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In those times panics were common, and few days passed without `
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some city or other registering in its archives an event of this `
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kind. There were nobles, who made war against each other; there `
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was the king, who made war against the cardinal; there was Spain, `
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which made war against the king. Then, in addition to these `
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concealed or public, secret or open wars, there were robbers, `
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mendicants, Huguenots, wolves, and scoundrels, who made war upon `
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everybody. The citizens always took up arms readily against `
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thieves, wolves or scoundrels, often against nobles or Huguenots, `
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sometimes against the king, but never against cardinal or Spain. `
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It resulted, then, from this habit that on the said first Monday `
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of April, 1625, the citizens, on hearing the clamor, and seeing `
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neither the red-and-yellow standard nor the livery of the Duc de `
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Richelieu, rushed toward the hostel of the Jolly Miller. When `
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arrived there, the cause of the hubbub was apparent to all. `
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A young man--we can sketch his portrait at a dash. Imagine to `
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yourself a Don Quixote of eighteen; a Don Quixote without his `
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corselet, without his coat of mail, without his cuisses; a Don `
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Quixote clothed in a wooden doublet, the blue color of which had `
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faded into a nameless shade between lees of wine and a heavenly `
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azure; face long and brown; high cheek bones, a sign of sagacity; `
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the maxillary muscles enormously developed, an infallible sign by `
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which a Gascon may always be detected, even without his cap--and `
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our young man wore a cap set off with a sort of feather; the eye `
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open and intelligent; the nose hooked, but finely chiseled. Too `
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big for a youth, too small for a grown man, an experienced eye `
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might have taken him for a farmer's son upon a journey had it not `
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been for the long sword which, dangling from a leather baldric, `
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hit against the calves of its owner as he walked, and against the `
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rough side of his steed when he was on horseback. `
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For our young man had a steed which was the observed of all `
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observers. It was a Bearn pony, from twelve to fourteen years `
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old, yellow in his hide, without a hair in his tail, but not `
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without windgalls on his legs, which, though going with his head `
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lower than his knees, rendering a martingale quite unnecessary, `
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contrived nevertheless to perform his eight leagues a day. `
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Unfortunately, the qualities of this horse were so well concealed `
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under his strange-colored hide and his unaccountable gait, that `
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at a time when everybody was a connoisseur in horseflesh, the `
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appearance of the aforesaid pony at Meung--which place he had `
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entered about a quarter of an hour before, by the gate of `
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Beaugency--produced an unfavorable feeling, which extended to his `
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rider. `
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And this feeling had been more painfully perceived by young `
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d'Artagnan--for so was the Don Quixote of this second Rosinante `
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named--from his not being able to conceal from himself the `
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ridiculous appearance that such a steed gave him, good horseman `
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as he was. He had sighed deeply, therefore, when accepting the `
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gift of the pony from M. d'Artagnan the elder. He was not `
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ignorant that such a beast was worth at least twenty livres; and `
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the words which had accompanied the present were above all price. `
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"My son," said the old Gascon gentleman, in that pure Bearn `
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PATOIS of which Henry IV could never rid himself, "this horse was `
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born in the house of your father about thirteen years ago, and `
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has remained in it ever since, which ought to make you love it. `
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Never sell it; allow it to die tranquilly and honorably of old `
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age, and if you make a campaign with it, take as much care of it `
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as you would of an old servant. At court, provided you have ever `
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the honor to go there," continued M. d'Artagnan the elder, "--an `
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honor to which, remember, your ancient nobility gives you the `
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right--sustain worthily your name of gentleman, which has been `
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worthily borne by your ancestors for five hundred years, both for `
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your own sake and the sake of those who belong to you. By the `
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latter I mean your relatives and friends. Endure nothing from `
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anyone except Monsieur the Cardinal and the king. It is by his `
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courage, please observe, by his courage alone, that a gentleman `
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can make his way nowadays. Whoever hesitates for a second `
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perhaps allows the bait to escape which during that exact second `
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fortune held out to him. You are young. You ought to be brave `
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for two reasons: the first is that you are a Gascon, and the `
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second is that you are my son. Never fear quarrels, but seek `
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adventures. I have taught you how to handle a sword; you have `
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thews of iron, a wrist of steel. Fight on all occasions. Fight `
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the more for duels being forbidden, since consequently there is `
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twice as much courage in fighting. I have nothing to give you, `
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my son, but fifteen crowns, my horse, and the counsels you have `
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just heard. Your mother will add to them a recipe for a certain `
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balsam, which she had from a Bohemian and which has the `
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miraculous virtue of curing all wounds that do not reach the `
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heart. Take advantage of all, and live happily and long. I have `
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but one word to add, and that is to propose an example to you-- `
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not mine, for I myself have never appeared at court, and have `
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only taken part in religious wars as a volunteer; I speak of `
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Monsieur de Treville, who was formerly my neighbor, and who had `
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the honor to be, as a child, the play-fellow of our king, Louis `
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XIII, whom God preserve! Sometimes their play degenerated into `
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battles, and in these battles the king was not always the `
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stronger. The blows which he received increased greatly his `
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esteem and friendship for Monsieur de Treville. Afterward, `
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Monsieur de Treville fought with others: in his first journey to `
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Paris, five times; from the death of the late king till the young `
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one came of age, without reckoning wars and sieges, seven times; `
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and from that date up to the present day, a hundred times, `
