Of course, the story about the historical prototypes of the heroes of the novels by Alexander Dumas "Three Musketeers", "Twenty Years Later" and "Vicomte de Bragelon" should begin with the personality of the fearless d'Artagnan, who is the most famous character in the world of the writer.
In fact, we have three d'Artagnan: d'Artagnan from the books of Alexandre Dumas, d'Artagnan de Courtille and d'Artagnan who actually lived. The whole difficulty lies in the fact that the first to a certain extent depends on the second, the second on the third, and almost nothing is known about the third, the real one.
Almost nothing is yet nothing at all. I must say that the adventure classics of the 18th-19th centuries produced many bright heroes, and most of them have prototypes in real history. D'Artagnan is just one example. Such a character did exist, his name was Charles de Bats de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan, and yet something is known about him.
This Gascon, who made a brilliant career under King Louis XIV, was born sometime between 1610 and 1620. The exact date of his birth is unknown.
True, one of the documents indicates that a certain Charles d'Artagnan was already in military service in March 1633. No doubt: we are talking about our hero. But how old could he have been at that time? Twenty or a little over twenty. Then the date of his birth is somewhere around 1613, with a possible error of two or three years in one direction or another.
Having understood this, we should immediately stop believing in those picturesque adventures attributed to him by the imagination of Alexandre Dumas, which relate to the first half of the reign of King Louis XIII. We are talking about the events connected with the love of Anna of Austria for the charming Duke of Buckingham, about the struggle against the terrible Cardinal de Richelieu, about the siege of La Rochelle ... At the time when all these events unfolded, Charles de Batts was still a teenager who, if he fought, then only with the neighbor boys.
Today, the name of d'Artagnan has become a real legend. So how much truth is there in this legend?
According to historians, Charles de Bats de Castelmore was born in the heart of ancient Gascony, in the castle of Castelmore, which was located between the towns of Tarbes and Auch. It is in Osh, by the way, that a majestic monument was erected to him (in the very center, on a pompous staircase overlooking the embankment), and in all other surrounding settlements he is considered a national hero.
On the other hand, de Courtille, already known to us and largely dependent on him for facts, Alexandre Dumas, who dealt with geography as easily as with history, considered him a native of the Béarn region neighboring Gascony, where the real d'Artagnan actually never was.
It is almost impossible for modern people to understand this, because Gascony and Bearn are something that was located somewhere in the south-west of France for a very long time. In fact, these are two different historical areas. Gascony at that time was a duchy, and Béarn bordered on Spain in its southern part, and on Gascony on the other three sides. For a long time, Bearn retained state independence and was finally annexed to France only in 1620. Charles was one of seven children in the family of Bertrand de Bats de Castelmore and Francoise de Montesquieu d'Artagnan.
Charles did not have to be proud of the antiquity of the family. The Memoirs of Monsieur d'Artagnan says on this subject:

“I will not at all amuse myself here with stories either about my birth or about my youth, because I do not find that I could say something worthy of a separate report about them.”

His great-grandfather Arno Bats was an ordinary merchant who bought the castle from its bankrupt owners. Then, having agreed with the royal official, he received the title of nobility along with the prefix "de" due to him. So he became Arnaud de Bats. His son, Bertrand de Bats, further strengthened this position by marrying a real aristocrat, Francoise de Montesquiou. However, as a dowry, the young man got only the ruined castle of Artagnan, which looked more like an ordinary farm, and numerous debts, the payment of which deprived his family of the remnants of his fortune. In fact, Bertrand de Bats left only the castle of Castelmore, where Charles, his brothers Paul, Jean and Arno, and three sisters were born.
Castelmore Castle could be called a very big stretch. In fact, it was an ordinary rural two-story stone house with two dilapidated turrets. Some authors call this house an estate, although this term in this case can only be used with a very highly developed imagination.
An iron-bound door led into a low hall furnished with rough wooden furniture and a row of leather chairs, and decorated with three old paintings on the walls. From this hall there was a passage to the bedroom, in which there were two beds, two tables and three wardrobes filled with old linen. On the lower floor there was also another room and a spacious kitchen, which had an oven, an old sideboard, iron hooks for a huge copper cauldron, and long skewers like those kept in taverns. A large wooden staircase led upstairs. In the upper room there was a lounge chair, a pool table, four stools, and a dozen half-worn armchairs. Upstairs there were also an office and four bedrooms, each with two beds with feather beds and blankets, a table, a bench, and a chest. From the second floor it was possible to get into the highest tower of the castle.
From the property in the castle there were three old flintlock arquebuses, seven muskets, two swords, pewter utensils, six brass candlesticks, two small cauldrons, one large cauldron, three pans, twenty-four tablecloths and twelve pairs of used linen sheets. And, as is often the case today, not a single book ...

There is no information about Charles’s childhood and youth, but it is known that, as befitted young Gascon nobles, he joined the ranks of the French Guard, taking his mother’s name, better known at court (the d’Artagnans were relatives of the de Montesquiou family).
According to the legend, however, very similar to the truth, our hero reached Paris on foot. He had with him the only address of a certain tavern in which the musketeers liked to gather. Here, among the regulars, he expected to meet his older brothers, but this did not happen. However, in this tavern, he accidentally met one of the guardsmen from the company of Mr. des Essards (in the Russian translation of Dumas, this surname is given as Desessard). This guardsman was also a poor young Gascon and dreamed of moving into a company of musketeers. His name was Isaac de Porto (de Curtil, and after him, Alexandre Dumas turned him into Porthos, and we will talk about him later).
The Memoirs of Monsieur d'Artagnan says:
"The Musketeer whom I approached was called Porthos, and turned out to be my father's neighbor, who lived two or three leagues from him."

This "father's neighbor" promised to introduce his new friend to two musketeers, relatives of the commander of the musketeers company, Mr. de Treville, namely, Henri d'Aramitz and Andrien de Silleg d'Athos (they are known to us under the names Aramis and Athos, and about them we also discussed below).
In the novel The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas sinned against the truth by awarding Porthos with a baldric embroidered with gold. In fact, it was owned by the guardsman of Cardinal Gillo. And so Isaac de Porto somehow invited d'Artagnan for a walk. D'Artagnan readily accepted the invitation, as he hoped that his new friend would help him settle in Paris. However, the purpose of the walk was completely different: Isaac de Porto decided to teach the conceited dandy Gillo a lesson and, as if by accident, rip off his cloak. For greater effect, an outside witness was needed; for this role, a young Gascon young man who had just arrived in the French capital was invited, who knew nothing.
It all ended, as expected, in a bloody battle in which d'Artagnan seriously wounded one of the cardinal's guards and saved his friend from death.
Such, in brief, is de Courtille's version of the Memoirs of Monsieur d'Artagnan. It is impossible to establish the degree of its veracity, but it is known for sure that d'Artagnan did not succeed in joining the Musketeers: de Treville (he is called "a poor nobleman from our immediate neighborhood" in the Memoirs) liked the brave young man, but he did not have the appropriate clothes, a horse and weapons, and all this noble nobles had to acquire at their own expense. Therefore, de Treville sent Charles to the company des Essarts, in which Isaac de Porto served.
In 1643 King Louis XIII died. Mourning was declared, and on this occasion a new set of musketeers was made. A little later, the recruited company of musketeers would be disbanded, but then no one knew this, and the newcomers were in seventh heaven with happiness. Among the lucky ones was the guardsman de Porto, while d'Artagnan remained under the command of des Essart. But that was good too. The guards received excellent military training, which made it possible to apply for higher army ranks in the future.
According to de Courtille, d'Artagnan entered the company of Captain des Essarts around 1640. Alexandre Dumas took advantage of this indication, but postponed the events many years ago to enable his hero to take part in the siege of La Rochelle, the fortress of the Huguenots and the center of their resistance (in fact, the siege took place in 1627-1628).
In reality, the Baron des Essards received the rank of captain only in 1642. Two lists of the company des Essarts for 1642 have been preserved, which provide a complete list of soldiers, junior and senior officers. None of them mention d'Artagnan.
In 1640, the son of Bertrand de Bats had already left his home and had long served in the royal troops. Apparently, he was supposed to join the regiment around 1630. Three years later, his name appears on the list of musketeers who participated in the military review on March 10, 1633. The company captain at that time was Monsieur de Montalan, and his lieutenant was Monsieur de Treville.
This is just one of the versions. Unfortunately, as we have already said, the exact date of birth of our hero is unknown, and it is "somewhere between 1610 and 1620." If we consider that he was nevertheless born in 1613, then his arrival in Paris in 1630, that is, at the age of seventeen, can be considered normal. If he was nevertheless born closer to 1620, then the more correct version is that the true d'Artagnan joined the ranks of the French Guard in 1640.

