120 The Swiss and Their Neighbours, 1460–1560
Bern and Fribourg if Savoy breached the treaty had been dangled over the duke
several times in the past. St-Julien was otherwise only remarkable for the fact that
Geneva itself was not a party to the negotiations,439 and neither was Solothurn,
whose envoys were listed among the Swiss mediators, not the combatants.440
All the contentious issues were deferred to the arbitration at Payerne.441 In truth,
for the moment it looked as if nothing had changed. At the end of November
Savoy was rearming by mustering Italian troops at Vercelli;442 it had reimposed the
blockade of Geneva;443 there was wrangling over the spoils of war;444 and the
League of the Spoon was planning fresh attacks on Geneva and Lausanne. No
wonder the arbitration at Payerne was cancelled.445 It was rumoured that Duke
Charles had handed over the governorship of the Vaud to his marshal, Count René
de Challant. Meanwhile, Fribourg was contemplating the prophylactic occupation
of Yverdon and strengthening the garrisons in the common lordships of Grandson
and Échallens.446
When the Swiss mediators and an array of Savoyard high officials finally convened
at Payerne in late December the issues left outstanding at St-Julien were on the
agenda.447 By far the most contentious was the office of justiciar (vidomne), not
surprisingly in view of its chequered history and ill-defined competence. Lawyers
for both sides had a field-day, trawling precedents back to the twelfth century and
summoning witnesses whose statements contradicted each other. In the end, the
arbiters confirmed Duke Charles’s title to the office, doubtless to Bern, Fribourg,
and Geneva’s chagrin, since the latter had recently abolished the office altogether.
With great reluctance Geneva bowed to the judgement, but wished to know precisely
what powers should attach to the office. Savoy claimed no longer to know—a ruse
presumably intended to allow its scope surreptitiously to be extended.448
Scarcely less intractable was the status of the Burgrecht which Bern and Fribourg
had concluded with Geneva. The disagreement over Geneva’s status within Savoy
resurfaced. The duke’s envoys maintained that the term incola used in a Latin
thanked the two cities for sparing Gruyère, even though the count himself was absent. EA IV, 1b, 809
(no. 407: 1, 5; 1, 9).
439 Bern exhorted Geneva to accept the negotiated terms. EA IV, 1b, 808 (no. 407: 2).
440 EA IV, 1b, 812–13 (no. 411) (Oct. 1530). Solothurn was offended that the treaty offered it no
share of the Vaud mortgage if its terms were breached.
441 EA IV, 1b, 1504 (Appendix 14: 7). 442 EA IV, 1b, 855–6 (no. 436: 1) (Nov. 1530).
443 EA IV, 1b, 821–2 (no. 417: II; III, 3) (Oct. 1530). According to Segre, Duke Charles was seek-
ing to replace Bishop Pierre de la Baume with his two-year-old son (and successor), Emmanuel
Philibert. Documenti di Storia Sabauda, 64. Although bizarre, the rumour was certainly circulating in
Geneva. EA IV, 1c, 348 (no. 182: to 4) (July 1534).
444 EA IV, 1b, 831–2 (no. 425) (Nov. 1530).
445 EA IV, 1b, 855–6 (no. 436: 4) (Nov. 1530). Avenches was still seeking to emancipate itself from
the bishop of Lausanne. EA IV, 1b, 858 (no. 439: I, 2; II, 2).
446 EA IV, 1b, 857–8 (no. 438: 1, 3; to II) (Nov. 1530).
447 The arbitration at Payerne is contained in EA IV, 1b, 1518–62: Appendix 17. Savoy’s demands
are listed in EA IV, 1b, 864–5 (no. 442: 2, 1) (Dec. 1530). Bern’s instructions to its envoys are in
SABE, Teutsche Missiven-Buch 21 S, fo. 429r–431v, 434r-435r (22/24 Dec. 1530).
448 EA IV, 1b, 1536–7 (Appendix 17: §§ 34, 38). Bern indicated that it was prepared to accept the
judgement, providing it did not contravene the terms of St-Julien. SABE, Teutsche Missiven-Buch
21 S, fo. 429r.