The cardinal-legate having lain in state for a short time, the body was embalmed, put into a leaden coffin, and carried to Rouen for interment. The king came thence to Blois, accompanied by the queen, then far gone with child of a daughter, as it turned out afterward, whom the king had vowed to the holy St Réné, a bishop of Angers, whither he made a pilgrimage with the queen when she recovered. The young princess was christened Renée,--and the lord Jean Jacques de Trivulce stood godfather with the king. About this time, the Portuguese made some discoveries on the island of Oran[39], on the coast of Africa, where they met savages of a blackish colour, with countenances as if branded with hot irons, thick lips, black and coarse hair, resembling in thickness that of a horse. They had no beard, nor appearance of any, or of hair on any parts of the body but on the head and eye-brows. Their boats are made of the bark of trees, and so light, a man can with ease carry one of them. Their bows are bent with the sinews of wild beasts: their arrows of cane, headed with a sharp stone or piece of fish-bone. They know not the use of bread or wine, nor the value of money, and crawl on the earth like beasts, feeding on raw flesh, and covered with skins for clothing. They live part of their time in the sea. Two of these natives were brought by some Normans to Rouen, and presented to the king; but they did not live long, nor did the others that had been brought to Europe. But to return to my former subject: a general council was demanded by the emperor, and king of France, to the great discontent of the pope. He had broken his faith, by instigating the king of Arragon, the republic of Venice, and others, to commence a new war, quitting the chair of Saint Peter for the car of Mars, the god of war, displaying in the field of battle his triple crown, and sleeping in watchtowers. God knows what a sight of crosses, mitres, and sacred banners, were fluttering in the plains; and the devil took good care not to come near,--for benedictions were given most abundantly, and at the cheapest rates. The war commenced against the duke of Ferrara, ally to the king, when many engagements took place, sieges were made and raised, for it was continued without interruption of winter and summer. Bologna was besieged by the duke of Nemours, who acted as viceroy in Italy, and the Bolognese fled before him, so that he soon reconquered that town, as you shall hear. About this time, pope Julius excited the Swiss to invade the duchy of Milan, which they did, and advanced to the walls of that city, committing every sort of mischief, particularly to a monastery of nuns, whom they ravished, and plundered the convent of all within it.