General de Pesmes (1668-1737) holding a wooden baton in his right hand and pointing with his left hand, facing left in pink velvet coat with gold braiding, gilt-studded breastplate, knotted cravat, full bottomed powdered wig; foliate background with mountains and a town in the distance

François-Louis de Pesmes, also called Général de Saint-Saphorin, was born in the castle of Saint-Saphorin near Morges on Lake Geneva. In contrast to most Swiss military commanders of his time, he refused to join the French army as he disapproved of King Louis XIV's anti-protestant politics. The sun-king called him 'the most dangerous enemy of France in Switzerland'. Pesmes first served with the Dutch and then the Austrians for whom he fought against the Turcs in 1695 and also as an admiral of the fleet of the Danube. Later he fought for the English and finally became the British Ambassador in Vienna. After six years in Vienna he returned to Saint-Saphorin and devoted the rest of his life to agriculture and to his famous library. As his son predeceased him, his estate passed through his daughter to the de Mestral family, seigneurs of Pampigny.