Be that as it may, in 1644 d'Artagnan ended up in Flanders, which was then under the rule of the king of Spain. As part of the army under the command of the Duke of Orleans, he participated in the capture of the fortress of La Bayette, then he was the first to break into Fort San Philippe, captured by the Spaniards. Luck literally walked hand in hand next to him. There were rumors about his courage, he was as if bewitched: his hat was broken, his cloak was pierced, and there was not a scratch on his body.
Finally, on November 1, 1644, his dream came true: Charles de Bats de Castelmaur d'Artagnan became the royal musketeer.
Note that almost all of this is the version set forth in the Memoirs of Monsieur d'Artagnan, and it can be assumed that de Courtil did not completely invent everything.
On the other hand, there is evidence that the company of musketeers was disbanded in 1643, so the real d'Artagnan could hardly have become a musketeer the next year. Thus, this question remains open.
In addition, we know nothing for certain about the dueling and military exploits of d'Artagnan in those early years. Only the legend of his participation in the siege of Arras in the spring of 1640 has survived. He allegedly showed there not only courage, but also wit. In particular, such a case is known. The besieged Spaniards wrote on the gate: "If Arras is French, the mice will eat the cats." The brave Gascon, in front of everyone under fire, crept closer and corrected the inscription. Now it was written on the gate: “If Arras is not French, mice will eat cats.” However, soon the fate of d'Artagnan gave a sharp turn. Cardinal Giulio Mazarin (a story about him ahead), who replaced Cardinal de Richelieu, who died at the end of 1642, needed a man of proven courage, loyal, quick-witted and capable of sacrificing his life, but not betraying state secrets. It was also necessary that this man revered Cardinal Mazarin as a benefactor, and for this he had to be poor as a church rat. They recommended d'Artagnan to the cardinal, for there really was no better candidate.
Further, events developed in such a way that, it seems, Alexandre Dumas was able to create two characters from the real d'Artagnan at once - the cunning Gascon and his complete opposite - Comte de Rochefort, an approximate cardinal de Richelieu (and we will also talk about him in more detail below).
And the following happened. King Louis XIII briefly survived the all-powerful de Richelieu. Power in the country was in the hands of the Queen Regent Anna of Austria and her favorite, Cardinal Mazarin. He decided to disband the company of the royal musketeers, and d'Artagnan was out of work. And only in 1646 did he and his Gascon friend Francois de Bemo (Dumas brought him to the stage in the Vicomte de Bragelone in the Iron Mask episode) received an audience with the cardinal, where they were offered the positions of his personal couriers.
Some historians believe that this happened not in 1646, but in 1644.
Be that as it may, after that, for several years, the former musketeer raced headlong along the roads of France in the heat and cold, at the risk of his life, carrying out the secret missions of his new master.
Again, Alexandre Dumas sinned against the truth, arguing that the Gascon treated Mazarin with prejudice. On the contrary, d'Artagnan was considered one of the most devoted agents of the new First Minister of France. He performed the most difficult and delicate tasks, and, as a rule, with success.
D'Artagnan has always remained a man stubborn in his devotion to the queen, hated by all the cardinal and the shaken monarchy.
To the delight of meticulous historians, since the appointment of Cardinal Mazarin as personal courier, detailed documents have appeared mentioning the name of Charles d'Artagnan. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs still keeps the original instructions to d'Artagnan on negotiating with the governors of the fortresses about the terms of surrender. During this period, contemporaries called him a protege of Cardinal Mazarin.
I must say that such a nickname did not carry anything positive, because the power-hungry Mazarin (born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino from the Italian region of Abruzzi) was extremely unpopular among the French. Mazarin held on to the fact that his many enemies themselves hated each other, and their interests were often simply incompatible. At the same time, the "protege of the cardinal" not only carried dispatches and transmitted orders, but also found out the moods and intentions of Mazarin's opponents.
Bemot and d'Artagnan thought that in material terms their new positions would bring them what they could never have obtained in a company of musketeers or in the French Guard: wealth in the form of those glorious full-weight voiced coins that were said to be full of the state coffers. Alas! Events quickly showed that these hopes were pure illusion.
The new cardinal, whom the French titled nobility called the rootless favorite, was extremely stingy. At that time, the ultimate dream for a poor Gascon could be a lieutenant in any of the French regiments. This required not only military experience and noble origin, but also money, but d’Artagnan didn’t have them. The amount of payment for an officer's rank depended on Mazarin, and Mazarin kept our hero by promising everything and promising him an officer's position.
When the civil war began, which went down in history as the Fronde, fearing that the townspeople would capture the infant king, Mazarin, the regent queen and Louis XIV in January 1649 secretly fled from the uprising Paris. Then Mazarin, against whom the uprising was mainly directed, fled even further - to Brussels. As always, next to the carriage in which the disguised cardinal rode, his faithful servant Charles d'Artagnan, armed to the teeth, galloped.
An uprising against Mazarin arose throughout France, and his courier had to gallop now west, to Normandy, then east, to Burgundy, where the situation became especially acute. And each time he brought the cardinal detailed information about what he had seen and heard. And he was damned sneaky and observant, this Gascon ...
But it just so happened that the people did not provide serious support to the nobility, and Mazarin began to win victory after victory. He already believed that he had defeated all his enemies, but the triumph turned out to be premature: in 1651, by a decree of the Parliament, Mazarin was outlawed, depriving him of all his property.
After that, the cardinal had to seek refuge in Cologne.
The name of Charles d'Artagnan was already well known by that time, but as before, all his possessions were a battered cloak and a sharp sword. Only now Mazarin appreciated the loyalty of the Gascon, who did not leave him. He would be glad to give him ranks, estates, gold, but right now he had none of this.
In this critical situation, Mazarin showed feverish activity, recruiting supporters for himself. D'Artagnan was aware of all his affairs and plans and, risking his life, continued to carry out his instructions.

Parisian pavements are disgusting. Behind their dirt, paving stones, if any, are not visible. It is impossible to see something in this vile slurry, but, for some time now, the four inseparable friends began to look at their feet more often. They moved around the city exclusively on foot, not because of the lack of horses, but most likely because if you see a dropped coin or purse from the saddle, you won’t jump to the ground for the sake of such smallness! Although, to be completely frank, you can jump; the main thing is that you do not notice. D "Artagnan would have jumped off, Porthos too. Aramis, after looking around, would have dismounted with dignity and depicted with all certainty that he had lost the wallet the day before and was waiting for him. If anyone had passed by, it was Athos. No, bring on a dinner party for the whole company, including servants, the musketeer could well, and even did it four times! In general, Athos never looked at his feet: if he walked, he looked over the heads of all he met or directly in front of him, and if he was in the saddle, he relied on his horse in choosing the path more than on his eyesight, and contemplated heaven, so let's leave the worthy nobleman alone and keep an eye on his three friends.

It was getting dark, and d'Artagnan, accompanied by Planchet, wandering the streets of the Faubourg Saint-Germain, came to the sad conclusion: if someone's wallet was lying around somewhere in this area, then it went to the one who passed here earlier. There I wanted unbearably, and the poor young man involuntarily looked back at all the hospitable doors of the taverns that were flung open, but not for him: the breathtaking smells of cooking dishes rushed from there. Paris was harsh with losers. ; the worst thing he could think of was that his Luck got lost on the crooked Parisian streets, rushing to meet him. His imagination, spurred on by forced fasting, pictured to him a noble lady (like the one who, according to rumors, gave her attention to the vain Porthos), whom he would certainly rescue from the tenacious paws of the nocturnal vagabonds. The beauty will not remain indifferent to the beauty and valor of d "Artagnan and will not let him die of hunger by arranging a sumptuous dinner for four brave men. It is possible that the lady will have a husband who will add a heavy wallet to dinner.

Lord, save and have mercy, - a rattling voice interrupted his dreams. “In this accursed city, at least to get home alive: I don’t want more,” some passer-by cried out to the Lord, begging him not to refuse help to get to the roof of his native house.

The young man's ardent imagination leaped up: what if this man was left on the street at such a late hour not of his own free will? And he, a military and brave young man, will remain aloof from someone else's misfortune? Impossible! But what if this is a husband whose wife was taken away by some robbers and he returns alone, powerless to help her? The fantasy of d "Artagnan played out: he instantly drew himself an unfortunate married couple who fell into the clutches of night crooks, the cries of a lady who was dragged into a dark alley, wrapped in a raincoat, a husband who was tickled with a knife throat ...

Can I help you in any way, sir, - the words flew out of him before he had time to realize that before him was not a frightened bourgeois, but a poor priest. At the same time, the old man jumped on the spot, as if the firmament of the earth was shaking under him.

No, no, thank you, I’ve almost reached it, - such a familiar dialect of my native places impressed d "Artagnan as a blessed rain. And he hastened to assure the priest of his good intentions. Athos.
Maybe the voice that betrayed that the curate was talking to a young man and a compatriot showed the old man that he could talk to an invisible stranger in the dark, or maybe he was just so tired that he stopped resisting his fate, but the curate stopped, breathing heavily and peering into the darkness.

Who are you, stranger? he asked in a trembling voice, "and what do you want from me?"

I am a Gascon nobleman and guardsman of the company of Mr. Dezessard, - the young man answered as calmly and politely as possible. - My name is d'Artagnan. Can I be useful to you, sir?

What is the manner of yelling under the windows of decent townspeople at night? - the shutters above them flew open with a noise, and d "Artagnan saw by the light pouring from the window that he was talking to a frail old man dressed in a fairly worn cassock. - Roll on your way and do not interfere with good people!" - did not stop at the window.

But now we will rise and explain to you that helping your neighbor requires encouragement, and not that good people are prevented from providing it! - and d "Artagnan took up his sword and grabbed the bracket of the front door.

Stop, brave young man! called the terrified priest to death. I don't need to be protected, I just need to know where I am.

This is Harp Street, - d "Artagnan was already well versed in the topography of Paris. - And you, sir, where do you need to get to?

I need the street of the Old Dovecote, - the curate wrinkled his forehead, trying to remember how he went there in the light of day. - Kindly tell me how to get there.

I am going in the same direction and will be glad to see you off, holy father, - the young guardsman was delighted. “No one will dare to touch you with me,” he added, twirling his mustache not without self-satisfaction.

My son, I hope this does not burden you too much, - the old man looked at the young man with a smile.

It won’t burden you at all, d’Artagnan assured him. On the contrary, I’m glad to meet a fellow countryman.

Are you from Tarbes? - still smiling, he began to question the Gascon curate, a seed next to his escort. D "Artagnan noticed that the old man was having difficulty keeping up with him and moderated his step.

You guessed. Our castle still stands on a hill, although, it must be admitted, time has pretty battered it.

And you recently in Paris? continued the curate.

Why do you think so? d'Artagnan was surprised.

Because you haven't lost your pronunciation yet, - the old man smiled. And because you are still very young.

You are right, Monsieur Curé, I have only been in Paris for half a year, but this did not prevent me from achieving something already, ”the Gascon remarked boastfully. “I am in favor with the captain of the royal musketeers, M. de Treville, I have wonderful friends among the royal musketeers, and I very much hope to be useful to Their Majesties.

You have big plans, young man,” agreed the Gascon priest, not without a smile, “and I have no doubt that you will be able to achieve a lot. In our time, connections mean a lot, - the old man sighed: his stay in Paris dragged on, and he never managed to get funds for his impoverished parish, or to get an audience with one of the influential seigneurs.

"This young man, barely fledged, has already managed to be enlisted in the guard, made friends in the ranks of the musketeers, and managed to earn the location of their captain. Of course, he is a little braggart, but he will be able to break through. Besides, he is young, enterprising and kind. make friends with him: we will both benefit from this," while the curate was thinking in this way, they reached the house where the curate rented two rooms. Treville's mansion was within easy reach.

Here we are, Monsieur d'Artagnan, said the curate, stopping in front of his door. I am free, and would be glad to see you at home. We should continue this unexpected acquaintance: I feel sincere sympathy for you and will be happy to repay you kindly on occasion. Perhaps I can be of some use to you, my young friend. Come tomorrow we'll have breakfast together, we'll have a lot to talk about, and take your friends with you, I'll be glad to meet them too.

The curate nodded affably in response to the respectful bow of the young man and disappeared behind the heavy door of a nondescript little house. D'Artagnan, who took off his hat out of respect, put it on his head again and turned to Planche, who loomed beside him like a silent shadow.

Planchet - run to Athos, Porthos and Aramis! Let them know that tomorrow at nine I will expect them all at my place. And let the servants be taken! If we're lucky, we won't fast tomorrow.

Planchet perfectly remembered the house where the priest lived. Therefore, he was able to clearly explain where friends should appear. It was decided that the whole company would not rush in at once: why frighten the good priest! D "Artagnan was supposed to come with Aramis, and the rest would appear later when the conversation began. This corresponded to the state of affairs, because Athos had to come up, having changed from the night guard, and Porthos from the next duchess. At the appointed hour, Aramis, accompanied by Bazin, The young man was somewhat pale, a little absent-minded, and answered his friend's greeting with a listless nod.

Aramis, did something happen to you? - the first thing d "Artagnan asked, carefully looking at the future abbot.

Yes. That is, no, - Aramis immediately corrected, realizing that he had said something superfluous in a rush, and the stubborn d "Artagnan now will not calm down until he gets the truth out of his friend. - I am very hungry, my friend. Although I am used to fasting , but he did it in prayers, and not dangling on assignments.

Orders? - pretended to believe him, Gascon.

Yes, I know shops that sell the finest Spanish leather gloves and excellent rouge. You understand that not every lady can afford to visit such places, and since I am a member ...

In short, the ladies filled you with assignments, but it didn’t occur to any of them that the messenger should be strengthened not only in spirit, but also in body, d’Artagnan laughed.
- Well, I, your friend, thought about it. We're going to have breakfast!

What about our friends? It would be ugly for you and me to feast, leaving them hungry.

You think ill of me, Aramis, if you could suppose that I did not take care of Athos and Porthos. They will join us already in the course of the meal.

And where are we going? asked Aramis, when they, accompanied by Planchet and Bazin, came out into the Rue de Gravediggers.

