The real story of D'Artagnan: how the life of the legendary musketeer turned out. One for all! How did the real D'Artagnan live, and what did Dumas do? Did D'Artagnan exist?
“On July 12, in the city of Osh, people honored the memory of a true man who led a full and stormy life... Until his gray hairs, he remained an ardent Gascon captain, a poor warrior, a faithful sword of beautiful France.” These are the words from the article Alexandra Kuprina. On July 12, 1931, the Russian classic was present with trepidation and reverence at the opening of the monument D'Artagnan.
“I was ten or eleven years old. I dreamed about D’Artagnan... My future life path was already drawn without the slightest hesitation. After school - only the history department of Moscow University...” Under these words of the famous Soviet scientist Anatoly Levandovsky Not only those who have connected their lives with the study of history, but also anyone who is at least somewhat interested in it can subscribe. Whatever one may say, a Gascon with a sword will still stand at the origins.
And in a halo of quotes. “He laughs at a horse who does not dare to laugh at its owner!”, “Young people have forgotten how to drink... But this is another one of the best”, “Love is a game in which the winner gets death”, “I fight simply because “I’m fighting”, “I arrived in Paris with four crowns in my pocket and would challenge anyone to a duel who dared to tell me that I was not able to buy the Louvre.” And, of course, the beautiful and eternal: “One for all, and all for one!”
D'Artagnan. Illustration from Dumas' book. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
The power of myth
Those wishing to dispel this brilliant image created Alexandre Dumas, still in bulk. With the pathos of the only keeper of the truth and a malicious smile, they will tell you that Dumas lied after all. That - yes, there was such a D’Artagnan, a Gascon and a musketeer. But he acted in the wrong way, with the wrong people, and not then. That everything was much more boring. Born presumably in 1613, then, after an incomprehensible childhood, only service, orders, a barracks strap and death from a Dutch bullet in 1673.
Once an amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann decided to look for the legendary Troy, guided by the Iliad Homer. They laughed at him. And completely in vain. Some little things conveyed by the blind storyteller turned out to be pure truth. The same can be said about Dumas' novel. Yes, he moved the action back twenty years - during the story with the diamond pendants, the real D’Artagnan was either three years old or five. A serious sin. However, there is a nuance. Upon closer examination, almost all of Alexandre Dumas’ lines turn out to be pure truth.
Tradesman in the nobility
Moreover, it was even the screams of our boys, who, having seen enough of the adventures Mikhail "A Thousand Devils" Boyarsky in the role of a Gascon, they staged duels with swords made of twigs.
And they mercilessly distorted the name of their beloved hero. It sounded either like some kind of nod to “Star Wars” - “Darth Anyan”, or acquired a distinctly Armenian flavor - “Dyr-Tanyan”.
Oddly enough, all these options have a right to exist. Writing family names in France in the 17th century. - a real circus with horses. A completely respectable version of the surname of the main musketeer of all times was the absurd, but recorded in the documents Artanga (Artanya). And also Dartagnan, that is, Dartagnan - exactly that, in one word. Myself Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, and this was precisely the name of our hero on his father’s side, he preferred to call himself d’Artaignan. Stylish and archaic. In honor of his maternal grandfather, which automatically ancientized his pedigree almost to the time of the Crusades.
“I don’t believe their cunning faces. Especially the one with the Gascon's face. Come here, my sir!” - this is how Dumas’ novel describes the first meeting of our hero with the king, Louis XIII. In fact, we are talking about the fact that the king does not believe the repentance of D’Artagnan, who violated the ban on dueling. But His Majesty cannot be denied insight. He could say the same about the origins of the Gascon.
His great-grandfather on his father's side, Arnaud de Batz, was just a rich wine merchant who bought lands and castles. He really wanted to infiltrate the highest-ranking class - the nobility - but he could not. The merchant's son succeeded, Pierre, grandfather of the musketeer. And even then in a fraudulent way. In the marriage contract dated April 1, 1578, the word “nobleman” before Pierre’s name was added later and in a different handwriting.
