But if the friends of law and morality desired to break by legal means the bonds which united them to the bishop-prince, other persons, the wits and brawlers, envenomed against his partisans, began to get up quarrels with the bishopers. One day 'the young men of Geneva,' returning from a shooting match, where, says the chronicler, they had 'had many a shot at the pot' (that is, had drunk deeply), determined to give a smart lesson to two of the bishop's friends, Pécolat and Robert Vandel. The latter, at that time attached personally to Pierre de la Baume, afterwards became one of the most zealous patriots. 'They are at St. Victor's,' somebody said; 'let us go and fetch them.' The party, headed by a drummer, went to the priory, where Bonivard told the ringleaders that the two bishopers and others were diverting themselves at Plainpalais. Just as the band arrived, the episcopals were entering the city: one of the 'sons of Geneva,' catching sight of Pécolat and Vandel, exclaimed: 'My lord, you have traitors among you there!' The bishop spurred his mule and rode off; Pécolat drew his sword; his opponent, De la Thoy, did the same, and they began to cut at each other. The fray was so noisy that the guards in alarm shut the gates, when a few reasonable men parted the combatants. A more serious movement was accomplishing in the depths of men's minds. Nothing but secularisation and reformation could put an end to the almost universal discontent.[746] [Sidenote: THE DUKE'S MENACES.] The Duke of Savoy wished for another solution. His councillors represented to him that the bishop had lost his credit among the nobles and clergy, through his desire to ally himself with the Swiss; that he was ruined with the citizens by his unedifying mode of life; and that the moment had come for giving these restless people a _stronger shepherd_, who would cure them of their taste for political and religious liberty. In consequence of this, the duke summoned the Genevans, on the 30th of July, to recognise his claims, and his ambassadors added that, if the citizens refused, 'Charles III. would come in person with an army, and then they would have to keep their city ... if they could.' The Genevans made answer: 'We will suffer death rather.' The Bernese, informed of the threats of Savoy, sent ambassadors to Chambéry to admonish (_admonester_) the duke. 'I have a grudge against the city,' he said, 'and against the bishop also, and I will do my pleasure upon him in defiance of all opposition.'—'Keep a good look-out,' said the Bernese ambassadors to the syndics, on their return, 'for the duke is preparing to carry off the bishop and confiscate the liberties of the city.' The bishop and the citizens were exceedingly agitated. Men, women, and children set to work: they cut down the trees round the walls, pulled down the houses, and levelled the gardens, while four gangs worked at the fortifications. 'We would rather die defending our rights,' said the