THE BURGUNDIAN WARS (Count Francois I)
The inheritance of the estates Count Antoine had so diminished by his
improvident generosity was bitterly contested by the husbands of his two
sisters, but the duke of Savoy did not hesitate to recognize the rights
of his legitimized descendants, and Francois I of Gruyere and his
brother Jean of Montsalvens entered without difficulty into the
enjoyment of their inheritances. Count Francois, flower of the race of
pastoral kings, presents one more historical example of the brilliant
intellect, of the abounding vitality and extraordinary beauty with which
nature--unheeding law--seems unwisely to sanction the overwhelming
preference and inclination of unmarried lovers. A celebrated chronicler
of Zurich who had seen the famous personage whom the historians describe
as "the handsomest noble in Romand Switzerland," records in Latin how
greatly he exceeded in his noble proportions and mighty stature the
majority of mankind, and spoke also of his armor, fit for giants, which
was long preserved in the chateau of Gruyere.
Becoming in his youth the favorite companion and support of Amedee IX,
during his early years in Italy, he was entrusted by that gentle ruler,
when he acceded to the ducal throne of Savoy, with every important
office in his domain. Governor and Bailli of Vaud, "conseiller" and
"chambellan" of the court, he was chatelain of Moudon and Faucigny,
military governor of the great fortress of Montbeliard; and finally, as
marechal of Savoy, became the general-in-chief of all his forces. When
Amedee, resigning his flute playing and his many charities, returned to
Italy and abandoned his throne to the Duchess Yolande--worthy sister of
Louis the XI of France--Francois de Gruyere was still the principal
support of the throne. The virtual governor by reason of his judicial
and military administration of the whole duchy of Savoy, Count Francois
of Gruyere did not neglect to continue and to strengthen the amicable
relations of his house with Fribourg. Winning prizes in its tournaments,
taking part in all its fetes and often dwelling in the imposing chateau
which he had erected within its gates, he became a personage of the
utmost importance and influence with the city authorities, and
persuaded them to renounce their alliance with the dukes of Austria and
swear allegiance to Savoy. In the triumphal entry which he made therein,
on the occasion of the formal signing of its vassalage to its new
suzerain, his splendid appearance as he advanced mounted and in armor,
followed by the bishop of Lausanne, the court of justice and all the
authorities of Fribourg, is recorded in the annals of the city. Equally
respected at Berne, he indefatigably labored with the proud and
stiffnecked council of its citizens until they also consented to form an
alliance with Savoy. But although frequently residing at Fribourg or at
the ducal court of Chambery, and absent for the most part in the
administration of his multifarious offices, he did not forget Gruyere,
where he wisely and economically regulated the finances, increased and
improved the herds, and effectually restrained the people in their
habitual depredations upon the possessions of Berne and Fribourg.
But Switzerland, the battlefield of so many warring powers, was now to
become the scene of a European drama, of rival principalities and
potentates avid of world control--a family tragedy of the related rulers
of France, Germany, Burgundy and Savoy. By his delegated rule of the
latter country, Francois de Gruyere, although playing his part only in
the prologue, took his place beside the great figures of the Emperor
Ferdinand of Germany, Louis XI of France, the Duchess Yolande and their
magnificent cousin Charles the Bold of Burgundy. Sent by his father,
Charles VII of France, at the head of the redoubtable Armagnacs, to help
the German emperor to subdue the Confederated Cantons, the dauphin Louis
XI had such a taste of the quality of the Swiss soldier as he was never
afterwards to forget, when, at the battle of St. Jacques, fighting as
heroes never fought before, snatching the arrows from their bleeding
wounds, battling to the last, fourteen hundred Swiss despatched eight
thousand French and Austrians with eleven hundred of their horses. Such
soldiers Louis XI preferred as allies rather than antagonists and, when
he succeeded to the throne made haste to attach them to his cause. He
was wiser in this than his sister Yolande, who assured of the precious
alliance with the leading cities of the Swiss Confederates, lately so
ably negotiated by the count of Gruyere, paid less attention to
preserving their friendship, than to her ambitious designs upon the vast
territories and untold wealth of Burgundy. These territories she dreamed
of annexing to Savoy through a marriage with Marie, daughter and heiress
of Duke Charles and her young son Philibert, and for this reason took
sides with the duke against France and her treacherous brother. Taking
Hannibal and Alexander as his models, the duke of Burgundy, already
ruler of the Flemish provinces and the richest potentate in Europe,
dreamed of a kingdom which should extend from the Atlantic to the
Mediterranean and as far as the borders of the Rhine. With the alliance
of the German emperor, he saw the possibility of a still further
extension of his power, and for this reason promised his daughter to the
heir of the empire, Maximilian. With the passing of her hopes for this
coveted marriage alliance, the Duchess Yolande was content to maintain
her alliance with Duke Charles, and to preserve her regency under his
protection and support, little dreaming of the swift and terrible
destruction which awaited him in the shadow of the Alps.