Musketeers and Cardinal Richelieu. Illustration from the book. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Lard for a musketeer
Arriving in Paris, D'Artagnan Dumas was primarily concerned with three important matters. I sold my horse, rented a room and took care of my wardrobe. We'll talk about the horse later, but for now here's what they say about how the provincial tried to match the capital's fashion: “The rest of the day he was busy with work - trimming his camisole and trousers with galloon, which his mother ripped from the almost completely new camisole of Mr. D'Artagnan the father and slowly gave it to my son.”
The real D'Artagnan could well not only have received an old braid from his mother as a gift, but also consider it a rather valuable thing. The legacy he left behind Bertrand de Batz, the real father of the real musketeer, judging by the inventory of 1635, was frankly meager. From weapons: “Three arquebuses, seven muskets, two swords.” From kitchen utensils and supplies: “Two small cauldrons and one large, three saucepans, six dozen used napkins, six pieces of lard and twelve salted geese.” From household items: “Two shabby benches, an old cupboard for dishes, five leather chairs covered with unusable chisels.” By the way, stamet is a woolen fabric that, as a rule, was used for lining. In the house of the musketeer's father they cover the front chairs with it - this says a lot.
But the horse of a “rare color”, which in the novel is called either “orange” or “bright red”, was quite in the order of things, despite the fact that he was already 13 years old. In the end, Marshal Jean de Gassion, almost the same age as the real D’Artagnan, arrived in Paris on a thirty-year-old nag. And yet, our hero is selling this horse. But his father begged him not to do this. Why such an incident?
When the real D'Artagnan finally became a musketeer, and this happened in 1644, this horse no longer complied with the regulations. The royal musketeers were allowed only gray horses. Alternatively, dapple gray ones. This company was called “gray musketeers”, because later another one appeared, “black musketeers”. They were already riding around in black ones. So the hero of the novel, having sold the “worthless” horse, simply rushed things.
Musket and buffet
The bookish D'Artagnan was guided by the same reasons - to quickly become a musketeer - when he hired a servant. In other companies, the lack of a personal servant was not a stumbling block. Yes - good, no - they made do with one footman for ten. But the musketeers needed a servant. Here is the harsh prose of life. The average height of a man of that time was 165 cm. The length of the musket could reach up to 175 cm. Weight - up to 9 kg. It was possible to shoot from such a fool only with the help of a bipod. There was one, but it was called a “buffet table,” which later gave its name to the snack table. And it weighed a lot too. So if the required two pistols and a sword could be carried on oneself without bothering, then a servant was needed for the weapon that gave its name to the branch of the army.
« Planchet, D'Artagnan's servant, accepted the good fortune that befell him with dignity. He received 30 sous a day, returned home cheerful as a bird for a whole month, and was affectionate and attentive to his master.” Here they usually find fault with Dumas, pointing out that the musketeer's salary was only 39 sous per day. Our hero couldn’t give almost everything to some lackey!
Actually he could. Because the real D’Artagnan carried out a number of very delicate assignments, which, even if they were not paid in cash immediately, still promised significant income.
“D’Artagnan walked between Athos and Porthos...”, fig. Maurice Leloir (1894). Maurice Leloir Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Money-money, rubbish money
“In those days, the concepts of pride that are common today were not yet in fashion. The nobleman received money from the hands of the king and did not feel humiliated at all. D’Artagnan therefore, without hesitation, put the forty pistoles he had received into his pocket and even poured out expressions of gratitude to His Majesty.” This is what the Gascon from Dumas’ novel did.
The real D’Artagnan accepted strange things for a military position with exactly the same gratitude. One was called the “gatekeeper of the Tuileries”, and the other was the “keeper of the royal poultry house”. At first glance, this is a terrible humiliation. But this does not mean that our hero opened and closed doors or raked out manure for chickens and peacocks. Both positions were pure sinecures, which were sought in vain by people more knowledgeable than the Gascon upstart. The poultry house keeper's salary was 2 thousand livres a year, and the gatekeeper's salary was 3 thousand, and even gave the right to a free apartment at the palace.