To one familiar priest, my compatriot, - d "Artagnan realized with some delay that he had not found out the name of the good curate. - He lives near Treville. Athos will come after duty, and Porthos - from his duchess.

If Porthos comes from his lady, he will not need our breakfast, - muttered Aramis.

Don't tell! The Gascon smiled slyly. “Besides, our Porthos is always hungry. But we've already arrived. This is here, - and d "Artagnan stopped at a familiar house. He did not even need to knock: the old man noticed them through the window and went down to personally open the door to the guests.

The sight of the guests, especially Aramis, pleased the curé. It somewhat strained him that the guests were with servants, but the old man did not show it: the visit of the royal musketeers was worth some expenses.
The kind curate, letting his guests pass ahead of him, did not notice the slight disappointment that the young people experienced when they looked at the table setting. There was a stack of clay bowls, a pile of biscuits, and a few pretty buns.

Thunder strike me if I get hired by this, ”muttered d" Artagnan, but the curate heard.

Gentlemen, I have a surprise for you, - he announced, rubbing his dry hands. - Please come to the table.

A maid appeared from somewhere, just as dry and old, subtly resembling her master, and brought in a teapot. An unfamiliar but extremely pleasant aroma spread throughout the room.

Aramis sniffed the air: he had already heard a similar smell: in Madame d'Eguillon's living room. Then they served an extremely rare delicacy brought to France by Anna of Austria - chocolate. Aramis did not like it: despite the pleasant aroma, the delicacy was bitter. But the ladies drank and Where did the impoverished priest get such a rare and expensive treat? The future abbot did not have time to finish his thought, because Athos stepped into the room. Grimaud, like Planchet and Bazin, remained in the kitchen.

D "Artagnan cast a quick glance at his friend: Athos, despite the fairly early time, had already managed to drop into some tavern along the way. Undoubtedly, one where he could still drink on credit. This was indicated by the somewhat distracted look of the musketeer, and dark circles around the eyes clearly indicated a sleepless night on guard. And after that, be satisfied with a bun and a cup of chocolate? D "Artagnan felt responsible for Athos. But the curate began to worry: the appearance of a new face, in which, despite a somewhat wrinkled appearance, one could recognize a person of fairly high birth, made the poor priest worry: he realized that he could not do without chocolate and buns. And then there was another knock on the door. The old man was dumbfounded.

How many friends do you have, Monsieur d'Artagnan? - the priest murmured.

Three, without the slightest embarrassment, smiling with the happiest look, answered His Majesty's guard. This is Porthos.

Porthos was huge. And just as huge was his appetite.

****
"I'm sorry, but I didn't prepare enough," the priest muttered. - I did not think that so many magnificent young people are connected with you with such friendship. I humbly ask you to forgive me, but I am not sure that I will be able to return the proper hospitality to the attention with which you have honored my modest home and ...

There will be no problems, sir, - Porthos sorted out the situation from the threshold. “Fortunately, Mousqueton is with me, and together with Bazin he will be able to build breakfast even out of thin air. Blunderbuss, Bazin, take a walk with the cook to the cellar, if there is one, and think of something for us for breakfast. Let's live!

The unfortunate curate had no choice but to call to Martin and order her to give out everything that the gentlemen of the servant would request. He consoled himself with the thought that he would eat the way gentlemen of the nobility eat.

And in the kitchen Mushketon served as a priest. Very soon, not only short commands from the nice guy began to reach those gathered in the room, but also delicious smells, stimulating the already awakened appetite. In the meantime, the curate, sensing a colleague in Aramis, carried away the young musketeer with a conversation on theological topics. Athos languidly agreed with the arguing, sometimes inserting Latin or Greek quotes: having stood the night on guard, he needed sleep more than food, but at home, apart from wine, there was not a crumb, and it was harmful for Grimaud to fast. D "Artagnan yawned, but Porthos could not resist and went down to the kitchen with an inspection.

The blunderbuss outdid himself: he seized almost two months of the poor curate's supplies, but the breakfast promised to be excellent. Mousketon knew a lot about not only how to cook: he knew how to set the table in such a way that the lack of variety of dishes was invisible behind the originality of serving food. When, at last, the master, himself stunned by the spectacle of the served table, invited the guests to take their places behind him, even Athos showed interest in the results of the faithful servant's efforts. Indeed, it was difficult to resist, and the young people hurried to start eating. Of course, Musketon took care of both his brothers and the maid.

Silence reigned in the room for some time: everyone was busy eating. Aramis was the first to propose a toast to the hospitable host. He was supported, and very soon there was absolutely nothing left of the displayed supplies of wine. When it was time for dessert, the maid brought in the previously removed chocolate. The bewitching smell of an unfamiliar drink filled the poor room, immediately recreating the image of the heavy halls of the Escorial. Chocolate seemed completely out of place in this house, especially in the company of young soldiers, and not the court ladies of Anna of Austria. Madame de Molina did not make a secret of the recipe for making a chocolate drink, trying, on the orders of the queen, to accustom the New World and the French to delicacy, but not everyone liked chocolate: its bitter taste did not fit with ideas about sweets.

Porthos and d "Artagnan never accepted, and did not understand his charms. Even out of politeness, they could not finish their portion, but Aramis savored the drink, enjoying every sip. He did not refuse sweet buns, which turned out to be a very suitable addition to chocolate .
Athos took a few sips and put down the cup - this drink was not unusual for him, but he was interested in what ways the chocolate could get to the old man and how he knew how to prepare it. It is unlikely that the curate made acquaintance with Molina.

The chocolate is perfectly brewed, - the musketeer smiled. - Your maid makes him no worse than the court lady Molina.

She traveled a lot with me in the New World. Back in the days when I was not ordained,” the curate replied slightly embarrassed. “I did not immediately come to God,” he added a little more confidently.

If you can, tell us, - immediately offered Porthos, settling in a chair more comfortably.

A strange expression appeared on the face of Athos, and immediately disappeared: he seemed to want to keep the old man from a kind of confession, but then he changed his mind and prepared to listen, like his friends.

Your friend d'Artagnan probably told you more than once how beautiful our Gascony is. I was born and grew up in Pau, and the mountains were an integral part of my life. I could not imagine that there could be another world. Our family was quite prosperous, we had a vineyard where everyone worked, from young to old, and the wine from it sold out all the more readily because my father was known as a man of his word and never withdrew loans.In our area, a word of honor always meant more than a bill. , father supplied wine to Nérac, to the court.Gascons are vain, talkative, but value honor above all else.

I was 16 years old, - continued the hospitable old man, - when my father took me with him to the sea. Probably, this was not his best thought, because the sight of an endless expanse of water confused my soul and sowed an indefatigable desire in my heart: I wished to see the world, to find out what was beyond the horizon. Secretly from my father, I conspired with the captain of a schooner bound for the New World, left a letter to my father and family, and disappeared from their lives for many years.

I was not the first and not the last boy who took it into his head to cross the ocean. The job of cabin boy was hard, more than once I regretted what I started, but at last we saw the land. These were the shores of Florida. There I saw my love for the first time, in Saint-Augustin. There we hoped to get married, but fate was pleased not to stand on ceremony with us. She was a Huguenot and I was a Catholic, gentlemen. Her parents did not give us blessings, and my beloved did not want to convert to Catholicism. With grief, I decided to travel around the New World, hoping to acquire at least wealth, since I was not lucky in love. I have heard that many adventurers go even into the camps of the Indians in the hope of finding out where they have hidden treasures. And, in desperation, though cherishing a faint hope (I was so young, my lords, younger than you), I plucked up courage and set off, joining two more adventurers. One of them, a half-Spaniard, half-Aztec, swore that he knew where the incalculable treasures of his fellows were kept: we believed, or wanted to believe, him.

I will not bore you with a description of our adventures, in which there was little amusing, but a lot of terrible and sad. I'll tell you one thing: our friend deceived us. He took us to the tribes that lived in the south, we were captured, tortured, we spent several years among the natives, until we managed to escape. The only thing I managed to get was a few pounds of cocoa beans, which I keep like the apple of my eye. I managed to take them home, despite all the ordeals, to France.

And this chocolate is made from them? asked Athos, who had been listening very attentively to the story.

You guessed.

And they have not deteriorated over the years? asked the practical Porthos.

The Indians taught me how to store grain.

And this chocolate is brewed according to an Aboriginal recipe? Athos took the cup set aside and took another sip. - I had to try it before, but the taste of the drink was somewhat different.

D "Artagnan wanted to ask where Athos could have tried a rare delicacy before, but in time he remembered that Athos was often invited to Mr. de Treville. personal friends of Queen Anne.

And again you guessed it, Mr. Athos, - the curate answered the question of the musketeer. “I got these cocoa beans from a lovely squaw (as the Indians call their women), and along with them several recipes for making this drink.

He lacks a little sweetness, - Aramis blotted his thin mustache with a napkin. “It seems to me that if he were sweeter, he would be more popular with the ladies.

Ladies drink it on principle and so, - Athos smiled. “The main thing is that Her Majesty loves him.

I'm sorry, but I need to leave this hospitable house, - Aramis was the first to get up to take his leave, and no one was surprised at this: the future abbot always had some urgent business when the conversation among young people entered the most exciting phase. To the surprise of his friends, Athos joined him, citing fatigue after duty. Porthos and d "Artagnan remained to torture the curate, how his fate turned out, and how it happened that he leaned towards God.

Aramis and Athos went out together, and Aramis asked if Athos would mind if he saw him off for a bit. Athos gladly agreed; he loved conversations with an intelligent and delicate young man.

Didn't it seem strange to you that our hospitable host ... - Aramis spoke.

- ... so willingly laid out all your supplies on the table? Athos finished for him. - It seemed, but only at first. The old man didn't think there were so many of us, Aramis. He had no choice but to sacrifice all his provisions. The poor guy got caught.

Don't you think that we ... - Aramis began again, and again Athos caught his thought from a half-sentence.

- ... I'll take care of it, don't worry, my friend. In a couple of days I expect to receive a certain amount, in which there will be a place for our curé.

Aramis threw a quick glance at his friend: during the time of their acquaintance, it had already happened more than once that Athos, with whom money was not delayed, suddenly turned out to be the owner of a weighty purse. Friends never questioned him about the source of these receipts, but Athos, as a rule, first of all paid debts, then ordered sumptuous meals and, occasionally, spent money on some personal needs. The rest he spent on playing cards or dice.

Honestly, I feel uncomfortable after this breakfast, Athos. Sorry old man, we left him with nothing. I don't think it will be so easy for him to sell cocoa beans if he still has something left. I was amazed when I saw what this poor fellow was going to treat us to.

I had decided that he was connected with smugglers, - the senior comrade answered him. “If that’s true, the old man took a big risk. Maybe that's why he parted with his supplies so easily, deciding that it was better not to joke with the royal musketeers. After all, he is only superficially familiar with d'Artagnan.

They are countrymen.

Agree, my friend, that this is not enough to start a feast, and even invite our whole company to it with servants to boot. Needless to say - Mushketon rescued us all. A cunning rogue, but an intelligent guy and devoted to Porthos.

Bazin is also devoted to me, - Aramis was offended for his servant, - and he, too, came in handy today.

I in no way belittle the dignity of your lackey, - the musketeer smiled thinly. - Each of our servants has serious talents that make them invaluable to their masters. Of course, they should not be told about this, but none of us, I am sure, have the slightest desire to terminate our alliances. Of course, there is also a habit: I can't imagine anyone else in Grimaud's place.