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perhaps! So that in spite of edicts, ordinances, and decrees, `
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there he is, captain of the Musketeers; that is to say, chief of `
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a legion of Caesars, whom the king holds in great esteem and whom `
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the cardinal dreads--he who dreads nothing, as it is said. Still `
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further, Monsieur de Treville gains ten thousand crowns a year; `
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he is therefore a great noble. He began as you begin. Go to him `
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with this letter, and make him your model in order that you may `
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do as he has done." `
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Upon which M. d'Artagnan the elder girded his own sword round his `
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son, kissed him tenderly on both cheeks, and gave him his `
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benediction. `
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On leaving the paternal chamber, the young man found his mother, `
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who was waiting for him with the famous recipe of which the `
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counsels we have just repeated would necessitate frequent `
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employment. The adieux were on this side longer and more tender `
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than they had been on the other--not that M. d'Artagnan did not `
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love his son, who was his only offspring, but M. d'Artagnan was a `
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man, and he would have considered it unworthy of a man to give `
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way to his feelings; whereas Mme. d'Artagnan was a woman, and `
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still more, a mother. She wept abundantly; and--let us speak it `
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to the praise of M. d'Artagnan the younger--notwithstanding the `
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efforts he made to remain firm, as a future Musketeer ought, `
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nature prevailed, and he shed many tears, of which he succeeded `
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with great difficulty in concealing the half. `
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The same day the young man set forward on his journey, furnished `
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with the three paternal gifts, which consisted, as we have said, `
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of fifteen crowns, the horse, and the letter for M. de Treville-- `
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the counsels being thrown into the bargain. `
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With such a VADE MECUM d'Artagnan was morally and physically an `
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exact copy of the hero of Cervantes, to whom we so happily `
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compared him when our duty of an historian placed us under the `
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necessity of sketching his portrait. Don Quixote took windmills `
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for giants, and sheep for armies; d'Artagnan took every smile for `
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an insult, and every look as a provocation--whence it resulted `
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that from Tarbes to Meung his fist was constantly doubled, or his `
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hand on the hilt of his sword; and yet the fist did not descend `
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upon any jaw, nor did the sword issue from its scabbard. It was `
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not that the sight of the wretched pony did not excite numerous `
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smiles on the countenances of passers-by; but as against the side `
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of this pony rattled a sword of respectable length, and as over `
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this sword gleamed an eye rather ferocious than haughty, these `
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passers-by repressed their hilarity, or if hilarity prevailed `
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over prudence, they endeavored to laugh only on one side, like `
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the masks of the ancients. D'Artagnan, then, remained majestic `
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and intact in his susceptibility, till he came to this unlucky `
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city of Meung. `
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But there, as he was alighting from his horse at the gate of the `
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Jolly Miller, without anyone--host, waiter, or hostler--coming to `
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hold his stirrup or take his horse, d'Artagnan spied, though an `
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open window on the ground floor, a gentleman, well-made and of `
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good carriage, although of rather a stern countenance, talking `
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with two persons who appeared to listen to him with respect. `
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d'Artagnan fancied quite naturally, according to his custom, that `
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he must be the object of their conversation, and listened. This `
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time d'Artagnan was only in part mistaken; he himself was not in `
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question, but his horse was. The gentleman appeared to be `
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enumerating all his qualities to his auditors; and, as I have `
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said, the auditors seeming to have great deference for the `
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narrator, they every moment burst into fits of laughter. Now, as `
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a half-smile was sufficient to awaken the irascibility of the `
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young man, the effect produced upon him by this vociferous mirth `
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may be easily imagined. `
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Nevertheless, d'Artagnan was desirous of examining the appearance `
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of this impertinent personage who ridiculed him. He fixed his `
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haughty eye upon the stranger, and perceived a man of from forty `
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to forty-five years of age, with black and piercing eyes, pale `
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complexion, a strongly marked nose, and a black and well-shaped `
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mustache. He was dressed in a doublet and hose of a violet `
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color, with aiguillettes of the same color, without any other `
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ornaments than the customary slashes, through which the shirt `
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appeared. This doublet and hose, though new, were creased, like `
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traveling clothes for a long time packed in a portmanteau. `
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d'Artagnan made all these remarks with the rapidity of a most `
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minute observer, and doubtless from an instinctive feeling that `
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this stranger was destined to have a great influence over his `
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future life. `
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Now, as at the moment in which d'Artagnan fixed his eyes upon the `
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gentleman in the violet doublet, the gentleman made one of his `
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most knowing and profound remarks respecting the Bearnese pony, `
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his two auditors laughed even louder than before, and he himself, `
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though contrary to his custom, allowed a pale smile (if I may `
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allowed to use such an expression) to stray over his countenance. `
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This time there could be no doubt; d'Artagnan was really `
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insulted. Full, then, of this conviction, he pulled his cap down `
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over his eyes, and endeavoring to copy some of the court airs he `
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had picked up in Gascony among young traveling nobles, he `
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advanced with one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other `
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resting on his hip. Unfortunately, as he advanced, his anger `
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increased at every step; and instead of the proper and lofty `
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speech he had prepared as a prelude to his challenge, he found `
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nothing at the tip of his tongue but a gross personality, which `
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he accompanied with a furious gesture. `
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"I say, sir, you sir, who are hiding yourself behind that `
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shutter--yes, you, sir, tell me what you are laughing at, and we `
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will laugh together!" `
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