« Athos recognized his comrade and burst into laughter... The bonnet was askew, the skirt had slid down to the floor, the sleeves were rolled up and a sticking mustache on an excited face.” The bookish D’Artagnan had to resort to this masquerade with dressing up to escape from the enraged Milady. The real one was also not averse to having fun in this way. But with more serious goals. Let's say this is how he became a gatekeeper. In 1650, a musketeer, disguised as a beggar, penetrates the rebellious city of Bordeaux. Then he ingratiates himself with the authorities and persuades them to surrender the fortress. For the position of poultry worker, he had to go to England to scout out the plans of the leader of the revolution there. Oliver Cromwell. This time D'Artagnan was dressed as a priest.
Monument to d'Artagnan in Maastricht.
d'Artagnan on the pedestal of the monument to Dumas
I love reading historical accounts of famous events. Change artistic perception to something closer to historical truth. Although how it really was there... Maybe someone else doesn’t know this story, but I’ll keep it as a souvenir. Reading...
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 entire 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 for this reason I decided to take my mother’s surname - d’Artagnan.
Yes, the musketeer d'Artagnan actually lived. Was he really the hero of the “cloak and sword”? In Gascony, in the south of France, many people still bear the surname Batz and Debac. A simple typo is enough to turn Debats into the noble “de Batz”. This is what one rich merchant from Lupiac did. And then, in the middle of the 16th century, Arno de Batz also bought the Castelmore estate with a manor house, proudly called a castle, and added “de Castelmore” to his surname.
His grandson Bertrand was the first of this family to marry a true noblewoman - Francoise de Montesquiou from the house of d'Artagnan. So 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 Françoise had seven children - four sons and three daughters. Around 1613, our hero was born - Charles de Batz (with the addition of de Castelmore d'Artagnan on special occasions). Charles probably did not study Latin and the catechism too diligently, preferring horse riding and fencing lessons. By the age of seventeen, the “Gascony University” was graduated, and the chick fluttered out of family nest.
Alleged portrait of d'Artagnan, painted by van der Meulen
Thousands of young Frenchmen from the provinces did this. At home they could not find service, fame and wealth, so they set off to conquer Paris. Some really grabbed luck by the tail and made a career. Others wandered idle along the narrow streets of Paris: “chest like a wheel, legs like compasses, a cloak over the shoulder, a hat up to the eyebrows, a blade longer than a hungry day,” - this is how Théophile Gautier described these fellows, ready to draw their swords for a very modest fee. Thanks to letters of recommendation, Charles initially became a cadet in one of the guards companies. But which of the cadets did not dream of subsequently transferring to the company of “musketeers of the royal military house”, or, more simply, to become the king’s musketeer! Muskets - heavy matchlock guns - appeared among the shooters of the French army in the previous century. The approach of the musketeers could always be recognized not only by their heavy tread, but also by their characteristic sound: they had cartridges with gunpowder hanging from their leather belts, and as they walked they rhythmically knocked against each other. Later, matchlock muskets were replaced by flintlock muskets, but still, reloading a musket was long and difficult - nine operations! Later, musketeer riflemen formed separate companies and regiments. But these 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” musketeers for his personal security. Only nobles served in it; in the palace they performed guard duty, and in battle they fought on horseback, following the sovereign. Their weapons consisted of a shortened rifled musket (it was attached to the saddle with the barrel up so that the bullet would not fall out of the barrel) 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 Troisville - that was actually the name of Captain de Treville from The Three Musketeers. We will also call him de Treville. Louis XIII highly valued the musketeers, and could entrust any task to their commander. One day the king, pointing to Treville, said: “Here is the 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 as usual - 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 at 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 the 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 reputation of desperate brave men. Recruits took the place of the killed comrades. So, two or three years after arriving in Paris, Charles de Batz was enlisted in the company of the royal musketeers - he signed up for the musketeers under the name
d'Artagnan. 
Portrait of d'Artagnan from the frontispiece of Courtille's Memoirs...
However, the “brilliance and poverty of the musketeers” were known to everyone. The musketeer salary was sorely lacking. Money - and a lot of it - was also necessary for career advancement. At that time, military and court positions in France were bought. The rank was assigned by the king, and the corresponding position, which brought real income, was purchased by the candidate from his predecessor. Well, just like they are now buying up profitable businesses. However, the king could not approve the candidate and appoint another; he could pay the required amount for the candidate from the treasury; he could finally bestow rank and position for special merit. But basically, chinoproduction was put, so to speak, on a commercial basis. Wealthy candidates who had served a certain period of time, distinguished themselves in several campaigns, bought a position - first standard bearer, then lieutenant and finally captain. For top positions and prices were prohibitive. 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 the second cousin of Captain de Treville himself and therefore easily joined his company around 1641. But he did not carry the sword for long - he died from it in 1643.