Tell me, Athos, have you seen Grimaud not so long ago? It seemed to me ... - Aramis fell silent, feeling that he had crossed some line in his curiosity.

You are right, - Athos' voice sounded even and calm. – Grimaud has served me since the very beginning of my arrival in Paris. And it doesn't matter, I'm used to it and it suits me perfectly. But we are already at my house. Will you be offended, Aramis, if we part now? I can't stand on my feet because I'm tired.

I dare not detain you, - Aramis, embarrassed, was glad to say goodbye to his friend: it seemed to him that with his question he had touched on an unacceptable topic.

Meanwhile, Porthos and d "Artagnan tortured the cure. The last bottle of Bordeaux was used, and the old man's tongue loosened. Either the cure trusted his new acquaintances, or he believed that they could not harm him after he treated them to his house (oh, this gullibility of the South!), but the frankness of judgments and the openness of the old man under the influence of wine vapors was boundless. If he had any important secret, he would undoubtedly spill it to his new friends. wine contributes to the transformation of acquaintances into friends, and friends into bosom friends.
Intoxicated, the old man launched into a lengthy story about his years in captivity with the Indians. From his story, it became clear that his life in the camp was not so terrible: he even had a wife from the women of the local tribe, and, as it turned out, there were children: a son and a daughter. When the time came to escape, it was his wife who helped him: she provided him with an accurate description of the road, provisions, and even a pie boat. She flatly refused to run away with him: she wisely judged that she had nothing to do in foreign lands: no one would accept her as an equal in a foreign world, and her children were destined for the fate of slaves.

The journey home to France took several years: the fugitive had time to think about his future life. And the closer France was, the more clearly he understood that he did not have many chances to achieve something in his homeland. Once home, in his native Gascony, he spent some time in the army of the king of Navarre, until he was seriously wounded. And then, dying in a hospital bed, like Ignacio Loyolla, he vowed to devote himself to God, if he was destined to stay alive.

So, in the end, I ended up in Paris, - the old man finished his story, drowsily swaying in his chair; Porthos picked it up. “I never managed to achieve anything significant in my life. Even in the path of God, I failed to do anything important. That's how much I've been hanging around in the capital, and I haven't even been able to get an audience with the archbishop. Will have to return home. My arrival was waiting for me, but I didn’t knock out a denier on him.

The young people looked at each other with repentance and almost despair: they were unable to help the old man. Seeing that the owner was falling asleep right on the chair, Porthos carried him in his arms to a miserable bed and, sighing heavily, went down to d'Artagnan.

Porthos, I feel like a criminal,” he muttered to his friend, who scratched his head in the most sullen manner. - And what should we do?

Blunderbuss, Planchet, help the maid clean up everything, and then go home, ”Porthos ordered. - Well, we, my dear friend, will definitely come up with something for the good priest. After all, we have the wise heads of Athos and Aramis.

Two days later, Grimaud came to the desperate curate and handed him a heavy purse.

For you and your parish, - only the servant said and, bowing silently, disappeared.

Whose name would you like to remember in prayers? the Gascon priest wanted to ask, but the servants were already gone.

Of course, the story about the historical prototypes of the heroes of the novels by Alexander Dumas "Three Musketeers", "Twenty Years Later" and "Vicomte de Bragelon" should begin with the personality of the fearless d'Artagnan, who is the most famous character in the world of the writer.

In fact, we have three d'Artagnan: d'Artagnan from the books of Alexandre Dumas, d'Artagnan de Courtille and d'Artagnan who actually lived. The whole difficulty lies in the fact that the first to a certain extent depends on the second, the second - on the third, and almost nothing is known about the third, the real one.

Almost nothing is still not quite nothing. I must say that the adventure classics of the 18th-19th centuries produced many bright heroes, and most of them have prototypes in real history. D'Artagnan is just one example. Such a character did exist, his name was Charles de Bats de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan, and yet something is known about him.

This Gascon, who made a brilliant career under King Louis XIV, was born sometime between 1610 and 1620. The exact date of his birth is unknown.

True, one of the documents indicates that a certain Charles d'Artagnan was already in military service in March 1633. No doubt: we are talking about our hero. But how old could he have been at that time? Twenty or a little over twenty. Then the date of his birth is somewhere around 1613, with a possible error of two or three years in one direction or another.

Having understood this, we should immediately stop believing in those picturesque adventures attributed to him by the imagination of Alexandre Dumas, which relate to the first half of the reign of King Louis XIII. We are talking about the events connected with the love of Anna of Austria for the charming Duke of Buckingham, about the struggle against the terrible Cardinal de Richelieu, about the siege of La Rochelle ... At the time when all these events unfolded, Charles de Batts was still a teenager who, if he fought, then only with the neighbor boys.

Today, the name of d'Artagnan has become a real legend. So how much truth is there in this legend?

According to historians, Charles de Bats de Castelmore was born in the heart of ancient Gascony, in the castle of Castelmore, which was located between the towns of Tarbes and Auch. It is in Osh, by the way, that a majestic monument was erected to him (in the very center, on a pompous staircase overlooking the embankment), and in all other surrounding settlements he is considered a national hero.

On the other hand, de Courtille, already known to us and largely dependent on him for facts, Alexandre Dumas, who dealt with geography as easily as with history, considered him a native of the Béarn region neighboring Gascony, where the real d'Artagnan actually never was.

It is almost impossible for modern people to understand this, because Gascony and Bearn are something that was located somewhere in the south-west of France for a very long time. In fact, these are two different historical areas. Gascony at that time was a duchy, and Béarn bordered on Spain in its southern part, and on Gascony on the other three sides. For a long time, Bearn retained state independence and was finally annexed to France only in 1620. Charles was one of seven children in the family of Bertrand de Bats de Castelmore and Francoise de Montesquieu d'Artagnan.

Charles did not have to be proud of the antiquity of the family. The Memoirs of Monsieur d'Artagnan says on this subject:

“I will not at all amuse myself here with stories either about my birth or about my youth, because I do not find that I could say something worthy of a separate report about them.”

His great-grandfather Arno Bats was an ordinary merchant who bought the castle from its bankrupt owners. Then, having agreed with the royal official, he received the title of nobility along with the prefix "de" due to him. So he became Arnaud de Bats. His son, Bertrand de Bats, further strengthened this position by marrying a real aristocrat, Francoise de Montesquiou. However, as a dowry, the young man got only the ruined castle of Artagnan, which looked more like an ordinary farm, and numerous debts, the payment of which deprived his family of the remnants of his fortune. In fact, Bertrand de Bats left only the castle of Castelmore, where Charles, his brothers Paul, Jean and Arno, and three sisters were born.

Castelmore Castle could be called a very big stretch. In fact, it was an ordinary rural two-story stone house with two dilapidated turrets. Some authors call this house an estate, although this term in this case can only be used with a very highly developed imagination.

An iron-bound door led into a low hall furnished with rough wooden furniture and a row of leather chairs, and decorated with three old paintings on the walls. From this hall there was a passage to the bedroom, in which there were two beds, two tables and three wardrobes filled with old linen. On the lower floor there was also another room and a spacious kitchen, which had an oven, an old sideboard, iron hooks for a huge copper cauldron, and long skewers like those kept in taverns. A large wooden staircase led upstairs. In the upper room there was a lounge chair, a pool table, four stools, and a dozen half-worn armchairs. Upstairs there were also an office and four bedrooms, each with two beds with feather beds and blankets, a table, a bench, and a chest. From the second floor it was possible to get into the highest tower of the castle.

From the property in the castle there were three old flintlock arquebuses, seven muskets, two swords, pewter utensils, six brass candlesticks, two small cauldrons, one large cauldron, three pans, twenty-four tablecloths and twelve pairs of used linen sheets. And, as is often the case today, not a single book ...

There is no information about Charles’s childhood and youth, but it is known that, as befitted young Gascon nobles, he joined the ranks of the French Guard, taking his mother’s name, better known at court (the d’Artagnans were relatives of the de Montesquiou family).

According to the legend, however, very similar to the truth, our hero reached Paris on foot. He had with him the only address of a certain tavern in which the musketeers liked to gather. Here, among the regulars, he expected to meet his older brothers, but this did not happen. However, in this tavern, he accidentally met one of the guardsmen from the company of Mr. des Essards (in the Russian translation of Dumas, this surname is given as Desessard). This guardsman was also a poor young Gascon and dreamed of moving into a company of musketeers. His name was Isaac de Porto (de Curtil, and after him, Alexandre Dumas turned him into Porthos, and we will talk about him later).

The Memoirs of Monsieur d'Artagnan says:

"The Musketeer whom I approached was called Porthos, and turned out to be my father's neighbor, who lived two or three leagues from him."

This "father's neighbor" promised to introduce his new friend to two musketeers, relatives of the commander of the musketeers company, Mr. de Treville, namely, Henri d'Aramitz and Andrien de Silleg d'Athos (they are known to us under the names Aramis and Athos, and about them we also discussed below).

In the novel The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas sinned against the truth by awarding Porthos with a baldric embroidered with gold. In fact, it was owned by the guardsman of Cardinal Gillo. And so Isaac de Porto somehow invited d'Artagnan for a walk. D'Artagnan readily accepted the invitation, as he hoped that his new friend would help him settle in Paris. However, the purpose of the walk was completely different: Isaac de Porto decided to teach the conceited dandy Gillo a lesson and, as if by accident, rip off his cloak. For greater effect, an outside witness was needed; for this role, a young Gascon young man who had just arrived in the French capital was invited, who knew nothing.

It all ended, as expected, in a bloody battle in which d'Artagnan seriously wounded one of the cardinal's guards and saved his friend from death.

