▁a ▁substantial ▁town ▁( also ▁named ▁Cor vey ) ▁had ▁grown ▁up ▁around ▁the ▁ab bey . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 2 6 5 , ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁town ▁of ▁Hö xter , ▁je alous ▁of ▁its ▁nearby ▁rival ▁and ▁its ▁Wes er ▁bridge , ▁al lied ▁itself ▁with ▁the ▁Bishop ▁of ▁P ader born ▁and ▁their ▁troops ▁destroyed ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Cor vey ▁and ▁dam aged ▁the ▁ab bey . ▁The ▁town ▁never ▁recovered ▁and ▁over ▁the ▁following ▁dec ades ▁revert ed ▁to ▁a ▁small ▁village . ▁This ▁event ▁marked ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁long ▁period ▁of ▁decl ine ▁of ▁the ▁ab bey . ▁ ▁The ▁Re formation ▁threatened ▁Cor vey ▁as ▁it ▁did ▁the ▁other ▁ecc les iast ical ▁territ ories ▁in ▁north - west ▁Germany ▁but ▁the ▁pr inc ely ▁ab bey ▁did ▁surv ive ▁somewhat ▁prec ari ously ▁as ▁a ▁self - r uling ▁princip ality ▁at ▁the ▁border ▁of ▁Protest ant ▁Brun sw ick ▁and ▁H esse - K ass el . ▁From ▁the ▁mid - 1 6 th ▁century ▁on ward , ▁the ▁prince - ab bot ▁and ▁his ▁mon ks ▁ran ▁the ▁administration ▁in ▁co operation ▁with ▁a ▁partly ▁Protest ant ▁assembly ▁consisting ▁of ▁three ▁noble ▁families , ▁one ▁town ▁( H ö xter ) ▁and ▁a ▁pre late . ▁The ▁prince - ab bot , ▁who ▁had ▁seat ▁and ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁Reich stag ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁R uling ▁Prin ces , ▁took ▁only ▁a ▁mod est ▁part ▁in ▁imperial ▁affairs