the death of the archbishop in 1802, he succeeded, as also to the dignity of archchancellor of the etnpire. By the treaty of Luneville however the electorate was abolished, part if the territory surrendered to France, and the remainder secularised. In order to recompense him in some degree, the districts of Ratiebon, itschaffenburg, and Wetzlar were assigned to him.
In 1804 Dalberg went to Paris to arrange with Pope Pius VII. the drain of the German Roman Catholio Church, and to obtain, if possi ble, some milder terms from Napoleon. This journey brought him oto ill repute With his countrymen, who, from the extreme corn dalliance he evinced, naming Cardinal Fesch as his successor, and secoming a corresponding member of the Institute, believed that he sad sacrificed his country in order to forward his own preferment.
[le certainly became a favourite with Napoleon, who caused him to be bade Prince-Primate of the Rhenish Confederation, and President of he Assembly of the States. In 1810 he surrendered the principality if Madam to Bavaria, and Napoleon in consequence created him Grand-Duke of Frankfurt, with a condition that Engeno Beanharnois, Napoleon's step-son, should be named his successor instead of Cardinal Feech. Dalberg's grandeur however was very evanescent. In 1813 he was forced to renounce all his secular acquisitions, and withdraw him self to his epiritual duties as archbishop of Ratisbon, the only dignity he retained,-and in that town he died on the 10th of February 1817.
Throughout his career Dalberg maintained his character for active benevolence. During his last residence at Ratisbon, notwithstanding his age, he fulfilled the duties of his office in an efficient and coo. ecientious manner, relieving the poor, assisting the industrious, encou raging tho good, and reproving the bad, alike by his example and his discourse, in which he was never severe or impatient. As a scholar his reputation was very high, and there were few branches of art or science of which he had not considerable knowledge. his writings were chiefly on subjects of practical philosophy and resthetics, which a winning eloquence of style rendered very popular. The principal are, ' Betrachturig fiber das Universum ' (' Contemplations of the Universe'), 1777; Ornndsiisse der rEsthetik' (' Principles of sEs. thirties '), 1701 ; ' Von dem Bewustsein ale allgemeinem Grunde der Weltweisheit (' Of the Memory as the General Foundation of Know ledge), 1793; Von dem Einflusse der Wisseuschafteu and Ktinste in Beziehung auf offentliche Ruhe ' (' On the Influence of the Sciences and Arta with reference to the Public Quiet '), 1793; and Perikles, fiber den Einfluss der ischonen Kunsto auf das offentliche Gluck' (' Pericles, on the Influence of the Fine Arta on the Public Pros perity'), 1S06. He also contributed many valuable papers to various German periodical works.