Étampes in his capacity as governor of the province to provide him to the court, so that they might perform justice. Étampes was however unable to locate him, and Maligny would go on to be involved in a conspiracy in Lyon later the same year. Étampes reported on seditious placards he found in Nantes to the Guisard government in the following months, emboldened by the conspiracy of the previous months. Reign of Charles IX Crisis of authority Due to the weakness of the central administration as the religious crisis deepened, the crown was compelled to ask Étampes to publicly offer his support to the regency, to demonstrate that leading magnates were still loyal. He in turn asked for letters from the court demonstrating their favour to him, so that he might show them to his subordinates in the province to 'give them courage.' In early 1561 he was informed that the court no longer wished for him to apprehend Protestants who were not under arms and only assembling peacefully in small numbers. This was despite the continued illegality of Protestantism until 1562. The continually evolving religious policy frustrated him, and he wrote angrily to Antoine of Navarre complaining that to many in his province, the changing methods of his handling of religion appeared like a manifestation of his personal prejudices rather than royal policy. By 1562 the policy was beyond rapidly evolving and had become contradictory. Étampes despaired as to how he was to govern Nantes, noting that the lieutenant-general had asked him to confiscate arms from the Protestants but do no more, while the Constable had asked him to drive the Protestants from his province. First war of religion During the first war of religion, Étampes fought for the crown, and was responsible for raising troops in Normandy to assist the effort. In July however he was instructed by the crown to disband some of the units he had raised as a measure of economy. Étampes protested to Navarre the lieutenant-general of the kingdom in disgust, warning that if he was no longer responsible for the troops that they would seek their pay from the rebels instead. The crown urged him to seize church plate to help reduce the costs of the war, however Étampes was unenthused by the idea, noting that particularly in south Brittany this would be met by considerable resistance from the populace. He proposed instead