his governorship inherited by his nephew Martigues rather than reverting to the crown for the selection of his successor. He died on 31 January 1565. Early life and family Jean IV de Brosse was the son of René de Brosse and Jeanne de Commines (daughter of Philippe de Commines). After the death of his father at the Battle of Pavia, he succeeded him as nominal Count of Penthièvre. Reign of François I In 1533, on François I's instruction he married Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly, the mistress of the king, and was shortly thereafter created Count, then Duke of Étampes. this marriage also re-secured for his family the County of Penthièvre that had been seized from them following their involvement in the League of the Public Weal as a reward for facilitating the king access to his mistress. However, he was greatly impoverished by the expenditures necessary to maintain their position at court. In 1543 he was appointed governor of Brittany, to assist him in administering the province, his nephew Martigues was chosen as his lieutenant-general, handling many of the military affairs of the territory. Reign of Henri II With the death of François I, the antipathy of Diane de Poitiers compelled Étampes to retreat to Brittany and further she obtained his duchy of Étampes. During the early reign of Henri II Étampes maintained his position in the conseil des parties a looser less important council outside the conseil privé. In 1554 Henri pursued the formal annexation of Brittany into France through the Parlement of the region. In return for ceding any rights he might have to be duke of Brittany, Étampes was guaranteed his rights over the county of Penthièvre the following year. In 1555 Étampes and his wife were dispossessed of the duchy of Chevreuse, compelled to sell it and the lands of Meudon to Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine in return for 50,000 écus. Reign of François II On the death of king Henri II the Guise, whom Étampes had ceded Chevreuse to, took charge for the young François. There was considerable opposition to their administration that coalesced into the Conspiracy of Amboise. This attempt to seize the king failed, and the conspiracy was broken as it tried to storm the castle of Amboise. Nevertheless many elements of the conspiracy were not present, including the seigneur de Maligny who the Guise believed was taking refuge in Brittany. They urged