Since Athos was seriously wounded not on the campaign, but in Paris, it is clear that this was a duel, or a skirmish between violent young men, or a settling of scores between opposing clans. Porthos was no richer - Isaac de Porto, who came from a Protestant family. He began his service in the guards company of des Essartes (Desessart in “The Three Musketeers”), fought, was wounded and was forced to retire. Returning to Gascony, he occupied the position of custodian of ammunition in one of the fortresses, which was usually entrusted to disabled people. Such was Aramis, or rather, Henri d’Aramitz, de Treville’s cousin and a distant relative of Athos. He served in a company of musketeers during the same years, then for an unknown reason he left the service and returned to his native land, thanks to which he lived a rather calm and long (for a musketeer) life: he got married, raised three sons and died peacefully on his estate around 1674, when he was in his early fifties. These fine gentlemen were d’Artagnan’s colleagues, and nothing more. François de Montlaisin, Marquis de Bemo, also a Gascon, became his close friend. His friends simply called him Bemo. D'Artagnan and Bemo were inseparable on guard duty and on campaigns, at merry parties and in dangerous situations. But in 1646, the fates of 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 Queen Regent Anne of Austria, relying on Mazarin in everything.
Bouchard. Portrait of Cardinal Mazarin
Both cardinals appear in historical novels as real villains. Indeed, they had plenty of 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, constantly warring country with a weak king. Richelieu's political line was basically continued by Mazarin, but he had, perhaps, even more difficult - the grueling Thirty Years' War continued, royal power was practically absent. And they hated Mazarin more than their predecessor, because he was a “Varangian” and warmed up to many strangers. Mazarin really needed brave and faithful 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 His Eminence’s nobles. 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 monitored the movements of opponents. Life in constant travel, almost without rest, soon turned them into living relics. In addition, the musketeers' hopes for generous payment were not justified - Mazarin turned out to be stingy to the point of indecency. Yes, they haven’t won yet, but they haven’t lost like the other musketeers either - by decree of the king, their company was soon disbanded. The formal pretext was the “heavy burden of expenses” for maintaining the elite; in fact, Mazarin insisted on dissolution. The musketeers seemed to him to be too violent and uncontrollable, from which it was unknown what could be expected. The musketeers were seized with despondency, and no one imagined that a decade later 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 income.
The news that d'Artagnan delivered was so important that his name began to appear either in the Gazette, the first periodical of France, or in the reports of senior commanders: “M. d'Artagnan, one of the nobles of His Eminence, arrived 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 responsibility, and curses came from everywhere. Sometimes the cardinal literally had to plug the hole, and he threw his trusted “nobles” into the thick of it. For example, Bemo himself led a detachment of His Eminence’s light cavalry into an attack in 1648, and in this battle an enemy bullet shattered his jaw. Meanwhile, general hatred of Mazarin resulted in a protest movement - the Fronde (translated as “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, who in fact sought to redistribute the highest positions and privileges. The Democratic Fronde gave way to the “Fronde of Princes” (hence the expression “to front” - to protest, but without much risk). The main leader of the "Fronders" was the Prince of Condé.
