Gruyère (Switzerland) -- History; Gruyère, Counts of
Swiss to repel Duke Charles' final attack upon his duchy, no answer was
forthcoming from Gruyere, and among the German-Swiss confederates at
whose hands Duke Charles suffered his cruel death before the walls of
Nancy, Count Louis' soldiers had no part. Small benefit was destined to
accrue, as the history of Europe unrolled through the succeeding years,
from the fall of the house of Burgundy. For while Louis XI by his evil
plotting had enlarged his kingdom, by obliterating the barrier of
Burgundy between France and Austria he had at the same time made way for
centuries of wars. "Here," said the 15th Louis before the tomb of the
last duke of Burgundy, "is the cradle of all our wars." As for
Switzerland, the system of mercenary service inaugurated by Louis
debased its honor and divided its sons, who, fighting in the opposing
armies of Europe, delayed for many years the development and the
independence of their country. For a few years only, Savoy and Romand
Switzerland enjoyed peace. Duchess Yolande, although still threatened by
the Savoy princes, was sustained upon the throne by her brother who in
this one instance was faithful to his promises. She reestablished the
customs of the ducal court and organized plays and festivities; and
surrounding herself with a train of musicians, with the soothing sounds
of flutes and harps, attempted to forget the fierce trials and tumults
of her reign. But her spirit and her strength were broken, and,
succumbing to an early death, she left her young son Philibert to
succeed to the duchy under the governorship of the Count de la Chambre,
who had been chosen by King Louis. The influence of this agent, however,
became too great for the designing king who intended to preserve his
jurisdiction over Savoy. He, therefore, instigated a revolt in the
Piemontaise provinces of the duchy with the connivance of its ruler the
Savoyard prince, Count Philippe de la Bresse. Realizing the necessity at
once to control this revolt, which favored the never slumbering desires
of the Count de la Bresse to grasp the control of Savoy, the Count de la
Chambre, accompanied by the Count de Gruyere and his brother, journeyed
to Piemont. The Count de la Bresse, on the arrival of these
representatives of his nephew, caused the Count de la Chambre to be
arrested in his bed and by acts of dangerous violence imperiled the
lives of the Count of Gruyere and his brother. The lately renewed
alliance with the powerful cities of Berne and of Fribourg now proved of
invaluable assistance to the threatened duchy of Savoy, for at the
appeal of the count de la Chambre they exacted an indemnification for
these injuries, and reduced the Count de la Bresse to submission.
After the death of Duke Philibert, his brother and successor Duke
Charles III renewed the useful alliance with the confederated cities,
and confirmed the appointment of Count Louis de Gruyere as "conseiller"
and "chambellan" of his court with the grant of additional pensions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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