The Three Musketeers

by

Alexandre Dumas

Contents

Author`s Preface

1. THE THREE PRESENTS OF D`ARTAGNAN THE ELDER

2. THE ANTECHAMBER OF M. DE TREVILLE

3. THE AUDIENCE

4. THE SHOULDER OF ATHOS, THE BALDRIC OF PORTHOS AND THE

HANDKERCHIEF OF ARAMIS

5. THE KING`S MUSKETEERS AND THE CARDINAL`S GUARDS

6. HIS MAJESTY KING LOUIS XIII

7. THE INTERIOR OF "THE MUSKETEERS"

8. CONCERNING A COURT INTRIGUE

9. D`ARTAGNAN SHOWS HIMSELF

10. A MOUSETRAP IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

11. IN WHICH THE PLOT THICKENS

12. GEORGE VILLIERS, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

13. MONSIEUR BONACIEUX

14. THE MAN OF MEUNG

15. MEN OF THE ROBE AND MEN OF THE SWORD

16. M. SEGUIER, KEEPER OF THE SEALS, LOOKS MORE THAN ONCE FOR THE BELL,

IN ORDER TO RING IT, AS HE DID BEFORE

17. BONACIEUX AT HOME

18. LOVER AND HUSBAND

19. PLAN OF CAMPAIGN

20. THE JOURNEY

21. THE COUNTESS DE WINTER

22. THE BALLET OF LA MERLAISON

23. THE RENDEZVOUS

24. THE PAVILION

25. PORTHOS

26. ARAMIS AND HIS THESIS

27. THE WIFE OF ATHOS

28. THE RETURN

29. HUNTING FOR THE EQUIPMENTS

30. D`ARTAGNAN AND THE ENGLISHMAN

31. ENGLISH AND FRENCH

32. A PROCURATOR`S DINNER

33. SOUBRETTE AND MISTRESS

34. IN WHICH THE EQUIPMENT OF ARAMIS AND PORTHOS IS TREATED OF

35. A GASCON A MATCH FOR CUPID

36. DREAM OF VENGEANCE

37. MILADY`S SECRET

38. HOW, WITHOUT INCOMMODING HIMSELF, ATHOS PROCURED HIS EQUIPMENT

39. A VISION

40. A TERRIBLE VISION

41. THE SEIGE OF LA ROCHELLE

42. THE ANJOU WINE

43. THE SIGN OF THE RED DOVECOT

44. THE UTILITY OF STOVEPIPES

45. A CONJUGAL SCENE

46. THE BASTION SAINT-GERVAIS

47. THE COUNCIL OF THE MUSKETEERS

48. A FAMILY AFFAIR

49. FATALITY

50. CHAT BETWEEN BROTHER AND SISTER

51. OFFICER

52. CAPTIVITY: THE FIRST DAY

53. CAPTIVITY: THE SECOND DAY

54. CAPTIVITY: THE THIRD DAY

55. CAPTIVITY: THE FOURTH DAY

56. CAPTIVITY: THE FIFTH DAY

57. MEANS FOR CLASSICAL TRAGEDY

58. ESCAPE

59. WHAT TOOK PLACE AT PORTSMOUTH

60. IN FRANCE

61. THE CARMELITE CONVENT AT BETHUNE

62. TWO VARIETIES OF DEMONS

63. THE DROP OF WATER

64. THE MAN IN THE RED CLOAK

65. TRIAL

66. EXECUTION

67. CONCLUSION

EPILOGUE

The Three Musketeers

Alexandre Dumas

AUTHOR`S PREFACE

In which it is proved that, notwithstanding their names` ending

in OS and IS, the heroes of the story which we are about to have

the honor to relate to our readers have nothing mythological

about them.

A short time ago, while making researches in the Royal Library

for my History of Louis XIV, I stumbled by chance upon the

Memoirs of M. D`Artagnan, printed--as were most of the works of

that period, in which authors could not tell the truth without

the risk of a residence, more or less long, in the Bastille--at

Amsterdam, by Pierre Rouge. The title attracted me; I took them

home with me, with the permission of the guardian, and devoured

them.

It is not my intention here to enter into an analysis of this

curious work; and I shall satisfy myself with referring such of

my readers as appreciate the pictures of the period to its pages.

They will therein find portraits penciled by the hand of a

master; and although these squibs may be, for the most part,

traced upon the doors of barracks and the walls of cabarets, they

will not find the likenesses of Louis XIII, Anne of Austria,

Richelieu, Mazarin, and the courtiers of the period, less

faithful than in the history of M. Anquetil.

But, it is well known, what strikes the capricious mind of the

poet is not always what affects the mass of readers. Now, while

admiring, as others doubtless will admire, the details we have to

relate, our main preoccupation concerned a matter to which no one

before ourselves had given a thought.

D`Artagnan relates that on his first visit to M. de Treville,

captain of the king`s Musketeers, he met in the antechamber three

young men, serving in the illustrious corps into which he was

soliciting the honor of being received, bearing the names of

Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.

We must confess these three strange names struck us; and it

immediately occurred to us that they were but pseudonyms, under

which D`Artagnan had disguised names perhaps illustrious, or else

that the bearers of these borrowed names had themselves chosen

them on the day in which, from caprice, discontent, or want of

fortune, they had donned the simple Musketeer`s uniform.

>From the moment we had no rest till we could find some trace in

contemporary works of these extraordinary names which had so

strongly awakened our curiosity.

The catalogue alone of the books we read with this object would

fill a whole chapter, which, although it might be very

instructive, would certainly afford our readers but little

amusement. It will suffice, then, to tell them that at the

moment at which, discouraged by so many fruitless investigations,

we were about to abandon our search, we at length found, guided

by the counsels of our illustrious friend Paulin Paris, a

manuscript in folio, endorsed 4772 or 4773, we do not recollect

which, having for title, "Memoirs of the Comte de la Fere,

Touching Some Events Which Passed in France Toward the End of the

Reign of King Louis XIII and the Commencement of the Reign of

King Louis XIV."

It may be easily imagined how great was our joy when, in turning

over this manuscript, our last hope, we found at the twentieth

page the name of Athos, at the twenty-seventh the name of

Porthos, and at the thirty-first the name of Aramis.

The discovery of a completely unknown manuscript at a period in

which historical science is carried to such a high degree

appeared almost miraculous. We hastened, therefore, to obtain

permission to print it, with the view of presenting ourselves

someday with the pack of others at the doors of the Academie des

Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, if we should not succeed--a very

probable thing, by the by--in gaining admission to the Academie

Francaise with our own proper pack. This permission, we feel

bound to say, was graciously granted; which compels us here to

give a public contradiction to the slanderers who pretend that we

live under a government but moderately indulgent to men of

letters.

Now, this is the first part of this precious manuscript which we

offer to our readers, restoring it to the title which belongs to

it, and entering into an engagement that if (of which we have no

doubt) this first part should obtain the success it merits, we

will publish the second immediately.

In the meanwhile, as the godfather is a second father, we beg the

reader to lay to our account, and not to that of the Comte de la

Fere, the pleasure or the ENNUI he may experience.

This being understood, let us proceed with our history.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 1080