6o HISTORY OF FRANCE. [chap. in London three months after his return, in 1364. The last years of John are also notable for the beginning of the French connexion with Milan in a marriage between John Galeazzo Visconti, son of the reigning tyrant of that city, and king John's daughter Isabel. Also the great fief of ducal Burgundy fell in to the crown, by the extinction of the dukes descended from Hugh Capet. Its annexation would have gone some way to make up for his cessions to England, but John at once granted the duchy to his son Philip. So began the line of Valois dukes of Burgundy, who presently became so dangerous to the French crown. 10. Rise of Du Guesclin, 1364. — John's son Charles V. shows to much greater advantage as King than as Dau- phin. Eight years' experience as regent had taught him that violence did nothing but harm, and his wary patience had fair play when he was at the head of affairs. He had also had that most important quality in a king, the power of finding out good servants and winning their hearts, while he made his will felt, and thus he did much to heal the sores left by the rough treatment of the former kings. In the Breton wars a knight named Bertrattd Du Ctiescliii had shown more than common skill as a leader. To him Charles gave the command of a force sent to attack the King of Navarre's county of Evreux. Charles brought all his force, and at Cocherel in a battle with the troops commanded by the Gascon Captal de Buch, gained such a victory as gave almost the whole of Normandy back to the king. However, he had a great reverse the next year at Auray, in Britanny, where he was fighting on the side of Charles of Blois, against the young John of Montfort, who was under the charge of Sir John Chandos. As usual, the general- ship of Chandos gained the day, Charles of Blois was killed, and his widow being unable to carry on the struggle, the twenty-four years' war ended by the esta- blishment of John of Montfort as Duke of Britanny. ti. The expedition to Castile, 1365. — The peace ot Bretigny prevented open war, but the wretched people did not profit much. For bands of Free Lances roamed the country, living on the ransoms they could squeeze Irom those who could pay them ; and, where none was forth- coming, robbing, torturing, and slaying in ti.e most savage manner. While the king was devising how to rid himself of these locusts, a suppliant came to him from Castile
