text_original: The breaking up of the old Duchies of Franconia and Swabia had largely increased the number of tenants in  chief, landowners that is, holding straight from the Emperor himself ; and quite insignificant nobles, small towns and even villages often claimed the head of the Empire as their immediate overlord. This multiplica  tion of estates was aided by the very usual practice of dividing the property of a dead man amongst all his sons, instead of giving the whole to the eldest.
text_transcription: THE BREAKING UP OF THE OLD DUCHIES OF FRONCONIA AND CHEVABIA HAD LARGELY INCREASED THE NUMBER OF TENANTS IN CHIEF LANDOWNERS THAT IS HOLDING STRAIGHT FROM THE EMPEROR HIMSELF AND QUITE INSIGNIFICANT NOBLES SMALL TOWNS AND EVEN VILLAGES OFTEN CLAIMED THE HEAD OF THE EMPIRE AS THEIR IMMEDIATE OVERLORD THIS MULTIPLICATION OF ESTATES WAS AIDED BY THE VERY USUAL PRACTICE OF DIVIDING THE PROPERTY OF A DEAD MAN AMONGST ALL HIS SONS INSTEAD OF GIVING THE WHOLE TO THE ELDEST
phonemes: ðə bɹˈeɪkɪŋ ˌʌp ʌvðɪ ˈoʊld dˈʌtʃiz ʌv fɹæŋkˈoʊniə ænd swˈɑːbiə hæd lˈɑːɹdʒli ɪŋkɹˈiːst ðə nˈʌmbɚɹ ʌv tˈɛnənts ɪn tʃˈiːf, lˈændoʊnɚz ðæt ˈɪz, hˈoʊldɪŋ stɹˈeɪt fɹʌmðɪ ˈɛmpɚɹɚ hɪmsˈɛlf ; ænd kwˈaɪt ˌɪnsɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt nˈoʊbəlz, smˈɔːl tˈaʊnz ænd ˈiːvən vˈɪlɪdʒᵻz ˈɔfən klˈeɪmd ðə hˈɛd ʌvðɪ ˈɛmpaɪɚɹ æz ðɛɹ ɪmˈiːdɪət ˈoʊvɚlˌɔːɹd. ðɪs mˌʌltˈɪplɪkə tɪˈɑːn ʌv ᵻstˈeɪts wʌz ˈeɪdᵻd baɪ ðə vˈɛɹi jˈuːʒuːəl pɹˈæktɪs ʌv dᵻvˈaɪdɪŋ ðə pɹˈɑːpɚɾi əvə dˈɛd mˈæn ɐmˌʌŋst ˈɔːl hɪz sˈʌnz, ɪnstˈɛd ʌv ɡˈɪvɪŋ ðə hˈoʊl tə ðɪ ˈɛldɪst.