Egmont. Portrait of the Prince of Condé
During this period, many of Mazarin's supporters went over to his opponents. But not d'Artagnan. By that time, the main qualities of his character were fully revealed - exceptional loyalty and unchanging nobility. Soon royal family returned to Paris, but the cardinal remained in exile. D’Artagnan did not leave him now, only the musketeer’s orders became even more dangerous - he maintained Mazarin’s connection with Paris, delivered secret messages to the king and supporters, in particular, Abbot Basil Fouquet, one might say, the head of the cardinal’s administration. It is not difficult to imagine what would have happened to our Gascon if his mission had been revealed. After all, on the Pont Neuf in Paris, a satirical leaflet was posted “Tariff of rewards for the deliverer of Mazarin”: “The valet who strangles him between two feather beds - 100,000 ecus; the barber who cuts his throat with a razor - 75,000 ecus; to the pharmacist who, when administering the clyster, will poison the tip, - 20,000 ecus "... This is not the right time for gratitude, 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 that Artagnan would be awarded the rank of captain of the guard, I am sure that its location has not changed." At that time vacant positions it didn’t turn out, only a year later d’Artagnan became a lieutenant in one of the guards regiments. For about a year then he fought with the Fronde troops. The resistance forces melted away, Mazarin gradually regained power over the country. On February 2, 1653, the cardinal solemnly entered Paris. His cortege made its way with difficulty through the crowds of Parisians who greeted His Eminence with delight. These were the same French who had recently been ready to tear him to pieces. Lieutenant d'Artagnan stood modestly behind Mazarin.
The ultimate dream of every nobleman was an easy position at court. And there were enough such positions. Well, what responsibilities might a “captain-concierge of the royal enclosure” in the Tuileries Garden have, for example? He occupies a small 16th-century castle a stone's throw from the palace and receives his ten thousand livres a year: damn it! Such a vacancy had just opened up; it cost six thousand livres. It is unlikely that d’Artagnan was able to save such a sum, but it was possible to borrow against future income. It seemed that the great 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 the right), wrote to his patron: "If Your Eminence would favorably grant me this position, I would be infinitely obliged."
Lefebvre. 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 it from me.” Colbert, the future prime minister, first disliked d'Artagnan. By the way, Bemo also received a warm position - he was appointed commandant of the Bastille. The work is also not dusty, but, as mother history teaches, jailers sometimes change places with those they are guarding. So, the poor Gascon nobleman finally lived like a real lord. But d’Artagnan did not guard his enclosure for long. In 1654, the young monarch Louis XIV was crowned in Reims, and d’Artagnan was present at this grandiose ceremony. And soon after that, again into battle: the Prince of Condé went over to the side of the Spaniards and led their thirty thousand army. In one of the first battles of this campaign, d'Artagnan with several daredevils, without waiting for the main forces to arrive, attacked the enemy bastion and was slightly wounded. A year later, he already commanded a separate guards company, having not yet received the rank of captain. Damn money again: in order to buy back the captain’s patent, he had to sell his court position. To hell with her! By the way, d’Artagnan expressed himself this way, often not only orally, but also in writing.
His Eminence’s personal secretary informed d’Artagnan: “I read all your letters to the cardinal, however, not in their entirety, since phrases like “damn it” constantly slip through your lips, but this does not matter, since the essence is good.” Finally, in 1659, peace was concluded with Spain. And shortly before this, Louis XIV decided to revive the company of royal musketeers. The position of lieutenant was offered to d'Artagnan. His joy was darkened only by the fact that the nephew of Cardinal Philip Mancini, Duke of Nevers, a lazy, spoiled young man, was appointed commander, captain-lieutenant. One could only hope 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, widows combined both of these virtues. D'Artagnan's chosen one was Anne-Charlotte-Christina de Shanlessis, from an ancient Gascon family, who owned the estates of her baron husband, who died in the war, and bought several more estates. In addition, she was pretty, although she “already bore traces of inescapable sadness on her face,” as a person who saw her portrait, which was 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: point by point, conditions were stipulated that would protect the widow from ruin in the event that “Mr. future husband” turns out to be a spendthrift (as in the water). But 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 the friends), the contract was signed. Such documents were drawn up “on behalf of the almighty monarch Louis Bourbon” and “the most illustrious and most worthy Monsignor Jules Mazarin” - their handwritten signatures sealed this document. It was not often that the musketeer lieutenant had the opportunity to enjoy the warmth of the family hearth. He continued to live in the saddle - either at the head of his musketeers, or fulfilling the orders of the cardinal, and then the young king. The wife, naturally, grumbled, and d’Artagnan, after many years humiliating poverty, spent money without counting. The couple soon had two sons of the same age.
