'At Augsburg, 18th of November, 1530.
'Charles.'
=ANSWER OF THE GENEVESE.=
This letter from his imperial majesty created a great sensation in Geneva. It was known that Charles V. was preparing to reduce mighty princes, and every one perceived the danger that threatened the city. 'What!' said the people, 'we are to send deputies to Augsburg, and perhaps to Austria, where they will meet those of the bishop and the duke ... and the emperor will be our judge!' The councils assembled frequently without coming to any decision as to the answer to be returned. First one and then another was commissioned to draw it up. Councillor Genoux produced a draft signed 'Your very humble subjects.'—'We are not subjects,' exclaimed the huguenots. At length they decided on writing as follows:—
'Most serene, most invincible, very high and mighty Prince Charles, always august. For this long time past, we, in defence of the authority and franchises of our prince-bishop and city of Geneva, have suffered many vexations, great charges, expenses, and dangers, proceeding from the most illustrious duke. Quite recently we were surrounded by armed men, his subjects, and outrageously attacked. Nevertheless, by God's will and the kind succour of the magnificent lords of Berne and Friburg, we have been preserved from this assault—to relate which would be wearisome to your majesty.' The council added that, as the settlement which the emperor desired to undertake would be arranged at Payerne before the Swiss diet, they could not profit by his good intentions, and concluded by commending to him the city of Geneva, 'which, from desiring to observe its strict duty, would have been almost destroyed but for the grace of God.'[854]
Thus did the little city boldly decline the intervention of the great emperor. The duke and the bishop had hoped that Charles V., who was in their opinion called to destroy the Reformation in Germany, would begin by crushing it in Geneva. Accordingly, when the news of the Genevese refusal reached the ears of the duke and the bishop, their indignation knew no bounds. 'Since these rebels reject the peaceful mediation of the emperor,' they said, 'we must bring the matter to an end with the sword.' They once more resolved to take the necessary steps, but with as much secresy as possible, so that the Swiss should not be informed of them. The Duke of Nemours, who had not made use of his army, instructed ten thousand lansquenets who were at Montbéliard to move as quietly as they could behind the Jura, arrive at St. Claude, descend as far as Gex, and, two days before the opening of the diet of Payerne which the bishop so much dreaded, suddenly take Geneva by storm, set it on fire, and, leaving a heap of ashes behind them, retire rapidly into Burgundy before the Swiss could have time to arrive. At the same time messengers were sent to all the castles of the Pays de Vaud, inviting the gentlemen to hold themselves in readiness. On his side, the Duke of Savoy, who was then at Chambéry, made 'great preparation' of armed men and adventurers, both Italian and French. Everything, he said, was to be completed with the greatest secresy.
=DECISION OF THE DIET OF PAYERNE.=
But Charles was less discreet than his brother; he could not keep silence, but boasted of the clever coup de main that he was preparing. On the other hand, a man coming from Montbéliard to Berne reported that he had seen ten thousand soldiers reviewed in that town. At this intelligence, the energetic lords of Berne desired all the cantons to hold themselves in readiness to succour Geneva, and threatened the gentry of the Pays de Vaud to waste their country with fire and sword if they moved. Meanwhile the council called out all the citizens. Thus the mine was discovered, the blow failed, and the duke, once more disappointed in his expectations, left Chambéry for Turin.[855] The diet which met at Payerne, even while conceding the vidamy to the duke (which he was not in a condition to reclaim), maintained the alliance of Geneva, Berne, and Friburg, and condemned Charles III. to pay these three cities 21,000 crowns. Geneva and Berne desired more than this: they demanded that Bonivard should be set at liberty—'if perchance he be not dead,' they added. The Count of Chalans replied that M. St. Victor was 'a lawful prisoner.'[856]
As neither war nor diplomacy had succeeded in restoring the prince-bishop to his see, he had recourse to less secular means: he turned to the pope, who determined to grant the city a marvellous favour by which he hoped to attach once more the bark of Geneva to the ship of St. Peter. The heroism which the sisters of St. Claire had shown when the Swiss had come to the help of the city in October 1530, had touched the pontiff: among the conventuals of Geneva the only men were the women. The pope therefore granted a general pardon to all who should perform certain devotions in the church of that convent. On Annunciation Day (March 25) this remarkable grace was published throughout the country.