The real story of d'Artagnan and the three musketeers
Alexander Kotlov
The life story of Chevalier Charles de Batz de Castelmore, better known as d "Artagnan, as well as the friendship of this famous Gascon with Armand de Silleg d" Ottville, Isaac Porto and Henri d "Aramitz, glorified on the pages of the immortal novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas- father under the names Athos, Porthos and Aramis
In reality, the story of d "Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, so beloved by many generations of readers, was, although not as exciting as Alexandre Dumas made it, but still quite interesting. The people who were their prototypes lived in the same time, they really were friends and took part in some rather important events in the history of France in the middle of the 17th century.
Charles de Batz, whom all lovers of the work of Alexandre Dumas know under the name d "Artagnan, was born at the beginning of the 17th century in the village of Lupiac in the province of Gascony. Many sources give different dates of birth of the future protagonist of the Three Musketeers - this is 1611, and 1613, and 1614, and 1620. The most probable date of his birth is still 1613. Charles was the son of Bertrand de Batz and Francoise de Montesquiou. Bertrand's grandfather, Arno Batz, was a simple merchant. In the middle of the XVI century for a small bribe royal officials enterprising Arno received the nobility and the prefix "de" to his surname. Then he bought from a ruined noble family the castle of Castelmore, which the locals called the castle only out of habit. It was a large 2-storey house with two dilapidated turrets, has long lost its "castle" features.
Charles had three brothers - Paul, Jean, Arno and three sisters. Paul served in the musketeers (a musketeer company was formed in 1600 at the court of King Henry IV of France), then he retired, got rich, took up the arrangement of his own estate (he was a “strong business executive”) and lived a long life, lasting almost 100 years. Jean served in the royal guard; his traces were lost early - obviously, he died in some duel. Arno became an abbot, lived a rather long and quiet life. Charles's sisters were betrothed to offspring from local noble families in childhood and subsequently married them. Their fates were typical for women of their class and social status of those times.
In the early 1630s. Bertrand de Batz finally went bankrupt and died. Castelmore Castle and six rural farms owned by the de Bats were sold for debt. Our hero had to choose the path along which to go further. And he chose Paris.
Charles de Batz went to Paris, according to various sources, either in 1630, or in 1633, or in 1640. The most likely date for his arrival in Paris is 1633, since one document of that era, which describes a review of a company of royal guards in Paris in 1633, mentions his name among its participants. Charles had nothing but a nondescript horse, a letter of recommendation to the captain of the royal musketeers de Treville (sources are silent about who gave him this letter), a sword, a few coins in his pocket and Gascon prowess and passion, thanks to which he got on the road into a bad story. In the town of Saint-Dieu, just like in a novel, he was so angered by the caustic remarks of an unknown important nobleman about his horse that he immediately challenged him to a duel. Our hero was captured by the police and ended up in prison (dueling had been strictly forbidden a few years before by Cardinal Richelieu, who thereby sought to preserve the privileged class that he needed to build a strong absolutist state), from which two weeks later he came out completely poor. The horse, and the letter, and the remaining money were gone, only the sword was with him. Charles was forced to travel to Paris on foot. Having entered Paris, he decided that from now on he would be called d "Artagnan (Charles' mother had family ties with this family). One of the versions of the biography of Charles de Batz gives a rather original reason for this decision. Allegedly, our Gascon did not three brothers, and four. And allegedly there was also the "eldest" brother, whose name was Charles (!) - he, like Paul, also served in a musketeer company and died in one of the battles shortly before Charles Jr. decided to set off And in memory of the namesake brother who bore this surname, Charles decided that now he would be called d "Artagnan.
Since the letter of recommendation had disappeared, Charles did not dare to appear before Captain de Treville, who would undoubtedly drive away the ragamuffin he did not know. He went to a tavern on Fossesuar Street, which he was told back in his homeland as a place where, according to rumors, the royal musketeers liked to gather. Charles hoped to make the necessary contacts there that would help him in the future. And such an acquaintance really took place! In a pub, Charles met Isaac Porto (1617-1712), a royal guard of the company of Captain Des Essarts, which in the 17th century was a kind of "preparatory department" for those wishing to be enrolled in the company of royal musketeers. Porto was a Protestant by religion. He was friends with the royal musketeers Armand de Silleg d "Athos d" Ottville (1615-1643) and Henri d "Aramitz (1615-1673), the first of whom was de Treville's second cousin, and the second was his cousin. On the same day, Porto introduced Charles to his friends. Charles did not know that the interest and attention they showed him was not without reason. In the company of the cardinal's guards, with whom the royal musketeers really fought fiercely, a certain Gillot served. This Gillot had a luxurious, embroidered with gold, baldric for a sword. Many, including Porto with d "Athos and d" Aramitz, suspected that the baldric was sewn with gold only in front. And friends decided, as they say, to bring Gillo to clean water. They knew that the next day "the object "Their joke was supposed to go for a walk in the suburbs of Paris, Meudon. The jokers urgently needed a witness to what would happen - so that there was someone to confirm their words. After all, as a result they had no doubt! This witness, by the will of fate, was Charles de B ats.
At a meeting with Gillo Porto, as if by chance, tore off his cloak. The bandage really turned out to be only half embroidered with gold! The Musketeers laughed. But this was not the end of the matter. Gillo was not alone, but with several guardsmen who rushed to his aid. A skirmish ensued, for which the time was so rich. D'Artagnan got into opponents one of the famous Parisian brutes, a certain Monsel. But Charles, who, despite his extreme youth, masterfully wielded a sword, quickly “put down” his opponent. At this time, d "Athos, who fought with a certain La Peyrie, also a note duelist, fell into a difficult situation. He was wounded by the enemy and was bleeding. D'Artagnan rushed to his aid and saved him. Porto and d" Aramitz also defeated their opponents .
Of course, all this was the beginning of a strong friendship between d'Artagnan and his new acquaintances.

And Mr. de Treville, having learned about how he behaved in a duel, was ready to take him into his company, but ... Alas, then this did not happen! At that time in France, all more or less important positions (both civil and military) were bought: having received a position or rank, it was necessary to pay a fee for them to the treasury. d "Artagnan did not have a penny in his pocket. But Monsieur de Treville, as in the novel, decided to thank d" Artagnan and lobbied for him to join the company of Des Essart's royal guards, promising that in time he could, having served a certain time and having stood out for his success in the service (which the captain of the musketeers did not doubt at all!), join the musketeer company.
I must say that in the 1620-1640s. in France there was only one company of musketeers - the "gray musketeers". The name "gray" musketeers de Treville received because of the color of their horses. Later in the 1650s. a company of "black musketeers" appeared. They, accordingly, all had black horses. Musketeers had to equip themselves at their own expense: a uniform, a pair of pistols, a sword, horses were bought with their own money. By the way, the form of the new "praetorian guard" of the king was the most beautiful! Musketeers wore blue cloaks with a gold border, on which large crosses were sewn with royal lilies (made of white velvet) at the ends framed by golden flames. The soldiers of de Treville were also supposed to wear high turn-down collars and wide-brimmed hats with lush feathers. These items of equipment were not such at all for beauty, but had a very practical value - they protected from swords and sabers. And for free from the king, the musketeers of de Treville received only a musket. It was so large and heavy that an assistant was needed to carry it and install it (on a special stand) in combat conditions. That is why the Musketeers simply needed servants. And the presence in the novel of d "Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis of the servants of Planchet, Grimaud, Mousqueton and Bazin was not at all an unnecessary luxury or even, as someone might have thought, a manifestation of some swagger, but was simply an urgent need.
During his service in the company of the royal guards, which lasted more than 10 years, d "Artagnan did not sit idly by. The Thirty Years' War was on. He fought with the Spaniards in Flanders: he participated in the siege of the cities of Er and Arras. And together with Henri d" Aramitz, in the early 1640s. made a rather mysterious trip to England, the purpose of which remained unknown to historians until the end. There is only an assumption that friends went to London on business of the English Queen Henrietta, who was the aunt of the French King Louis XIV. In her native France, she found shelter with her children when a civil war began in England, in which her husband, King Charles I Stuart, as you know, lost his head.

And what about the friendship of our heroes, you ask? How did she "live and develop"?
Alas, the friendship of d "Artagnan, d" Athos, d "Aramitz and Porto was not as long as in the novels of Dumas. Isaac Porto, having served for several years in the musketeer company, to which he transferred from the guards, resigned and returned home. There he took up housekeeping, in which, according to rumors, he succeeded.According to some other sources, Porto until his old age served as a quartermaster in one of the castles, also responsible for artillery.But most likely this is not true - more likely the first This man lived a long life - he died at the beginning of the 18th century. Henri d "Aramitz in the second half of the 1640s. took the veil as a monk. After some time, he was ordained to the rank of abbot. He also lived a calm life and departed to another world in the early 1670s. The most tragic was the fate of Athos. Armand de Silleg d "Athos d" Ottville died in 1643, saving his friend d "Artagnan. Our Gascon had just returned from his mysterious trip to England. Apparently, the results of it were such that he caused great displeasure from anyone - something from the powerful of that world. One dark evening on one of the narrow streets of Paris, he was attacked by a gang of assassins. D "Artagnan desperately defended himself, but the matter would have ended badly for him if Athos had not passed by with several musketeers. Hearing the noise, they rushed to help. In this battle, in which all the bandits were killed, only one person died on the part of the musketeers. It turned out to be Armand de Silleg d "Athos d" Ottville, who returned the debt to his friend, paying with his death for his life.
As for the famous story with the queen's pendants, which she presented in 1626. to the favorite of the English king, the Duke of Buckingham, in love with her, and for whom our heroes galloped to England at full speed (Dumas cites her in his chronicle novel “Louis XIV and His Century” as quite reliable, though without the slightest mention of the participation of our four heroes), then: firstly, our heroes were still children in those years, and secondly, many historians believe that this story was invented by La Rochefoucauld, Prince Marsillac, who was much for such tricks.
D "Artagnan was admitted to the musketeers only in 1644. While serving in the royal guard, he became very friends with a certain Francois Bemo de Montlezen (in the novel "Vicomte de Bragelon or 10 years later" he was bred under the name of Bezmo de Montlezen). Unlike the literary Besmo de Montlezen (the commandant of the Bastille in the early 1660s), who, according to Dumas, was a very narrow-minded person, the real Bemo was a dodger to match d'Artagnan. During these years, important events took place in France. King Louis XIII died in 1643. Cardinal Richelieu, the true ruler of France in 1624-1642, who did a lot to bring her into a number of leading European powers, died in 1642. The favorite of Queen Anne of Austria (who was formally considered regent under the young Louis XIV, who was born in 1638), Cardinal Giulio Mazarin, turned out to be in power. This was a clever Italian adventurer who not only managed to earn the high praise given to his abilities by his predecessor, Cardinal Richelieu, but also managed to take a place in the heart of the queen, which he could not take in his time. He became not only her first minister and lover, but also the father, according to rumors, nothing really confirmed, of that historical person who later received the nickname of the Iron Mask. Mazarin soon noticed two capable young people - d "Artagnan and Bemo. In 1646, they became the cardinal's special couriers and during their service they completed more than one delicate assignment. Such trust in them was all the more welcome because in 1647, a company of royal musketeers was dissolved. The reason was the actions of its first captain, Mr. de Treville. He took the side of the enemies of his Eminence (so to speak, "entered into a confrontation"), because of which he was dismissed, and his beloved company for some time ( fortunately not for long!) ceased to exist.
The French "troubled times" have come - the Fronde (translated from French - "sling"). It was a time of revolts of the French nobility against the dominance of foreigners in power in general and Giulio Mazarin in particular. Common people were often very willing to join the "frontiering" nobility. In 1648, Paris became so unsettled that the royal family and Mazarin were forced to flee from there to the provinces. D "Artagnan, guided by his reckless prowess, and using his cunning and ingenuity, personally, without much interference, took the king, queen and cardinal out of Paris, which only strengthened his eminence's gratitude and confidence in himself.
In 1651, d "Artagnan, together with Mazarin, went into exile in Brühl, in Germany. Our hero continues to carry out special assignments for the cardinal, which he had many in these difficult years for his "patron". In 1653, Mazarin returned with triumph to Paris. With him, of course, returned and d "Artagnan.
The Fronde is over. For services to the state, the cardinal promotes d'Artagnan to the rank of lieutenant of the royal guard (the company of musketeers, as mentioned above, was disbanded six years earlier). Francois Bemo becomes the commandant of the Bastille, in which post he stays for several years, after which he leaves Paris.
In 1657, by decree of King Louis XIV, the company of "gray" musketeers was restored. D "Artagnan is appointed to the post of captain-lieutenant of the musketeers (the post of captain was nominally held by the king, while the company was actually commanded by the captain-lieutenant). A few years later, as mentioned above, in addition to the "gray" musketeers in France, there will also be a company of "black" musketeers .
In 1659, Charles de Batz Castelmore, lieutenant commander of the royal musketeers d "Artagnan, finally settled down by marrying Charlotte de Chanlessy. His chosen one was not yet an old and very pretty rich widow, and of noble blood. Cardinal Mazarin honored with his presence the signing of the marriage contract of his faithful companion and assistant and his chosen one. From this marriage, the captain of the royal musketeers had two sons - Louis and Louis-Charles. However, this marriage turned out to be unsuccessful and short-lived. Our Gascon decided to reward himself for the long years of poverty, which is really quite could enter into a proverb, as it is written in the novel by Alexandre Dumas "Vicomte de Bragelonne or ten years later". He became a hopeless spendthrift. Looking ahead a little, I will inform you that a few years later, in 1665, Madame d "Artagnan, who prudently asked to take into account such a case in the marriage contract, seeing how quickly her money disappears, she insisted on a divorce. Yes, and during the years that d "Artagnan was married, he rarely could be with his family. Almost all the time was taken away by service, skirmishes and battles, and, of course, revelry, of which our heroic lieutenant commander was a great fan. Thus ended the family The life of d'Artagnan. From now on, his only family is his musketeers, who, for their part, simply idolized their commander.
In 1661, Captain d'Artagnan committed an act that inscribed his name in the history of France with iron letters. D'Artagnan, on the orders of His Majesty Louis XIV, on September 5, 1661 in Nantes arrested Nicolas Fouquet, Superintendent of Finance. This historical figure became famous for his exorbitant financial embezzlement and fraud, which even for our "dashing" time is something impressive. Due to the actions of Fouquet, the French economy was in a deplorable state and his successor, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, had to work hard to improve the financial affairs of the French kingdom. Also, the king's anger was increased by the fact that Fouquet, to his misfortune, tried to court the king's favorite, Mademoiselle de Lavaliere. And the reason for this was, of course, not in the advice of Aramis (according to the novel “Vicomte de Bragelon or ten years later” at that time already the bishop of Van and Fouquet’s closest associate), but, probably, that the powerful finance minister decided that not only in wealth, but also in love, he can be more successful than the king. It cost him dearly, as the future would show. Fouquet d'Artagnan was arrested without much fuss. The court issued a severe sentence - the death penalty. The king, reluctantly, yielding to the persuasion of some influential "court officials", replaced the execution with a life prison. Nicolas Fouquet's first place of detention

