The Romandie Reconfigured 161
all revenues during his lifetime.772 By 1547 Count Michel was in dire straits.
In desperation he announced his intention of leaving his county in the hands of
Fribourg while he journeyed to the French court to seek his outstanding pensions
and arrears of salary in French military service amounting to 90,000 francs.773
Whether he had any success is doubtful, for two years later he forbad his subjects
from contracting foreign alliances, after Saanen and Château d’Oex had clandes-
tinely entered into an agreement with the French embassy at Solothurn.774 In the
meantime, Count Michel had renewed his Burgrecht with Bern, a sure sign that
he could not afford to throw over the traces.775
By September 1549 Count Michel, twisting like an eel in a trap, turned to Bern
for support. He tried to borrow 4000 écus, in addition to an emergency bridging
loan of £9000 for three months to discharge his obligations to Fribourg: a failure
to meet the deadline would entitle Bern to take over the entire county.776 Bern and
Fribourg appear to have acted in concert to help the count for the following spring
he informed Luzern that the cities had persuaded King Henry II to pay 24,000
écus for the count’s military service in Piedmont (though Count Michel still wailed
that was less than a tenth of what he was owed).777 Two years of fractious relations
ensued, during which the count apparently sought support from Emperor Charles V,
since Saanen and Château d’Oex declared that they would obey no ‘imperial or
Spanish orders’ issued by the count (not surprisingly since they had just got into
bed with France).778 Nothing if not persistent, Count Michel approached Fribourg
again in 1552 for a loan of 4000 écus. Having been refused, he reverted to Bern,
which advanced him a mere 2000 écus. All Fribourg was willing to do was to take
over various parts of the county in pledge for his debts.779
This merry-go-round could not continue indefinitely. In June 1552 Count
Michel signalled his willingness to sell Gruyère, not in part, not in pledge, but
lock, stock, and barrel.780 Fribourg indicated its willingness, but since the
count was still deeply in hock to the city, it demanded Corbières as an earnest
of his intent.781 The Fribourg council was only prepared to resile if Bern for its
part would surrender Vevey and La Tour de Trême, and abandon its insistence
that Count Michel do homage.782 Despite being in no position to bargain,
772 EA IV, 1d, 578–9 (no. 267) (Dec. 1545).
773 EA IV, 1d, 786 (no. 352: I) (Feb.–March 1547); 918 (no. 416: to r) (Jan. 1548); 932 (no. 423: r)
(March 1548).
774 EA IV, 1e, 79–80 (no. 32) (May 1549); 98–9 (no. 43) (June 1549); 123–4 (no. 51) (July
1549).
775 EA IV, 1d, 1024 (no. 464) (Sept. 1548).
776 EA IV, 1e, 172–3 (no. 74: I; II) (Sept.–Oct. 1549). He took the precaution of requesting
Fribourg for a deferral. EA IV, 1e, 183 (no. 78) (Oct. 1549).
777 EA IV, 1e, 227–9 (no. 92: 6) (May 1550).
778 EA IV, 1e, 485–7 (no. 161: III; IV) (March–April 1551); 522–7 (no. 174) (June–July 1551).
779 EA IV, 1e, 634–5 (no. 210: I) (April–May 1552); 694–7 (no. 232: I; III; IV; V; VI) (July–Sept.
1552).
780 EA IV, 1e, 669–87 (no. 226: y) (June 1552).
781 EA IV, 1e, 721–2 (no. 240: VI) (Oct.–Nov. 1552); 730–2 (no. 245: I; II; III) (Dec. 1552).
The Corbières subjects insisted that the count had no right to mortgage them.
782 EA IV, 1e, 758 (no. 254: V) (Jan.–Feb. 1553).