Named after his godmother, Anne of Brittany, he became one of the finest
soldier-servants of the crown. He was less reckless than many, a hard-working
nobleman with a firm mouth and good, steady eyes. Though intelligent, he
was brutal and overbearing to all save his
king, Francois I.
His wife was the daugther of Francois's bastard uncle, Rene of Savoy.
He distinguished himself at Marignano (1515), Mezieres and Bicocca. In
1520 he was made First Valet of the Bedchamber and, in 1522, a Marshall
of France. In 1524, Francois I ignored his mother's pleas not to fight
in Italy and went over the Alps to pursue the Duke of Bourbon. On 28 October
they laid siege to Pavia, where a small band of Spaniards tried to defend
a tower guarding a bridge over the Ticino. When they surrendered, Montmorency
hanged them "for daring to resist the king's army in a pidgeon-loft". In
February 1525, the king was taken prisoner together with Montmorency, the
king of Navarre, the Prince of Talmont, Fleuranges and the poet Clement
Marot. Montmorency was freed by the Spaniards in exchange for a ranking
Imperial officer and was appointed by Louise of Savoy, the king's mother,
as her sea-going commander. His first act was to join forces with the most
celebrated seaman of the time, Andrea Doria. Together they had twenty-five
ships and 4,000 men.
After the king's return, Montmorency was made Master of the Household
with Galiot de Genouillac, Master of the Horse, in the places of Ren‚ of
Savoy and Galeazzo de San Severino who had both been killed at Pavia. By
1529, Montmorency was thirty-six, coarse-featured, harsh and intolerant.
Yet he patronised the arts. His chateau of
Chantilly, according to Rabelais, rivalled Chambord. In 1532, Anne
de Montmorency and Philippe Chabot were made Knights of the Garter by Henry
VIII.
In 1536, Charles V invaded Provence with a splendid army of 47,000
men. However, his attempt to lead them into battle was a total fiasco.
Montmorency reduced this southeast corner of France to a desert. He poisoned
the wells, ruined the crops, then left the villages open and empty. Only
three towns were defended, but they were so strongly manned that Charles
could not take them and was defeated at Susa. On 16 November 1536, a truce
was signed at Monzon in Aragon. Montmorency became Constable of France
on 10 February 1538, while Etienne Dolet admiringly compared him to an
"enraged wild boar".
One measure introduced during Montmorency's 'ministry' was undeniably
constructive: in 1539 the Edict of Villers-Cotterets ordered all legal
documents to be drawn up in French instead of Latin. Anne de Montmorency
had many powerful enemies, among them the king's sister as well as the
king's mistress. His chief supporters were the Dauphin (Henri II) and Diane
de Poitiers, support far from pleasing king and, in 1541, he was banished
from court. After Francois I died (1547), Henri II at once recalled Montmorency.
He commanded at the disaster of St.Quentin (1557), where he was taken prisoner
by the Spaniards. He also opposed the influence of Catherine de' Medici,
commanded against the Huguenots at Dreux (1562), and was taken prisoner
a third time. In 1563 he drove the English from havre. He again engaged
against Conde at St.Denis (1567) but here received his death-wound.
Source: Leo van de Pas |