Became Pignerolskaya fortress. And d "Artagnan, following the order of the king, was his personal jailer for three years. But the former minister did not give him almost any trouble. Fouquet did not try to escape, nor bribe his vigilant guard or persuade him to his side. He became very devout and only with his endless sermons, he pestered our Gascon, who was not at all comfortable with such a “work.” Fortunately for himself, d'Artagnan soon became needed by the king again. A war with Holland was brewing, and the king again really needed such a brave warrior and talented commander as d'Artagnan.
In the mid-1660s. our brave captain becomes a count. No, no, he did not receive a charter for this title from the hands of the king for his exploits, although he really deserved it. He decided to make himself a count - almost exactly like his great-grandfather Arno Batz once "transferred" himself to the nobility. In that era, many nobles did this and many of them, as they say, got away with it.
What happened next? What other "traces" did Charles de Batz, Count d "Artagnan leave in history? Years passed, and the service of the old grunt continued ... Old wounds hurt, to which new ones were added ... The age of our hero has already exceeded the sixth decade - it was already respectable old age in those days. D "Artagnan was a faithful servant of the king, and when in 1671 he ordered him to suppress a peasant uprising in Vivaret (a small historical region in the southeast of France, on the northeastern edge of the Languedoc; now part of the Ardèche department) without any pity and indulgence for the rebels, he exactly carried out the royal order. And the locals for many years remembered his "iron hand" ... In 1672, d "Artagnan, by the grace of the king, became the governor of Lille.
And the following year, the earthly path of the old soldier ended. The war with Holland began. The French army besieged the city of Maastricht, which they could not take for a long time. Charles de Batz Castelmore d "Artagnan by that time held the rank of field marshal (which corresponded to the rank of brigadier general in the era of the Napoleonic wars or major general in our time). The title of Marshal of France (the highest military rank of France of those times, which the literary and , no doubt, also the real d "Artagnan) was later assigned to his nephew Paul de Batz, the son of his older brother Paul. D "Artagnan ended his life as he lived - like a real soldier, a knight without fear and reproach. He died in battle when, on one of the days of the siege, after several fruitless assaults, he led a desperate attack of his musketeers. A bullet hit him in his fearless heart And, as Alexandre Dumas wrote in the last words of his famous trilogy, from our hero "... only dust remained, God called his soul to himself."

The fact that d "Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis lived, that they are not fictional people, but real historical figures, albeit not with such a bright fate as their literary "incarnations", makes the trilogy of the great writer Alexander Dumas even more beautiful! And many, many generations of readers will read and admire the story of the brave musketeers Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d "Artagnan for many, many years to come ...

HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS MOTTO!

"ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE!"
HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS MOTTO!
Although it was invented in our time, but as it is rightly said ...
HIM TO SOUND FOR AGES!
Well, that's it, dear friends. I told everything I know.

d'Artagnan on the pedestal of the monument to Dumas

One fine day in 1630, the young Gascon reached the outskirts of Paris. The towers of Notre Dame appeared in the distance, and soon the whole capital opened up before him. The traveler stopped an old horse of indeterminate color, put his hand on the hilt of his father's sword, and looked around the city with an admiring glance. He felt that a new life was beginning. And on this occasion, he decided to take his mother's surname - d'Artagnan.

Yes, the Musketeer d'Artagnan really lived. But was he really the hero of the "cloak and sword"? In Gascony, in the south of France, there are still quite a few people who bear the surname Batz and Debatz. A simple slip of the tongue is enough to turn Debaz into a noble "de Batz". So did a wealthy merchant from Lupiac. And then, in the middle of the 16th century, Arno de Batz also bought the estate of Castelmore with the manor house, proudly called the castle, and added “de Castelmore” to his surname.

His grandson Bertrand was the first of this kind to marry a true noblewoman - Francoise de Montesquiou from the house of d'Artagnan. What if the "Château d'Artagnan" looked like a peasant farm? But the wife had a noble coat of arms, her relatives were noble military men and nobles! Bertrand and Francoise had seven children - four sons and three daughters. Around 1613, our hero was born - Charles de Batz (with the addition in special cases - de Castelmore d'Artagnan). Probably, Charles did not study Latin and catechism too diligently, preferring horse riding and fencing lessons. By the age of seventeen, the "Gascon University" was over, and the chick fluttered out of the family nest.

Estimated portrait of d "Artagnan, painted by van der Meulen

So did thousands of young Frenchmen from the provinces. At home, they could not find service, glory and wealth, so they set off to conquer Paris. Some really grabbed luck by the tail and made a career. Others wandered around the narrow Parisian streets: “chest with a wheel, legs with compasses, a cloak over his shoulder, a hat to the eyebrows, a blade longer than a hungry day,” Théophile Gautier described these fellows, ready to draw a sword for a very modest fee. Thanks to letters of recommendation, Charles at first decided to be a cadet in one of the guards companies. But which of the cadets did not dream of subsequently transferring to the company of the "musketeers of the royal military house", or, more simply, to become the king's musketeer! Muskets - heavy matchlock guns - appeared in the shooters of the French army in the previous century. It was always possible to recognize the approach of the musketeers not only by their heavy tread, but also by the characteristic sound: they had cartridges with gunpowder hanging on a leather sling, while walking they rhythmically knocked against each other. Later, matchlock muskets were replaced by flintlock ones, but still reloading the musket was long and difficult - nine operations! Later, musketeers formed separate companies and regiments. But they were, so to speak, "just" musketeers.

Henry IV / Henry IV King of France./

And in 1600, King Henry IV created an elite company of "those same" musketeers for his personal protection. Only nobles served in it, in the palace they carried guard duty, and in battle they fought on horseback, following the sovereign. Their armament consisted of a shortened rifled musket (it was attached to the saddle with the barrel up so that the bullet did not fall out of the muzzle) and, of course, a sword. In special cases, depending on the nature of the task, the musket was replaced by a pair of pistols. But the real rise of the royal musketeers began under Louis XIII.

Rubens. Portrait of Louis XIII

In 1634, the sovereign himself led the company - of course, formally. The actual commander of the musketeers was Jean de Peyret, Comte de Troyville - that was actually the name of Captain de Treville of the Three Musketeers. We will also call him de Treville. Louis XIII highly valued the musketeers, and their commander could be entrusted with any business. One day the king, pointing to Treville, said: "Here is a man who will deliver me from the cardinal as soon as I want it." It was about the all-powerful Cardinal Richelieu (this is how his surname sounds correctly, by the way, surprisingly eloquent: riche means “rich”, lieu - “place”). But we will henceforth call him habitually - Richelieu. At that time, the royal musketeers were perhaps the most elegant military unit in France. They wore blue capes with a gold border, sewn with crosses with royal lilies on the ends of white velvet, framed by golden flames. High turn-down collars were not only a fashionable decoration, but also protected the neck from chopping blows with a sword. By the way, wide-brimmed hats with lush feathers saved a lot of ears and noses of their owners. Despite their elitism, the royal musketeers were not parquet shufflers: the company participated in almost all military campaigns, and the king's musketeers earned the glory of desperate brave men. Recruits came to the place of the killed comrades. So, two or three years after arriving in Paris, Charles de Batz was enrolled in the company of the royal musketeers - he enrolled in the musketeers under the name

D'Artagnan.
Portrait of d'Artagnan from the frontispiece of Curtil's Memoirs...

However, "the brilliance and poverty of the Musketeers" were known to all. Musketeer salaries were sorely lacking. Money - and a lot of it - was also needed for promotion. At that time, military and court posts in France were bought. The rank was assigned by the king, and the corresponding position, which brought real income, the candidate redeemed from his predecessor. Well, just like a profitable business is being bought up now. However, the king could not approve the candidate, appoint another; he could pay the required amount for a candidate from the treasury; he could, finally, bestow the rank and position for special merits. But in the main, chinoproizvodstvo was put, so to speak, on a commercial basis. Wealthy candidates who served a certain term, distinguished themselves in several campaigns, bought a position - first a standard-bearer, then a lieutenant, and finally a captain. For higher positions and prices were exorbitant. Noble and wealthy gentlemen also met in the company of the royal musketeers. But most of the musketeers were a match for d'Artagnan. Take Athos, for example - his full name was Armand de Silleg d'Athos. He was a second cousin of Captain de Treville himself, and therefore easily joined his company around 1641. But he did not wear a sword for long - from it he died in 1643.

Since Athos was seriously wounded not on a campaign, but in Paris, it is clear that this was a duel, or a skirmish of violent fellows, or a settling of scores between opposing clans. Porthos was not richer either - Isaac de Porto, a native of a Protestant family. He began his service in the guard company des Essarts (Desessard in the Three Musketeers), fought, was injured and was forced to retire. Returning to Gascony, he held the position of keeper of ammunition in one of the fortresses, which was usually assigned to the disabled. Such was Aramis, or rather Henri d'Aramitz, cousin of de Treville and distant relative of Athos. He served in a company of musketeers in those same years, then for some unknown reason left the service and returned to his native land, thanks to which he lived a rather calm and long (for a musketeer) life: he married, raised three sons and died peacefully on his estate around 1674, when he was in his fifties. These glorious gentlemen were colleagues of d'Artagnan, and nothing more. Francois de Montlezen, Marquis de Bemo, also a Gascon, became a close friend of his. Friends called him simply Bemo. D'Artagnan and Bemo were inseparable on guard and on campaigns, at merry feasts and in dangerous alterations. But in 1646 the fate of the two friends changed dramatically. In 1642, Cardinal Richelieu died, and his trusted assistant, Cardinal Giulio Mazarin, became the first minister. The following year, King Louis XIII also died. The heir was still small, France was ruled by the Regent Queen Anna of Austria, relying on Mazarin in everything.

