In regard to the army which the duke of Burgundy had assembled by orders from the king, it was estimated to consist of upward of sixteen thousand combatants, all men of tried courage. During this time, the king of Navarre and his brother, the count de Mortain, at the request of the duke of Burgundy, negotiated a peace between the duke of Brittany, their nephew, and the count de Penthievre, son-in-law to the duke of Burgundy. This was done in the hope that the duke of Brittany would be induced to assist the king with his Bretons, and give up the Orleans-party, to whom he had engaged himself. On the conclusion of this peace between the two parties, twenty thousand golden crowns were sent the duke, to defray the expenses he had been at in raising men at arms. Large sums of money were also sent to the lord d’Albreth, constable of France, that he might collect a numerous body of men at arms, and march them to Paris, to serve the king. He had not any great desire to perform this, for he was wholly inclined to the duke of Orleans and his allies, as was perfectly notorious shortly afterward. CHAP. XXI. THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF BOURBON.--THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KING OF FRANCE.--THE DUKE OF ORLEANS AND HIS ALLIES SEND LETTERS TO THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS IN FRANCE. During this troublesome time, Louis duke of Bourbon, uncle to the king of France by the mother’s side, being full sixty years of age, feeling himself oppressed with years and sickness, caused himself to be conveyed to his residence at Moulins[63] in the Bourbonnois, where he departed this life, and was buried in the church of the canons, which he had founded. He was succeeded by his only son, the count de Clermont, who, after some days of lamentation, had the funeral obsequies of his father performed, and, having arranged his affairs, returned to the duke of Orleans and the other lords at Chartres, and firmly united himself with them, treading in the steps of his late father. The duke of Bourbon had long held the office of great chamberlain of France, from the friendship of the king, and was in possession of it even at the time of his death; but at the entreaty of the king of Navarre and the duke of Burgundy, the king now gave it to the count de Nevers, to exercise the duties of it in the usual manner. At this time, the duchess of Brittany, daughter to the king of France, was brought to bed of a son; and she sent to request the duke of Acquitaine, her brother, to stand godfather. He sent, as his proxy, sir David de Brimeu, knight, lord of Humbercourt, with a handsome present of jewels, which sir David gave her on the part of the duke of Acquitaine.