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The Three Musketeers `
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Alexandre Dumas `
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Contents `
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Author's Preface `
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1 THE THREE PRESENTS OF D'ARTAGNAN THE ELDER `
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2 THE ANTECHAMBER OF M. DE TREVILLE `
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3 THE AUDIENCE `
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4 THE SHOULDER OF ATHOS, THE BALDRIC OF PORTHOS AND THE `
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HANDKERCHIEF OF ARAMIS `
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5 THE KING'S MUSKETEERS AND THE CARDINAL'S GUARDS `
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6 HIS MAJESTY KING LOUIS XIII `
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7 THE INTERIOR OF "THE MUSKETEERS" `
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8 CONCERNING A COURT INTRIGUE `
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9 D'ARTAGNAN SHOWS HIMSELF `
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10 A MOUSETRAP IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY `
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11 IN WHICH THE PLOT THICKENS `
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12 GEORGE VILLIERS, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM `
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13 MONSIEUR BONACIEUX `
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14 THE MAN OF MEUNG `
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15 MEN OF THE ROBE AND MEN OF THE SWORD `
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16 M. SEGUIER, KEEPER OF THE SEALS, LOOKS MORE THAN ONCE FOR THE BELL, `
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IN ORDER TO RING IT, AS HE DID BEFORE `
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17 BONACIEUX AT HOME `
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18 LOVER AND HUSBAND `
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19 PLAN OF CAMPAIGN `
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20 THE JOURNEY `
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21 THE COUNTESS DE WINTER `
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22 THE BALLET OF LA MERLAISON `
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23 THE RENDEZVOUS `
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24 THE PAVILION `
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25 PORTHOS `
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26 ARAMIS AND HIS THESIS `
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27 THE WIFE OF ATHOS `
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28 THE RETURN `
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29 HUNTING FOR THE EQUIPMENTS `
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30 D'ARTAGNAN AND THE ENGLISHMAN `
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31 ENGLISH AND FRENCH `
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32 A PROCURATOR'S DINNER `
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33 SOUBRETTE AND MISTRESS `
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34 IN WHICH THE EQUIPMENT OF ARAMIS AND PORTHOS IS TREATED OF `
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35 A GASCON A MATCH FOR CUPID `
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36 DREAM OF VENGEANCE `
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37 MILADY'S SECRET `
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38 HOW, WITHOUT INCOMMODING HIMSELF, ATHOS PROCURED HIS EQUIPMENT `
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39 A VISION `
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40 A TERRIBLE VISION `
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41 THE SEIGE OF LA ROCHELLE `
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42 THE ANJOU WINE `
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43 THE SIGN OF THE RED DOVECOT `
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44 THE UTILITY OF STOVEPIPES `
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45 A CONJUGAL SCENE `
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46 THE BASTION SAINT-GERVAIS `
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47 THE COUNCIL OF THE MUSKETEERS `
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48 A FAMILY AFFAIR `
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49 FATALITY `
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50 CHAT BETWEEN BROTHER AND SISTER `
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51 OFFICER `
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52 CAPTIVITY: THE FIRST DAY `
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53 CAPTIVITY: THE SECOND DAY `
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54 CAPTIVITY: THE THIRD DAY `
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55 CAPTIVITY: THE FOURTH DAY `
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56 CAPTIVITY: THE FIFTH DAY `
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57 MEANS FOR CLASSICAL TRAGEDY `
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58 ESCAPE `
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59 WHAT TOOK PLACE AT PORTSMOUTH `
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60 IN FRANCE `
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61 THE CARMELITE CONVENT AT BETHUNE `
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62 TWO VARIETIES OF DEMONS `
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63 THE DROP OF WATER `
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64 THE MAN IN THE RED CLOAK `
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65 TRIAL `
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66 EXECUTION `
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67 CONCLUSION `
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EPILOGUE `
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The Three Musketeers `
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Alexandre Dumas `
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AUTHOR'S PREFACE `
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In which it is proved that, notwithstanding their names' ending `
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in OS and IS, the heroes of the story which we are about to have `
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the honor to relate to our readers have nothing mythological `
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about them. `
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A short time ago, while making researches in the Royal Library `
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for my History of Louis XIV, I stumbled by chance upon the `
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Memoirs of M. d'Artagnan, printed--as were most of the works of `
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that period, in which authors could not tell the truth without `
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the risk of a residence, more or less long, in the Bastille--at `
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Amsterdam, by Pierre Rouge. The title attracted me; I took them `
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home with me, with the permission of the guardian, and devoured `
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them. `
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It is not my intention here to enter into an analysis of this `
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curious work; and I shall satisfy myself with referring such of `
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my readers as appreciate the pictures of the period to its pages. `
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They will therein find portraits penciled by the hand of a `
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master; and although these squibs may be, for the most part, `
