The three musketeers

The Three Musketeers

By Alexandre Dumas, Père

First Volume of the D’Artagnan Series


CONTENTS

 AUTHOR’S PREFACE
 Chapter I. THE THREE PRESENTS OF D’ARTAGNAN THE ELDER
 Chapter II. THE ANTECHAMBER OF M. DE TRÉVILLE
 Chapter III. THE AUDIENCE
 Chapter IV. THE SHOULDER OF ATHOS, THE BALDRIC OF PORTHOS AND THE HANDKERCHIEF OF ARAMIS
 Chapter V. THE KING’S MUSKETEERS AND THE CARDINAL’S GUARDS
 Chapter VI. HIS MAJESTY KING LOUIS XIII.
 Chapter VII. THE INTERIOR OF THE MUSKETEERS
 Chapter VIII. CONCERNING A COURT INTRIGUE
 Chapter IX. D’ARTAGNAN SHOWS HIMSELF
 Chapter X. A MOUSETRAP IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
 Chapter XI. IN WHICH THE PLOT THICKENS
 Chapter XII. GEORGE VILLIERS, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM
 Chapter XIII. MONSIEUR BONACIEUX
 Chapter XIV. THE MAN OF MEUNG
 Chapter XV. MEN OF THE ROBE AND MEN OF THE SWORD
 Chapter XVI. IN WHICH M. SÉGUIER, KEEPER OF THE SEALS, LOOKS MORE THAN ONCE FOR THE BELL
 Chapter XVII. BONACIEUX AT HOME
 Chapter XVIII. LOVER AND HUSBAND
 Chapter XIX. PLAN OF CAMPAIGN
 Chapter XX. THE JOURNEY
 Chapter XXI. THE COUNTESS DE WINTER
 Chapter XXII. THE BALLET OF LA MERLAISON
 Chapter XXIII. THE RENDEZVOUS
 Chapter XXIV. THE PAVILION
 Chapter XXV. PORTHOS
 Chapter XXVI. ARAMIS AND HIS THESIS
 Chapter XXVII. THE WIFE OF ATHOS
 Chapter XXVIII. THE RETURN
 Chapter XXIX. HUNTING FOR THE EQUIPMENTS
 Chapter XXX. D’ARTAGNAN AND THE ENGLISHMAN
 Chapter XXXI. ENGLISH AND FRENCH
 Chapter XXXII. A PROCURATOR’S DINNER
 Chapter XXXIII. SOUBRETTE AND MISTRESS
 Chapter XXXIV. IN WHICH THE EQUIPMENT OF ARAMIS AND PORTHOS IS TREATED OF
 Chapter XXXV. A GASCON A MATCH FOR CUPID
 Chapter XXXVI. DREAM OF VENGEANCE
 Chapter XXXVII. MILADY’S SECRET
 Chapter XXXVIII. HOW, WITHOUT INCOMMDING HIMSELF, ATHOS PROCURES HIS EQUIPMENT
 Chapter XXXIX. A VISION
 Chapter XL. A TERRIBLE VISION
 Chapter XLI. THE SIEGE OF LA ROCHELLE
 Chapter XLII. THE ANJOU WINE
 Chapter XLIII. THE SIGN OF THE RED DOVECOT
 Chapter XLIV. THE UTILITY OF STOVEPIPES
 Chapter XLV. A CONJUGAL SCENE
 Chapter XLVI. THE BASTION SAINT-GERVAIS
 Chapter XLVII. THE COUNCIL OF THE MUSKETEERS
 Chapter XLVIII. A FAMILY AFFAIR
 Chapter XLIX. FATALITY
 Chapter L. CHAT BETWEEN BROTHER AND SISTER
 Chapter LI. OFFICER
 Chapter LII. CAPTIVITY: THE FIRST DAY
 Chapter LIII. CAPTIVITY: THE SECOND DAY
 Chapter LIV. CAPTIVITY: THE THIRD DAY
 Chapter LV. CAPTIVITY: THE FOURTH DAY
 Chapter LVI. CAPTIVITY: THE FIFTH DAY
 Chapter LVII. MEANS FOR CLASSICAL TRAGEDY
 Chapter LVIII. ESCAPE
 Chapter LIX. WHAT TOOK PLACE AT PORTSMOUTH AUGUST 23, 1628
 Chapter LX. IN FRANCE
 Chapter LXI. THE CARMELITE CONVENT AT BÉTHUNE
 Chapter LXII. TWO VARIETIES OF DEMONS
 Chapter LXIII. THE DROP OF WATER
 Chapter LXIV. THE MAN IN THE RED CLOAK
 Chapter LXV. TRIAL
 Chapter LXVI. EXECUTION
 Chapter LXVII. CONCLUSION
 EPILOGUE




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 Tréville, 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 that 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.