John duke of Lorraine was sent by the king of France to Genoa, and took possession of the town the 11th of May, 1458. He received the oath of allegiance from the inhabitants,--and the principal forts were delivered up to him. The duke was soon after besieged in Genoa by the Adorné, and others of the discontented in league with Alphonso. An Arragonian fleet blockaded Genoa,--but the death of Alphonso put an end to the siege. This extract will sufficiently show the inexactness of Monstrelet's account as to dates and names.] [Footnote 140: Thomas de Sarzana, cardinal-bishop of Bologna, was elected pope the 6th March 1447, and took the name of Nicholas V. The king of France sent him a magnificent embassy, with many propositions respecting the general peace of the church. I cannot find that any council was held at Lyons this year: one was held at Lausanne in 1449.] [Footnote 141: For a very particular history of the quarrel which took place between Eugenius and the council of Basil, see Shepherd's Life of Poggio Bracciolini.] [Footnote 142: Cardinal of Arles. See his life in Moreri.] CHAP. LXXI. THE DUKE OF ORLEANS RECEIVES FROM THE HANDS OF THE DUKE OF MILAN HIS UNCLE, THE COUNTY OF ASTI IN PIEDMONT.--THE KING OF FRANCE BESIEGES THE CITY OF MANS, WHICH SURRENDERS BY CAPITULATION. In this year, the duke of Milan yielded up to the duke of Orleans, his nephew, the county of Asti,--and shortly after, the duke of Milan departed this life. The king of France, at this period, laid siege to the city of Mans, because the king of England, on his marriage with the daughter of the king of Sicily had promised instantly to surrender that town, with all the other places he held in the county of Maine; and he had been deceived for three months by the specious promises of the english commissioners, who had not only refused to give it back but had introduced about fifteen hundred English into that town. The king, therefore on being informed of this circumstance, ordered it to be besieged,--and sent thither a great force of men at arms and archers, to the amount of six or seven thousand combatants, under the command of the count de Dunois. The siege was pushed forward with such vigour that those in the town found resistance would be vain, as they had not sufficient forces to oppose their enemies on that side of the sea. It would have been taken by storm had not the bishop of Glocester, keeper of the privy seal, remonstrated with the king of France on the risk of the truces being broken between the two kingdoms were this to take place, and obtained a capitulation for them, by which they were to yield up the town, and march away in safety with their baggage and effects.