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traced upon the doors of barracks and the walls of cabarets, they `
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will not find the likenesses of Louis XIII, Anne of Austria, `
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Richelieu, Mazarin, and the courtiers of the period, less `
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faithful than in the history of M. Anquetil. `
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But, it is well known, what strikes the capricious mind of the `
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poet is not always what affects the mass of readers. Now, while `
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admiring, as others doubtless will admire, the details we have to `
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relate, our main preoccupation concerned a matter to which no one `
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before ourselves had given a thought. `
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D'Artagnan relates that on his first visit to M. de Treville, `
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captain of the king's Musketeers, he met in the antechamber three `
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young men, serving in the illustrious corps into which he was `
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soliciting the honor of being received, bearing the names of `
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Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. `
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We must confess these three strange names struck us; and it `
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immediately occurred to us that they were but pseudonyms, under `
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which d'Artagnan had disguised names perhaps illustrious, or else `
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that the bearers of these borrowed names had themselves chosen `
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them on the day in which, from caprice, discontent, or want of `
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fortune, they had donned the simple Musketeer's uniform. `
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From the moment we had no rest till we could find some trace in `
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contemporary works of these extraordinary names which had so `
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strongly awakened our curiosity. `
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The catalogue alone of the books we read with this object would `
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fill a whole chapter, which, although it might be very `
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instructive, would certainly afford our readers but little `
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amusement. It will suffice, then, to tell them that at the `
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moment at which, discouraged by so many fruitless investigations, `
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we were about to abandon our search, we at length found, guided `
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by the counsels of our illustrious friend Paulin Paris, a `
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manuscript in folio, endorsed 4772 or 4773, we do not recollect `
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which, having for title, "Memoirs of the Comte de la Fere, `
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Touching Some Events Which Passed in France Toward the End of the `
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Reign of King Louis XIII and the Commencement of the Reign of `
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King Louis XIV." `
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It may be easily imagined how great was our joy when, in turning `
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over this manuscript, our last hope, we found at the twentieth `
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page the name of Athos, at the twenty-seventh the name of `
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Porthos, and at the thirty-first the name of Aramis. `
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The discovery of a completely unknown manuscript at a period in `
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which historical science is carried to such a high degree `
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appeared almost miraculous. We hastened, therefore, to obtain `
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permission to print it, with the view of presenting ourselves `
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someday with the pack of others at the doors of the Academie des `
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Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, if we should not succeed--a very `
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probable thing, by the by--in gaining admission to the Academie `
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Francaise with our own proper pack. This permission, we feel `
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bound to say, was graciously granted; which compels us here to `
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give a public contradiction to the slanderers who pretend that we `
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live under a government but moderately indulgent to men of `
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letters. `
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Now, this is the first part of this precious manuscript which we `
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offer to our readers, restoring it to the title which belongs to `
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it, and entering into an engagement that if (of which we have no `
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doubt) this first part should obtain the success it merits, we `
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will publish the second immediately. `
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In the meanwhile, as the godfather is a second father, we beg the `
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reader to lay to our account, and not to that of the Comte de la `
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Fere, the pleasure or the ENNUI he may experience. `
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This being understood, let us proceed with our history. `
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1 THE THREE PRESENTS OF D'ARTAGNAN THE ELDER `
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On the first Monday of the month of April, 1625, the market town `
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of Meung, in which the author of ROMANCE OF THE ROSE was born, `
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appeared to be in as perfect a state of revolution as if the `
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Huguenots had just made a second La Rochelle of it. Many `
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citizens, seeing the women flying toward the High Street, leaving `
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their children crying at the open doors, hastened to don the `
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cuirass, and supporting their somewhat uncertain courage with a `
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musket or a partisan, directed their steps toward the hostelry of `
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the Jolly Miller, before which was gathered, increasing every `
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minute, a compact group, vociferous and full of curiosity. `
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In those times panics were common, and few days passed without `
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