e, however, John had the imprudence again
to dismember by bestowing it on Philip, his fourth son, the object of
his most tender affections;[*] a deed which was afterwards the source of
many calamities to the kingdom.

John was succeeded in the throne by Charles the dauphin, a prince
educated in the school of adversity, and well qualified, by his
consummate prudence and experience, to repair all the losses which the
kingdom had sustained from the errors of his two predecessors. Contrary
to the practice of all the great princes of those times, which held
nothing in estimation but military courage, he seems to have fixed it as
a maxim never to appear at the head of his armies; and he was the first
king in Europe that showed the advantage of policy, foresight, and
judgment, above a rash and precipitate valor. The events of his reign,
compared with those of the preceding, are a proof how little reason
kingdoms have to value themselves on their victories, or to be humbled
by their defeats; which in reality ought to be ascribed chiefly to the
good or bad conduct of their rulers, and are of little moment towards
determining national characters and manners.

Before Charles could think of counterbalancing so great a power as
England, it was necessary for him to remedy the many disorders to which
his own kingdom was exposed. He turned his arms against the king of
Navarre, the great disturber of France during that age; he defeated this
prince by the conduct of Bertrand du Guesclin, a gentleman of Brittany,
one of the most accomplished characters of the age, whom he had the
discernment to choose as the instrument of all his victories:[**] and he
obliged his enemy to accept of moderate terms of peace.

* Rymer, vol. vi. p. 421.

** Froissard, liv. i. chap. 119, 120.

Du Guesclin was less fortunate in the wars of Brittany, which still
continued, notwithstanding the mediation of France and England: he was
defeated and taken prisoner at Auray by Chandos: Charles of Blois was
there slain, and the young count of Mountfort soon after got entire
possession of that duchy.[*] But the prudence of Charles broke the force
of this blow: he submitted to the decision of fortune: he acknowledged
the title of Mountfort, though a zealous partisan of England; and
received the proffered homage for his dominions. But the chief obstacle
which the French king met with in the settlement of the state, proceeded
from obscure enemies, whom their