Chancellor (Lat. cancellarius). It is said that the chief notary or scribe of the Roman emperor was called chancellor, either because he was intrusted with the power of obliterating, cancelling, or crossing out (cancellare, 'to make lattice-work') such expressions in the edicts of the prince as seemed to him to be at variance with the laws, or otherwise erroneous; or (more probably) because he sat intra cancellos, within the lattice-work or railings (cancelli) which were erected to protect the emperor from the crowding of the people when he sat in judgment. Neither the title nor the office of chancellor is at all peculiar to England. The chancellor of France (Chancelier de France) from a very early time was an officer of state of great power and dignity, under whom several other officers, bearing also the title of chancellor, were employed in the administration of justice and in the defence of the public order. The office was abolished at the Revolution; and though it was restored by the Bourbons, many of the functions of the old chancellor were transferred to the minister of justice, and have ever since been held by him.
In most of the other countries of Europe there are officers of state who bear this or analogous titles, though their powers and duties are very various. In medieval Germany the archbishop and elector of Mainz was Arch-chancellor of the Holy Roman empire, and appointed a Vice-chancellor. The chief functionary in the Austrian empire has often been termed chancellor; and on the reconstitution of the German empire, Prince Bismarck was made 'Chancellor of the Empire' (Reichskanzler).
The Russian minister of Foreign Affairs is sometimes called Vice-chancellor. Besides these state-chancellors, there were officers in many other capacities to whom the title was given. Every bishop has his chancellor in the Church of Rome, and there are still chancellors of cathedrals, dioceses, universities, &c.