About eight days after this banquet, and in the first week of March, in the same year, the count de Charolois was betrothed, by order of his father the duke of Burgundy, to his cousin-german the lady Isabella of Bourbon, daughter to the duke of Bourbon,--and the duke sent to Rome for the dispensations necessary for their marriage. After this, he dismissed his household for twelve months, as he intended to remain so long in Germany. On the 15th of March, the duke left Lille privately attended, and passed through Burgundy on his road to Germany, where he was to meet the Emperor Frederic and other princes of Germany, to learn whether they would join him in a war against the Turk, or suffer his army to pass through their territories without molestation or hinderance. He was grandly feasted by many of the german princes,--but the emperor, who loved ease more than exertion, and preferred peace to war, pretended to be ill, and sent word to the duke that it would not be worth his while to proceed farther in the country, giving him hopes that at the end of six months he would meet him to conclude the business he was so urgent upon. The duke was now forced to abandon his expedition,--and he returned to his country of Burgundy, where he staid some time. CHAP. LIV. THE KING OF FRANCE GOES TO HIS CASTLE OF LUSIGNAN.--THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY TAKES FRONSAC.--THE FRENCH BESIEGE CHASTILLON.--LORD SHREWSBURY ASSEMBLES A LARGE FORCE TO RAISE THIS SIEGE.--HE IS THERE SLAIN. In this same year of 1454, the king of France left Tours, and fixed his residence at the castle of Lusignan; and in the mean time, lord Shrewsbury laid siege to the castle of Fronsac. The governor for king Charles was Joachim Rohault, who was forced to surrender to the English because the king's army was not ready,--but the garrison marched away with arms and baggage. On the 2d of June, the king departed from Lusignan for St Jean d'Angely[151]; and on the 7th, Challais[152] was besieged by sir John de Chabannes grand master of the king's household, the count de Penthievre, the lords de St Severe and de Boussac. On the 18th, it was won by storm by the above lords and their men, amounting to four or five hundred lances, archers, and some franc archers, although eight score[153] combatants were there in garrison. From sixty to eighty were killed, and the rest retreated to a tower, wherein they held out for a time expecting to be relieved; but as no succours came, they surrendered to the king's pleasure: in consequence, they were all beheaded for having broken their oaths of allegiance. The lord d'Anglades had indeed left Bordeaux for their relief,--but when he heard what had passed, he returned back as speedily as he could.