Bouchard. Portrait of Cardinal Mazarin

Both cardinals appear in historical novels as real villains. Indeed, they had enough vices and shortcomings. But it is also true that Richelieu, with rare tenacity, created a united, strong France and an absolute monarchy, moreover, in a weakened, continuously at war country with a weak king. Richelieu's political line was basically continued by Mazarin, but he had, perhaps, even more difficult - the exhausting Thirty Years' War continued, royal power was practically absent. And they hated Mazarin more than his predecessor, because he was a "Varangian" and warmed up a lot of strangers. Mazarin was in great need of courageous and loyal assistants. By this time, the musketeers d'Artagnan and Bemo had already been noticed, and not only by their immediate superiors. And one day Mazarin called them to an audience. The astute politician immediately noticed that these dashing fighters also had heads on their shoulders. And he invited them to his service for special assignments. So d'Artagnan and Bemo, remaining musketeers, entered the retinue of the nobles of His Eminence. Their duties were very varied, but always required secrecy and courage. They delivered secret dispatches, accompanied unreliable military leaders and reported on their actions, and observed the movements of opponents. Life in constant traveling, almost without rest, soon turned them into living relics. In addition, the hopes of the musketeers for a generous payment did not materialize - Mazarin turned out to be obscenely stingy. Yes, they have not yet won, but they have not lost, like other musketeers - by decree of the king, their company was soon disbanded. The formal pretext was the "heavy burden of expenses" for the maintenance of the elite unit, in fact, Mazarin insisted on the dissolution. The Musketeers seemed to him too violent and uncontrollable part, from which it was not known what could be expected. The Musketeers were despondent, and no one imagined that in a decade the company would be reborn in even greater splendor. In the meantime, d'Artagnan and Bemo rushed around the country and thanked fate for having at least some kind of income.

The news that d'Artagnan brought was so important that his name began to appear either in the Gazette, the first periodical of France, or in the reports of the highest commanders: "Mr. d'Artagnan, one of the nobles of His Eminence, came from Flanders and reported ... "" Mr. d'Artagnan reports that there is information from Brussels about the accumulation of the enemy in Genilgau in the amount of about three thousand people who are preparing an attack on our border fortresses ... "The first minister was responsible in the state for everything, with there were no hunters to share the responsibility, and curses rushed from everywhere. Sometimes the cardinal literally had to plug the hole, and he threw his trusted "nobles" into the thick of it. For example, in 1648, Bemo himself led a detachment of light cavalry of His Eminence, and in this battle an enemy bullet crushed his jaw. Meanwhile, the general hatred of Mazarin resulted in a protest movement - the Fronde (in translation - "sling"). An uprising began in the capital, supported in some provinces. Mazarin took the young Louis out of the city and began the siege of Paris. The Fronde needed leaders, commanders, well-known among the troops, and they immediately appeared - nobles, aristocrats, in fact, striving for a redistribution of higher posts and privileges. The democratic Fronde was replaced by the "Fronde of Princes" (hence the expression "frontier" - to protest, but without much risk). The main leader of the Fronders was Prince Condé.

Egmont. Portrait of the Prince of Condé

During this period, many supporters of Mazarin went over to his opponents. But not d'Artagnan. By that time, the main qualities of his character were fully manifested - exceptional fidelity and unchanging nobility. The royal family soon returned to Paris, but the cardinal remained in exile. D'Artagnan has not left him now, only the Musketeer's orders have become even more dangerous - he carried out Mazarin's connection with Paris, delivered secret messages to the king and supporters, in particular, to Abbé Basil Fouquet, one might say, the head of the cardinal administration. It is not difficult to imagine what would have become of our Gascon if his mission had been discovered. After all, on the Pont Neuf in Paris, a satirical leaflet “Tariff of awards for the deliverer from Mazarin” was posted: “To the valet who strangles him between two featherbeds, - 100,000 ecu; a barber who cuts his throat with a razor - 75,000 ecu; to the pharmacist, who, putting him an enema, will poison the tip, - 20,000 ecu ”... It’s not the right time for thanks, but it was then that Mazarin sent a letter to one of the marshals loyal to him: “Since the queen once allowed me to hope for Artagnan to be awarded the rank of captain of the guard, I’m sure that her position has not changed. At that time, there were no vacancies, only a year later d'Artagnan became a lieutenant in one of the guards regiments. About a year later he fought with the Fronde units. The forces of resistance were fading, Mazarin was gradually regaining power over the country. On February 2, 1653, the cardinal solemnly entered Paris. His cortege with difficulty made its way through the crowds of Parisians who enthusiastically greeted His Eminence. These were the very French who, until recently, were ready to tear him to pieces. Lieutenant d'Artagnan kept modestly behind Mazarin's back.

The ultimate dream of every nobleman was a troublesome position at court. And there were plenty of jobs like that. Well, what duties can be, for example, the "captain-concierge of the royal aviary" in the Tuileries Garden? He occupies a small sixteenth-century castle a stone's throw from the palace and receives his ten thousand livres a year: go bad! Such a vacancy had just opened, it cost six thousand livres. It is unlikely that d'Artagnan managed to accumulate such a sum, but it was possible to borrow against future income. It seemed that the big gentlemen should have disdained such an insignificant position, and yet the lieutenant found competitors. And what! Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the cardinal's left hand (Fouquet was on the right), wrote to his patron: "If Your Grace favorably granted me this position, I would be infinitely obliged."

Lefevre. Portrait of Colbert

It was not easy to refuse Colbert, but Mazarin replied: "I have already applied for this position for d'Artagnan, who asked me for it." Colbert, the future prime minister, first took a dislike to d'Artagnan. By the way, Bemo also received a warm place - he was appointed no less than the commandant of the Bastille. The work is also not dusty, only, as mother history teaches, jailers sometimes change places with those who are guarded. So, the poor Gascon nobleman finally healed like a real seigneur. But not for long did d'Artagnan guard his aviary. In 1654, the young monarch Louis XIV was crowned in Reims, d'Artagnan was present at this grandiose ceremony. And soon after that, again into battle: Prince Conde went over to the side of the Spaniards and led their thirty thousandth army. In one of the first battles of this campaign, d'Artagnan with several daring men, without waiting for the main forces to approach, attacked the enemy's bastion and was slightly wounded. A year later, he already commanded a separate guards company, not yet receiving the captain's rank. Damn money again: in order to redeem the captain's patent, I had to sell the court position. To hell with her! By the way, d'Artagnan expressed himself in this way, often not only orally, but also in writing.

His Eminence's personal secretary informed d'Artagnan: "I have read all your letters to the cardinal, however, not in their entirety, because phrases like "damn it" constantly slip through you, but this does not matter, since the essence is good. Finally, in 1659, peace was concluded with Spain. And shortly before that, Louis XIV decided to revive the company of the royal musketeers. The post of lieutenant was offered to d'Artagnan. His joy was overshadowed only by the fact that the nephew of Cardinal Philip Mancini, Duke of Nevers, a lazy, spoiled young man, was appointed commander, lieutenant commander. It remained to be hoped that he would not interfere in the affairs of the Musketeers. And now d'Artagnan is forty-five (in the 17th century this is already a very middle-aged man), he has achieved a strong position, it's time to start a family. Romantic hobbies and amorous adventures were left behind, mature people tried to marry noble and rich ladies. Most often, both of these virtues were combined in widows. Anna-Charlotte-Christina de Shanlessi, from an ancient Gascon family, who owned the estates of her husband-baron who died in the war, and bought several more estates, became the chosen one of d'Artagnan. In addition, she was pretty, although "already wore traces of inescapable sadness on her face," as the person who saw her portrait, later lost, wrote. However, widows have one more property: they are experienced and prudent. So Charlotte did nothing without consulting a lawyer. The marriage contract resembled a long treatise on property law: clause by clause, conditions were stipulated that would protect the widow from ruin if “Mr. future spouse” turned out to be a spendthrift (as if looking into the water). But here the formalities were settled, and on March 5, 1659, in the small hall of the Louvre, in the presence of important guests (only old Bemo was among friends), the contract was signed. Documents of this kind were drawn up "on behalf of the almighty monarch Louis Bourbon" and "the most illustrious and worthy Monsignor Jules Mazarin" - their handwritten signatures sealed this document. It was not often that a lieutenant of the Musketeers enjoyed the warmth of a family hearth. He continued to live in the saddle - either at the head of his musketeers, or on behalf of the cardinal, and then the young king. The wife, of course, grumbled, besides, d'Artagnan, after long years of humiliating poverty, spent money without an account. The couple soon had two sons.

Louis XIV married at the end of that year. This marriage of the French king to the Spanish Infanta Maria Theresa promised a long and lasting peace. Cardinal Mazarin did his job and soon retired - to another world. The wedding celebrations were grandiose. Next to the king all the time were his musketeers, led by d'Artagnan. The Spanish minister, seeing the company in full splendor, exclaimed: “If the Lord descended to earth, he would not need a better guard!” The king had known d'Artagnan for a long time, he believed that he could be completely relied upon. In time the commander of the musketeers took that place beside the king-son, which Captain de Treville had previously occupied under his father. Meanwhile, two political heirs of Mazarin, two members of the Royal Council dug under each other. Fouquet, the chief finance officer, was more powerful, but more careless. Colbert was more experienced, he won because he attacked. He opened the king's eyes to the numerous abuses of Fouquet, to his luxurious life, paid for from the state treasury.

Edward Lacretelle. Portrait of Nicolas Fouquet

On August 7, 1661, Fouquet held a celebration in his palace and garden for the royal couple and the entire court. On several stages, performances were played one after another, including the troupe of Molière showed a new play, The Boring. The feast was prepared by the magician Vatel. Fouquet clearly wanted to please the sovereign, but it turned out the other way around. Louis appreciated the art with which the holiday was organized, but felt annoyed. His court was still modest, the king was in dire need of money. Leaving, he said to the owner: "Wait for news from me." Fouquet's arrest was a foregone conclusion. However, this was a very risky undertaking. Fouquet had great connections and influence, he had a fortified military camp with a garrison in constant readiness, he commanded the entire fleet of France, he was, finally, Viceroy of America! The overthrow of such a giant can perhaps be compared with the arrest of Beria in 1953. In such a case, a loyal and beloved military leader is required. The king without hesitation entrusted the operation to d'Artagnan. The operation was prepared in such secrecy that the scribes who wrote the order were kept locked up until it was completed. To lull Fouquet's vigilance, a royal hunt was scheduled for the day of the arrest. He did not suspect anything and even said to his close associate: "Colbert lost, and tomorrow will be one of the happiest days of my life." On September 5, 1661, Fouquet left the meeting of the Royal Council and got into a stretcher.

At this time, d'Artagnan, with fifteen musketeers, surrounded the litter and presented Fouquet with the order of the king. The arrested man took advantage of the momentary delay to convey the news to his supporters. They decided to set fire to Fouquet's house to destroy the evidence. But they were ahead of them, the house was sealed and taken under guard. Then d'Artagnan brought Fouquet to the Château de Vincennes, and a little later he took him to the Bastille. And everywhere he personally checked the reliability of the premises and the guards, if necessary, placed his musketeers there. Precautions were not superfluous, once an angry crowd surrounded the carriage, and Fouquet was almost torn to pieces, but d'Artagnan ordered the musketeers to push back the townspeople with horses in time. Finally, the prisoner was handed over to the Bastille in the care of a friend of Bemo. D'Artagnan hoped to get away from this unpleasant business, but no such luck! The king ordered him to continue to stay with the prisoner. Only three years later, after the trial and the royal sentence, d'Artagnan brought the convict to the Pignerol castle for life imprisonment and completed his sad mission. It must be said that all this time he behaved with the arrested in the noblest manner. For example, he was present at all Fouquet's meetings with lawyers, was aware of all the affairs of the prisoner, but not a single word went beyond the walls of the prison. A noble lady from among the friends of the defeated nobleman wrote about d'Artagnan: "Faithful to the king and humane in dealing with those whom he has to keep in custody." The king was pleased with the lieutenant of the musketeers. Even Fouquet's supporters respected him.