That destruction stealthily prepared by all the arts at the command of
the most malevolently skilful monarch who ever wore a crown, was not at
the outset so lightly defied by the great duke of Burgundy, who had no
mind to alienate the country of Romand Switzerland, which had originally
formed a part of his own domain, and was still allied to its divided
half by a common language and centuries of amicable commercial
relations. Supported by the Duchess Yolande, he was still more closely
allied with his brother-in-law, the able Jacques de Savoy, who was count
of Romont and ruler of the whole Savoyard country of Vaud. An early
comrade of Duke Charles, he had been appointed marechal of his Flemish
provinces, and by this office maintained the close relations between
Romand Switzerland and Burgundy. But Louis devilishly and implacably
planning his rival cousin's ruin, sowed dissension between the
confederated cities and their lately acknowledged suzerain the duchess
of Savoy. Determined to attach to himself the indomitable Swiss
soldiers, he bought with pensions and unlimited promises the alliance of
Berne and Fribourg and the associated cantons of German Switzerland.
Divided between French and German-speaking inhabitants, the French
citizens in the two cities who were loyal to Savoy and sympathetic with
their Burgundian cousins, were outwitted by Louis' agent, his former
page Nicholas de Diesbach. In October of the year 1474, the adherents of
Louis in Berne had so prevailed that war was formally declared against
Burgundy by the confederates, and in November before the fortress of
Hericourt, Louis' brother-in-law the Archduke Sigismund of Austria, with
the assistance of the Bernois, inflicted the first bloody defeat upon
Duke Charles. Messengers were then sent by Charles to Berne to treat for
peace but with no result, and two months later the Bernois, who had
already seized a Savoy fortress in the Jura, took possession of three
chateaux in the Pays de Vaud belonging to Count Romont. Justly indignant
at this invasion of the Savoy territory, the duchess sent the Count de
Gruyere to Berne to remonstrate against the infraction of the still
existing alliance with her house. A strange reception was accorded him.
No penitence for the unwarranted attack upon the Savoy fortresses, but
an insolent ultimatum, declaring instant war unless she immediately
recalled Count Romont from his command in the Flemish provinces, and
herself declared war upon Duke Charles. No more Lombard soldiers of Duke
Charles were to be permitted to pass through the Bernese territories,
but Swiss soldiers unarmed or armed should pass at their discretion.
Equally unsuccessful with Fribourg, the duchess, wondering "whence came
the evil wind which had blown upon the two cities," heeded no one of the
commands which had been issued by Berne, and, as double-faced though far
less skilful than her brother, still continued to negotiate with the two
cities, still permitted the Lombard troops to pass. The result was that
the Bernois addressed themselves directly to the count of Gruyere, whom
they had already forbidden to take sides with Burgundy, holding him
personally responsible for the passage of the Lombards and threatening
instant invasion of his estates. Count Francois now addressed his
friends of Fribourg, asserting that he had forbidden the passage of the
troops and so far influenced the city authorities that they sent their
advocate to their allies of Berne, asking to be released from bearing
arms against Duke Charles.
But this was the utmost that he could accomplish for his hesitating and
untrustworthy mistress, and with the refusal of Berne to release
Fribourg from assisting them in their war against Duke Charles, he
permitted his subjects to form new treaties with the cities by which,
though refusing to bear arms against Savoy, they were bound to join in
the war against Burgundy.
That the Duchess Yolande could not fail to suffer in the defeat of her
allies was no less plain to her than to her general, and threatened with
reprisals, seeing the storm gather about his head, Count Francois, sick
of heart and of body, retired to his chateau. There, fortunate in that
he was spared the necessity of openly bearing arms against the duchy he
had so long and ably governed, he died in the very moment of the
outbreak of the impending conflict.
The most illustrious of the sovereigns who presided over the destinies
of Gruyere, Francois I has left an imperishable memory and bore a unique
role in the history of the fifteenth century in Switzerland. By a
personal force and ability surpassing any of the nobles of his time, he
justified the confidence of the suzerains he successively served.
Everything possible was accomplished under his administration for the
duchy of Savoy, torn between such powers as Burgundy and France. Gloved
in velvet, the hand of Francois was of iron, but a rare judgment and
discretion characterized him, so that whether as supreme judge,
presiding as his suzerain's delegate over the tribunals of Fribourg, or
as general holding the Savoy fortresses and the Savoy armies in
readiness for defence, he supported the reign of law and justice in the
land, and so long as he lived succeeded in keeping the Savoy rulers on
their ducal throne. Never had Gruyere enjoyed such a rule, and greatly
did it redound to his credit that his little pastoral domain was
preserved in growing prosperity and independence between the threatening
and ambitious republics of Berne and Fribourg. Even in the days of his
brilliant youth when he brought his Italian bride, the noble Bonne da
Costa, from among the ladies of the Piemontaise court of Savoy, to share
with him the pleasures of his charming little domain, he showed how
strong a defender he could be of its liberties and possessions. For when
threatened by the Fribourgeois he sent them such a message, declaring
that war if they wished it should be waged with "sword and fire," as
sufficed effectually to calm the turbulent disturbers of the peace, and
induce the city authorities to the pacific relations which thereafter
were established. Again when the succession of a prince of Savoy was
contested for the bishopric of Lausanne, he superbly cut short the
deliberations of the council of prelates, saying, "Why bargain thus?
Whether they wish it or not, he shall be bishop."
The Savoy possessions suffered no curtailment during his administration,
and no flower fell from the Gruyere crown while he so splendidly wore
it, but many liberties harmonious with the growing republicanism of
Switzerland were voluntarily granted to his beloved subjects, who
inconsolably lamented their loss when the noble features and towering
form of their incomparable ruler were shut forever from mortal sight in
the church under the Gruyere hill.