The Struggle for Geneva 115
should be allowed to return on payment of a fine.393 In this catalogue of woe,
the first sticking point was the office of vidomne.394 When a further round of
negotiations was proposed, Duke Charles declined. Then he consented to produce
the vidomne diploma in the city’s presence, but would not agree on a date until he
had assembled all his documentation. By December 1528 the diploma was still
not forthcoming.395
In January 1529 Bern took it upon itself to invite Zürich and Basel to send
mediators to fresh talks in Payerne.396 In fact—presumably at Savoy’s instigation—
the talks were transferred to St-Julien in the Genevois, whither some Mammelus
had sought refuge.397 It transpired, however, that Bern was proceeding on twin
tracks, for it had also sent troops to garrison Geneva, which was still under siege
from forces of the League of the Spoon, while simultaneously calling its irregulars
home!398 Fribourg, normally the more aggressive partner, in alarm besought Bern
to avoid war at all costs.399
Duke Charles, whether as a deliberate tactic or from sheer haplessness, was
blowing hot and cold. He rejected the draft proposals put forward at St-Julien,
instead tabling further demands of his own.400 By April he was signalling his will-
ingness to reach an amicable settlement, yet in May he was insisting that the three
cities’ Burgrecht be annulled.401 By then Bern was pondering whether it would
indeed not be better to abandon the Burgrecht altogether for the sake of peace402—
the threat to which it believed stemmed as much from Geneva as from Savoy.403
Fribourg concurred, but insisted that it should remain in place if Duke Charles
persisted in his harassment of Geneva.404 Bern was perfectly aware that Geneva
would baulk at such drastic medicine, but was quite prepared to allow Savoy to
pursue its claims through the courts, regardless of Genevan objections.405 This
hauteur—one might almost say contempt—was to characterize Bern’s attitude
towards Geneva up to 1536.
393 EA IV, 1a, 1325–6 (no. 536: 1; 2; 3; 7; 8) (May 1528).
394 EA IV, 1a, 1326–8 (no. 537: I; II) (May 1528).
395 EA IV, 1a, 1350–1 (no. 556: 2) (July 1528); 1386–8 (no. 572) (Sept. 1528); 1399–1401
(no. 574: 1; 2; 8) (Sept. 1528); 1456–8 (no. 604: 10) (Dec. 1528); SABE, Teutsche Missiven-Buch
20 R, fo. 128r: Bern to Fribourg, 23 Dec. 1528).
396 SABE, Teutsche Missiven-Buch 20 R, fo. 144v–145r: Bern to Fribourg, 18 Jan. 1529;
fo. 170v–171v: Bern to Fribourg, 14 Feb. 1529.
397 EA IV, 1b, 43–7 (no. 20) (Feb. 1529). Bern was still assuming the talks would be held in
Payerne. SABE, Teutsche Missiven-Buch 20 R, fo. 172r–173r (Feb. 1529).
398 AEF, Diplomatische Korrespondenz a) Bern, 50 (Feb. 1529); SABE, Teutsche Missiven-Buch
20 R, fo. 157v (Feb. 1529); fo. 177v–178r (Feb. 1529); fo. 178v (Feb. 1529).
399 EA IV, 1b, 111–13 (no. 51: I) (March 1529).
400 EA IV, 1b, 98 (no. 45: to I; to III; 4) (March 1529).
401 EA IV, 1b, 146–7 (no. 72) (April 1529); 178–81 (no. 94) (May 1529).
402 EA IV, 1b, 190–1 (no. 100: 1, 1) (May 1529); AEF, Diplomatische Korrespondenz a) Bern:
51 (14 May 1529): Bern’s instructions to its envoys at Geneva.
403 SABE, Teutsche Missiven-Buch 20 R, fo. 200r–v: Bern to its envoys at Geneva, 4 March 1529:
das vnns bedunckenn, will sy vyl lieber krieg dann friden haben. Bern claimed to have gleaned this
intelligence from Fribourg! AEF, Diplomatische Korrespondenz a) Bern: 50 (4 March 1529). This view
was shared by Solothurn. SASO, Missiven 10, pp. 72–3 (May 1529).
404 EA IV, 1b, 191 (no. 100: 2) (May 1529).
405 EA IV, 1b, 191 (no. 100: 1, 6) (May 1529).