Only the new quartermaster of finance, Colbert, and his entourage held a grudge: they believed that d'Artagnan was too soft with the prisoner, and even suspected that he was helping Fouquet. D'Artagnan had proved that he was a faithful servant of the king, and now he could show fatherly care for his musketeers. During the ten years of his reign, the number of musketeers increased from 120 to 330 people. The company became a completely independent unit with its treasurer, priest, pharmacist, surgeon, saddler, gunsmith, and musicians. Under d'Artagnan, the company received its own banner and standard, on which the formidable motto of the musketeers was inscribed: "Quo ruit et lethum" - "Death attacks with him." During hostilities, a company of royal musketeers was included in other military units, but one detachment always remained with the king, only this detachment always acted under the banner of the company. Finally, in 1661, they began to build a large barracks "Hotel Musketeers", and before that, the Musketeers lived in rented apartments. D'Artagnan was personally in charge of a set of musketeers, knew everyone well, and baptized some of the children. The same as he once came to him, youngsters from the provinces with recommendations from noble families. The order established by the lieutenant was stricter than under de Treville. The lieutenant not only gave orders, distributed patents to lower positions, petitioned for the nobility and the appointment of pensions; he introduced special certificates of worthy and unworthy behavior in order to stop cases of disobedience and provoking quarrels. All this made the company of the royal musketeers not only an elite, but also an exemplary unit. Gradually, the royal musketeers became a kind of officer academy - the best cadets from the nobility passed the first years of service here, and then were assigned to other guards regiments. Even in other European states, monarchs began to create musketeer companies for their protection and sent officers to study at the “school of d’Artagnan”. When a king has a brilliant army, he wants to throw it to death. In 1665 war broke out between England and the Netherlands. France was an ally of Holland and supported her with an expeditionary force. At the head of a detachment of musketeers, d'Artagnan went north.

During the siege of the Loken fortress, the musketeers showed themselves not only as brave men, but also as war workers: they carried heavy fascines on themselves, filling up a deep ditch filled with water. The king was delighted: "I did not expect less zeal from a company of senior musketeers." Nobody met d'Artagnan in Paris. Shortly before the campaign, Madame d'Artagnan invited a notary, took away all the property belonging to her under a marriage contract, and with two children left for the family estate of Saint-Croix. Subsequently, d'Artagnan traveled there as needed to arrange some domestic affairs. It must be thought, without any pleasure. Over the years, Anna-Charlotte's practicality turned into stinginess, she became a quarrel, suing her late husband's brother, then her cousin ... And d'Artagnan happily returned to his family - the family of musketeers! Immediately after returning from the campaign, three days of maneuvers took place, in which the royal musketeers again showed themselves in full splendor. The king was so pleased that he granted d'Artagnan the first vacant position at court - "the captain of small dogs for hunting roe deer."

Portrait of Louis XIV

Only the court career somehow did not work out, d'Artagnan spent only three weeks fiddling with small dogs and resigned. Fortunately, the king was not offended, and d'Artagnan even won. The post of dog captain was abolished and replaced by two lieutenants. D'Artagnan sold them at retail and improved his business somewhat after his wife's flight. And the very next year, Philip Mancini, Duke of Nevers, finally officially resigned from the post of lieutenant commander of the company of the royal musketeers. Who better than d'Artagnan to take this place! Finally, D'Artagnan bought himself a beautiful house on the corner of Ferry Street and the Quay of the Frog Swamp, almost opposite the Louvre. Around this time, he began to sign himself "Comte d'Artagnan." When signing some documents, he also added a "cavalier of royal orders", which he had never been awarded. What can you do, irrepressible Gascon pride and a passion for conferring titles were his hereditary weakness. D'Artagnan hoped that the king would not exact severely, and in which case he would intercede. During these years, a special commission checked how legally some gentlemen use titles. And, by the way, she requested documents from a certain Mr. de Batz. So, one statement by d'Artagnan that this was his relative was enough for the commission to fall behind. Meanwhile, the beautiful house of the captain of the musketeers was most often empty, and his maid was completely lazy. Her master rarely lived in his Frog Swamp. In 1667 a new war began. Louis XIV demanded from Spain her extensive possessions in Flanders on the pretext that they belong to his wife, the former Spanish infanta, and now the queen of France.

Such a law was in force in the civil law of many European countries, but did not apply to interstate relations, so Spain, of course, refused. But it is known that kings argue not in court, but on the battlefield. In this war, Captain d'Artagnan, with the rank of cavalry brigadier, commanded for the first time an army corps, consisting of his own company and two more regiments. The Musketeers again fearlessly rushed forward. During the siege of Douai, they captured the ravelin under a hail of grapeshot and, without stopping, burst into the city with drawn swords. The king, observing this picture, in order to save his favorites, even sent them an order to “moderate their ardor”. The culmination of the entire campaign was the siege of Lille, the most powerful fortress in Flanders. The attacks of the "brigadier d'Artagnan", as the reports said, "set the tone." But on the day of the assault, only 60 people from his brigade entered the forward detachment, and the brigadier himself was ordered to remain at the command post. By evening, his patience snapped, he rushed into the thick of the fight and fought until he received a slight concussion. Even the king did not condemn him for this unauthorized act. Frightened by the desperate onslaught, the citizens of Lille themselves disarmed the garrison and surrendered to the mercy of the winner. By a strange coincidence, in 1772, d'Artagnan was appointed governor of this city and at the same time received the rank of major general (or brigadier general). The Musketeer was flattered, but he did not like the new service. Garrison officers are not at all like real warriors. D'Artagnan quarreled with the commandant and the engineers, got tired of fending off slanders, answered them passionately and stupidly. He spoke with an indestructible Gascon accent, but the letter came out with a solid “Damn it!”. In a word, he breathed a sigh of relief when a replacement was found for him and he was able to return to his musketeers.

The best way to restore peace of mind for an old soldier is to smell gunpowder again. And so it happened. In 1773, the king at the head of the army went to besiege the Dutch fortress. The assault detachment, which included the royal musketeers, was commanded by a major general from the infantry de Montbron. On July 25, the musketeers completed their task - they captured the enemy's ravelin. But this was not enough for Montbron. He wanted to build additional fortifications so that the enemy would not recapture the ravelin. D’Artagnan objected: “If you send people now, the enemy will see them. You risk that many people will die for nothing. Montbron was senior in rank, he gave the order, and the redoubt was erected. But then the battle for the ravelin broke out. The tired French were overturned and began to retreat. Seeing this, d'Artagnan did not wait for anyone's order, gathered several dozen musketeers and grenadiers and rushed to help. A few minutes later the ravelin was taken. But many attackers were killed. The dead musketeers continued to clutch their bent swords, covered in blood up to the hilt. Among them was found d'Artagnan, shot through the head. Musketeers under heavy fire carried their captain out of the shelling. The whole company mourned. One officer wrote: "If people were dying of grief, I would be dead already." Louis XIV was very sad about the death of d'Artagnan. He ordered a funeral service to be served for him in his camp chapel and did not invite anyone to it, he prayed in mournful solitude. Subsequently, the king recalled the captain of the musketeers as follows: “He was the only person who managed to make people love himself without doing anything for them that would oblige them to do so.” D'Artagnan was buried on the battlefield near Maastricht. From mouth to mouth passed someone's words uttered over his grave: "D'Artagnan and glory rested together."

If d'Artagnan had lived in the Middle Ages, he would have been called "a knight without fear or reproach." Perhaps he would become the hero of an epic, like the English Lancelot or the French Roland. But he lived in the "Guttenberg era" - the printing press and the emerging professional literature, and therefore was doomed to become the hero of the novel. Gasien Courtil de Sandre was the first to try this. This nobleman began military service shortly before the death of d'Artagnan. But peace was soon concluded, the army was disbanded, and Curtil was left without service and livelihood. From need or from a spiritual inclination, he became a writer. He wrote political pamphlets, unreliable historical and biographical books with a scandalous flavor. In the end, for some harsh publications, Curtil was arrested and imprisoned in the Bastille for six years. Old Bemo, a friend of d'Artagnan, was still the commandant of the Bastille. Curtil hated his chief jailer, and later wrote rather wickedly about him.

It is not surprising that, at his suggestion, Alexandre Dumas portrayed the commandant of the Bastille in the story with the "iron mask" as stupid and cowardly. In 1699, Curtil was released, and the following year his book, Memoirs of Messire d'Artagnan, lieutenant-commander of the first company of the king's musketeers, containing many personal and secret things that occurred during the reign of Louis the Great, was published. There was little historicity in these invented "Memoirs", and the hero appeared before the reader not as a warrior, but exclusively as a secret agent. Intrigues, duels, betrayals, abductions, escapes with dressing up in a woman's dress and, of course, love affairs - all this was stated in a rather ponderous style. Nevertheless, the book was a success. Then Curtil once again ended up in prison for a long time and died in 1712, a few months after his release. The Memoirs of d'Artagnan did not long survive the author and were forgotten for more than a century. Until Alexandre Dumas discovered the book. In the preface to The Three Musketeers, Dumas wrote: “About a year ago, while studying at the Royal Library ... I accidentally attacked the Memoirs of M. d'Artagnan ...” But then he goes into the plural: “Since then we did not know peace, trying to find in the writings of that time at least some trace of these extraordinary names ... ”This is not Dumas's mistake, but an involuntary slip of the tongue. Behind her was Dumas' co-author Auguste Macke, a self-taught historian and a mediocre writer who supplied the patron with plots, scripts and draft texts of some novels and plays. Among the co-authors of Dumas (there are about a dozen established names alone), Maquet was the most capable. In addition to The Three Musketeers, he participated in the creation of other Dumas masterpieces, including Twenty Years Later, Vicomte de Bragelon, Queen Margot and The Count of Monte Cristo.

It was Maquet who brought Dumas a loose and boring essay on d'Artagnan and told about the old book by Courtil de Sandra. Dumas got excited about this topic and wanted to read the Memoirs of d'Artagnan himself. In the library form there is a mark on the issuance of this most valuable book to him, but there is no mark on its return. The classic simply "played" it. The story of The Three Musketeers is a novel in itself. In 1858, 14 years after the first publication of the novel, Macke sued Dumas, claiming that he was the author, not a co-author of The Three Musketeers. The act is difficult to explain, because an agreement was concluded between Dumas and Macke, the author paid the co-author well, Dumas even allowed Macke to release a staging of The Three Musketeers under his own name. The lawsuit made a lot of noise, and earlier accusations of exploiting Dumas in the exploitation of "literary blacks" also surfaced. (By the way, this expression arose precisely in relation to Dumas' co-authors, because he himself was the grandson of a Negro slave.)

Finally, Macke presented his version of the chapter "Execution" to the court, but this "evidence" became fatal for him. The judges were convinced that Macke's text was no match for Dumas' brilliant prose.