unds
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.

It was not long before Count Louis had a fresh opportunity of proving
his loyalty to Savoy, an opportunity doubtless welcomed by him to
obliterate the memory of his former and enforced opposition; for when
the warlike margrave of Saluzzo revolted from his allegiance to Savoy,
Count Louis practically organized an army of Bernois and Savoyards to
reduce him to submission, supplying a far greater number of Gruyeriens
than was required of him, and financing the expedition with loans from
Fribourg for which he was personally liable. Before the walls of
Saluzzo, it was he who led the assaults, preserved the assailants from
destruction when the garrison made an unexpected sortie, dispersed a
relieving army, and at last made a triumphant entry into the city behind
the allied banners of Berne a