In this year, the families of Doria and Fregoso sent a fleet of five vessels to Marseilles from Genoa with ambassadors, to offer the sovereignty of their country to the king of France, if it were agreeable to him to accept of it. The king dispatched as ambassadors the archbishop of Rheims and others, to examine into the matter, and to proceed accordingly, who went to Marseilles to practice for the reduction of Genoa. At this time, John Fregoso had gained possession of Genoa, Pisa, and other places, in the king's name, having many family-connexions in the first town. He in consequence of a concerted plan, came before Genoa in a single galley, with no more than four hundred men; and on his landing, he raised the king's banner, when he was instantly surrounded by his friends in arms, and marching to the palace, was proclaimed doge of Genoa. Bernabo Adorné fled on his approach, who, a little before, had been raised to the same dignity. Fregoso had been accompanied by one of the king's esquires, called the bastard of Poitiers, who had assisted him in gaining Genoa, thinking he would restore it to the king; but no sooner had Fregoso succeeded than he put the esquire out of the town. When news of this reached the archbishop of Rheims and the others, they embarked on board a galley at Villa-franca, near Nice, and came to Genoa, where they remonstrated with Fregoso on his treachery, and summoned him to restore the place to the king of France as he and his friends had promised under their hands and seals. Fregoso replied, that as he had conquered the town by his sword, by his sword he would keep it[139]. On hearing this, the archbishop and his companions returned to Marseilles, and thence went to the king at Bourges. In the month of February following, pope Eugenius died,--and on the 28th instant, Nicholas V. was elected pope[140] [A.D. 1447.] CHAP. LXX. THE KING OF FRANCE, ON THE DEATH OF POPE EUGENIUS, HAS A GRAND COUNCIL HELD AT LYONS, WHITHER CAME MANY AMBASSADORS FROM GERMANY, ENGLAND AND OTHER PARTS, TO RESTORE UNION IN THE CHURCH AND PUT AN END TO ALL SCHISMS. On the first of April, in the year 1447, the truces between the kings of France and England expired, but were prolonged until the first of April in 1449, and thence until the first day of June ensuing, in the hope that a general peace might be concluded in the mean time. Great differences had existed during the late papacy between pope Eugenius and the council of Basil; which council the pope declared was at an end, for that he had transfered it to Ferrara, and afterward to Florence and to Rome. The council at Basil maintained that the pope could not thus transfer them without their consent,--and had proceeded against him, with the authority of a general council, to suspend him from all power in the church, and to depose him from all authority. They afterwards elected pope the lord Amadeus of Savoy, who led the life of a monk at Ripaille, and took the name of Felix V.[141]