Louis XIV married later that year. This marriage of the French king with 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 had descended to earth, he would not have needed a better guard!” The king had known d'Artagnan for a long time and believed that he could be completely relied upon. Over time, the commander of the musketeers took the place next to the king's son, which Captain de Treville had previously occupied under his father. And at this time, two political heirs of Mazarin, two members of the Royal Council were digging under each other. The chief intendant of finance, Fouquet, was more powerful, but more careless. Colbert turned out to be more experienced, he won because he attacked. He opened the king's eyes to Fouquet's numerous abuses and his luxurious life, paid for from the state treasury.
Edward Lacretelle. Portrait of Nicolas Fouquet
On August 7, 1661, Fouquet organized a holiday in his palace and garden for the royal couple and the entire court. Performances were played one after another on several stages, including Moliere's troupe showing a new play, "The Annoying Ones." The feast was prepared by the magic cook Vatel. Fouquet clearly wanted to please the sovereign, but the opposite happened. Louis appreciated the art with which the holiday was organized, but was annoyed. His court was still modest; the king was in dire need of money. When leaving, he told the owner: “Wait for news from me.” Fouquet's arrest was a foregone conclusion. However, this was a very risky venture. Fouquet had enormous 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 the Viceroy of America! The overthrow of such a giant can be compared, perhaps, with the arrest of Beria in 1953. In such a matter, a military leader who is loyal and beloved by the soldiers 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 its completion. To lull Fouquet's vigilance, a royal hunt was scheduled for the day of the arrest. He did not suspect anything and even told 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 sat on a stretcher.
At this time, d'Artagnan with fifteen musketeers surrounded the stretcher and presented Fouquet with the king's order. The arrested man took advantage of the momentary delay to convey the news of what had happened to his supporters. They decided to set fire to Fouquet's house to destroy evidence. But they were ahead of them, the house was sealed and taken under guard. Then d'Artagnan took Fouquet to the Castle of Vincennes, and a little later he took him to the Bastille. And everywhere he personally checked the reliability of the premises and security, and, if necessary, placed his musketeers there. The precautions were not unnecessary; once an angry crowd surrounded the carriage, and Fouquet was almost torn to pieces, but d’Artagnan ordered the musketeers in time to push back the townspeople with their horses. Finally, the prisoner was handed over to the Bastille into the care of his friend Bemo. D'Artagnan hoped to move away from this unpleasant matter, but that was not the case! The king ordered him to continue to remain with the prisoner. Only three years later, after the trial and the royal verdict, d’Artagnan delivered the convict to the castle of Pignerol for life imprisonment and completed his sad mission. It must be said that all this time he behaved with the arrested man in the most noble manner. For example, he was present at all of Fouquet’s meetings with lawyers, was aware of all the prisoner’s affairs, 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: “Loyal to the king and humane in his treatment of those whom he has to keep in custody.” The king was pleased with the musketeer lieutenant. Even Fouquet's supporters respected him.
Only the new intendant of finance Colbert and his entourage harbored a grudge: they believed that d’Artagnan was too soft with the prisoner, and even suspected that he was helping Fouquet. D'Artagnan proved that he was a loyal servant to 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 own 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 performed under the company’s banner. Finally, in 1661 they began to build a large barracks, the Musketeers' Hotel, and before that the musketeers lived in rented apartments. D’Artagnan was personally in charge of recruiting musketeers, knew each one well, and baptized the children of some of them. Young people from the provinces, just like him once, came to him 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 conferment of nobility and the appointment of pensions; he introduced special certificates of worthy and unworthy behavior in order to suppress 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 nobles spent their first years of service here, and then were appointed to others guards regiments. Even in other European states, monarchs began to create musketeer companies for their protection and sent officers to study at the “D’Artagnan School.” When a king has a brilliant army, he just wants to throw it to death. In 1665, war broke out between England and the Netherlands. France was an ally of Holland and supported it with an expeditionary force. At the head of a detachment of musketeers, d’Artagnan also went north.
During the siege of the Loken fortress, the musketeers proved themselves not only to be brave men, but also toilers of war: they carried heavy fascines on themselves, filling up a deep ditch filled with water. The king was delighted: “I would not have expected 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 marriage contract, and with two children went to the family estate of Saint-Croix. Subsequently, d'Artagnan went there when necessary to settle some household matters. One must think without any pleasure. Over the years, Anne-Charlotte's practicality turned into stinginess, she became a litigator, suing either her late husband's brother or her cousin... And d'Artagnan happily returned to his family - the family of musketeers! Immediately after returning from the campaign, three-day maneuvers took place, during 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 - “captain of small dogs for roe deer hunting.”
