130 The Swiss and Their Neighbours, 1460–1560
to show the bishop was intending to install a military governor from Fribourg
in the city to keep the peace.526 Naturally, the Genevan council was outraged at
this affront to its authority and refused to receive a Fribourg delegation, but still
hoped to preserve the alliance, claiming that its quarrel was with the bishop, not
Fribourg.527 Nevertheless, Fribourg felt it had little option but to proceed with the
cancellation (though it promised to maintain good commercial relations), where-
upon Bern demanded the return of its seal on the Burgrecht from Fribourg.528
Any hopes that this climacteric would clear the air were quickly dashed.
The bishop of Lausanne was recruiting troops in Savoy and Gruyère to reassert his
authority in his see, to which end he planned to enlist 2000 men from Fribourg.529
The latter, not content with severing its ties to Geneva, had begun legal proceedings
against the city for breaching the Burgrecht.530 In the face of unrelenting pressure
from Bern Geneva considered taking out a further loan on the Basel capital market. 531
And to cap it all, Duke Charles was once again on the warpath. In June he was
planning fresh attacks on Geneva from the Chablais.532 In late July the bishop and
the duke launched a surprise attack on the city, though it was repulsed.533 At that,
many of the bishop’s partisans (including some Eidguenots) took to their heels and
sought refuge in his castles outside the city, principally at Peney to the west. From
there they launched periodic raids against Geneva.534 Then, in early August, an
army of 8000 men besieged Geneva, having cut off all access routes to the city.535
Although not identified as such, it is likely that these troops had been mustered
by the League of the Spoon. For later that month Duke Charles was recruiting a
separate army from the Dauphiné, Bresse, and Piedmont, which he intended to
place under the command of the notorious condottiere Gian Giacomo Medici,
lord of Musso, with the task of attacking and plundering the city.536
In the face of this imminent threat to Geneva Bern at last decided to raise its
own army of 4000 men.537 In that it was not acting alone, for Solothurn enquired
whether it too should send troops to Geneva’s defence, despite the confessional
divide.538 Although the blockade of Geneva continued, open warfare was averted,
526 EA IV, 1c, 254 (no. 129: note 2) (Jan. 1534); Monter, ‘De l’Évêché’, 134.
527 Monter, Calvin’s Geneva, 52; EA IV, 1c, 297–9 (no. 150: I; II; III) (March 1534); 301–2
(no. 155) (April 1534).
528 EA IV, 1c, 324 (no. 166) (May 1534); 325 (no. 168) (May 1534). The previous month, however,
Bern had expressed regret at Fribourg’s course of action, which suggests that political solidarity was not
lightly to be sacrificed in the face of religious division. AEF, Diplomatische Korrespondenz a) Bern: 69
(22 April 1534).
529 Paquier, Pays de Vaud, 2, 252. 530 EA IV, 1c, 347 (no. 182: I, 3) (June 1534).
531 EA IV, 1c, 347 (no. 182: I) (June 1534).
532 EA IV, 1c, 346–7 (no. 180: I) (June 1534).
533 EA IV, 1c, 348 (no. 182: to 4) (July 1534); 354–5 (no. 189: II, 2) (July 1534).
534 Monter, Calvin’s Geneva, 53. The refugees also fled to castles Jussy and Thiez. Santschi, Crises et
Révolutions, 10.
535 EA IV, 1c, 357–9 (no. 192: 1; 3; 5) (Aug. 1534). Bern offered to mediate.
536 SABE, Teutsche Missiven-Buch 23 U, pp. 284–6 (25 Aug. 1534); 290–1 (27 Aug. 1534);
EA IV, 1c, 402 (no. 215: 1) (Sept. 1534).
537 SABE, Teutsche Missiven-Buch 23 U, pp. 321–2 (20 Sept. 1534). The rural contingent
numbered 2640.
538 SASO, Missiven 14, pp. 397–8 (21 Sept. 1534).