Portrait of Louis XIV
Only his court career somehow didn’t 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 position of dog captain was abolished and replaced by two lieutenants. D'Artagnan sold them at retail and improved his affairs somewhat after his wife's escape. And the very next year, Philip Mancini, Duke of Nevers, finally officially resigned from the post of captain-lieutenant of the company of royal musketeers. Who else but d'Artagnan should have taken this place! Finally, D’Artagnan bought himself a beautiful house on the corner of Ferry Street and the Frog Swamp embankment, almost opposite the Louvre. Around this time he began to sign himself “Comte d’Artagnan.” When signing some documents, he also added “chevalier of royal orders,” with which he was never awarded. What can you do, the irrepressible Gascon pride and passion for conferring titles were his hereditary weakness. D'Artagnan hoped that the king would not punish him strictly, but that if something happened, he would intercede. During these years, a special commission checked how legally some gentlemen used their titles. And, by the way, she requested documents from a certain Mr. de Batz. So, d’Artagnan’s one statement 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 owner rarely lived in his Frog Swamp. In 1667 a new war began. Louis XIV demanded from Spain her vast possessions in Flanders under the pretext that they belonged 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 naturally 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, for the first time commanded 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, who observed this picture, even sent them an order to “moderate their ardor” in order to take care of his favorites. The culmination of the entire campaign was the siege of Lille, the most powerful fortress in Flanders. The attacks of “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 vanguard, and the brigadier himself was ordered to remain on command post. By evening his patience ran out, he rushed into the thick of the battle 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 townspeople 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 engineers, was tired of fighting off slander, and answered them passionately and stupidly. He spoke with an ineradicable Gascon accent, but in his letter it was a continuous “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 his army, set out to besiege the Dutch fortress. The assault detachment, which included the royal musketeers, was commanded by Major General of the Infantry de Montbron. On July 25, the musketeers completed the task assigned to them - they captured the enemy ravelin. But this was not enough for Montbron. He wanted to build additional fortifications to prevent the enemy from recapturing 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 the 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 overwhelmed 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 to the hilt. Among them they found d'Artagnan with a bullet through his head. The musketeers, under heavy fire, carried their captain out from under fire. The whole company mourned. One officer wrote: “If people were dying of grief, I would already be dead.” Louis XIV was very sad about the death of d'Artagnan. He ordered a funeral service to be held 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: “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. Someone’s words spoken over his grave were passed down from mouth to mouth: “D’Artagnan and glory rested together.”
If d'Artagnan lived in the Middle Ages, he would be called "a knight without fear or reproach." Perhaps he would have become the hero of an epic, like the English Lancelot or the French Roland. But he lived in the “era of Guttenberg” - printing press and the emerging professional literature and was therefore doomed to become the hero of a novel. The first to try to do this was Gacien Courtille de Sandre. This nobleman began military service shortly before the death of d’Artagnan. But soon peace was concluded, the army was disbanded, and Kurtil was left without service and livelihood. Out of necessity or out of 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, Courtille was arrested and imprisoned in the Bastille for six years. The commandant of the Bastille was still old Bemo, a friend of d'Artagnan. Kurtil hated his chief jailer and subsequently wrote quite angrily about him.
It is not surprising that at his instigation, Alexandre Dumas portrayed the commandant of the Bastille in the story of the “iron mask” as stupid and cowardly. In 1699, Courtille was released, and the following year his book “Memoirs of Messire d’Artagnan, captain-lieutenant of the first company of the king’s musketeers, containing many personal and secret things that happened during the reign of Louis the Great,” was published. These invented “Memoirs” contained little historicity, and the hero appeared to the reader not as a warrior, but exclusively as a secret agent. Intrigues, duels, betrayals, kidnappings, escapes while dressing up as women and, of course, love affairs - all this was presented in a rather ponderous style. Nevertheless, the book was a success. Then Courtille once again found himself in prison for a long time and died in 1712, a few months after his release. D'Artagnan's Memoirs briefly outlived the author and was forgotten for more than a century. Until the book was discovered by Alexandre Dumas. In the preface to The Three Musketeers, Dumas wrote: “About a year ago, while studying in the Royal Library... I accidentally came across the Memoirs of M. d'Artagnan...” But then he switches to the plural: “Since then we knew no peace, trying to find in the writings of that time at least some trace of these extraordinary names...” This is not Dumas’ mistake, but an involuntary slip of the tongue. Behind it was Dumas's co-author, Auguste Macquet, a self-taught historian and mediocre writer who supplied the patron with plots, scripts and draft texts of some novels and plays. Among Dumas's co-authors (there are only about a dozen identified names), Macke was the most capable. In addition to The Three Musketeers, he participated in the creation of other Dumas masterpieces, including Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Queen Margot and The Count of Monte Cristo.
It was Macquet who brought Dumas a loose and boring essay about d’Artagnan and told him about the old book by Courtille de Sandre. Dumas became interested in this topic and wanted to read “Memoirs of d’Artagnan” himself. In the library form there is a note about the issue of this most valuable book to him, but there is no mark about its return. The classic simply “played” it. The story of The Three Musketeers is a novel in itself. In 1858, 14 years after the novel's first publication, Macke sued Dumas, claiming that he was the author, not the 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 Macquet to release a dramatization of “The Three Musketeers” under his own name. The trial caused a lot of noise, and Dumas’ earlier accusations of exploiting “literary blacks” also surfaced. (By the way, this expression arose specifically in relation to Dumas’s co-authors, because he himself was the grandson of a black 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 could not be compared with Dumas's brilliant prose.
The fact that the famous D'Artagnan actually existed has long been considered indisputable. Many have even read his memoirs, translated into Russian. But few people know that there is no more truth in this work than in the novels of Dumas, and his hero is not at all looks like the musketeer who lived and performed his exploits during the time of Louis XIV - the Sun King. And, it seems, he did not write any memoirs. And yet the magnificent Gascon - no matter whether natural or synthesized - continues to be “read.” The novel “The Three Musketeers,” first published in 1844, has been translated into 45 languages and has been published in more than 70 million copies. In general, the Gascon continues to win.
By 1843, Alexandre Dumas was known throughout Paris. The forty-year-old son of a mulatto general became famous for his plays and feuilletons, salon witticisms and loud love affairs. Not long ago he took up writing historical novels and now, as soon as it was light, he jumped out of bed and grabbed his pen. Huge, disheveled, he wrote down entire stacks of paper with lightning speed. To friends who came for a visit, he shouted from behind the door: “Wait, my friend, Muse is visiting me!” Over the course of a year, Dumas brought down three or four plump volumes on readers. This gave rise to the legend that a whole team of “literary blacks” worked for him. In fact, he wrote himself, and trusted his assistants only with the selection and verification of the material. The main one of his “blacks” was Auguste Macquet - a nondescript subject with an archive-memory where little-known details of the past were stored. Together they made an ideal couple: the reasoner Make extinguished the excessive enthusiasm of his ardent boss.
One fine day, Dumas went to the Royal Library to look for material for his next novel. Among the scattering of books, he came across an old tome entitled “Memoirs of M. D'Artagnan, Lieutenant-Commander of the First Company of the Royal Musketeers.” He vaguely remembered that this was the name of some military leader of the era he was interested in, and asked the kind librarian for the book to take home The memoirs were published in Amsterdam in the printing house of Pierre Rouge - works that were banned in France were published there. The book indeed contained scandalous details about the life of the royal court, but Dumas was not too interested in them. getting stuck in at every step dangerous adventures. I also liked his comrades with the sonorous names of Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Soon Dumas announced that he had found in the same library the memoirs of Athos, which spoke about the new adventures of his musketeer friends. He simply made up this book, thereby continuing the relay of hoaxes started by the author of the so-called “Memoirs of D'Artagnan.”
 Memoirs of D'Artagnan. 1704 edition |
Did Dumas know about the true origin of D'Artagnan's book? Most likely, he did, but this did not bother him. He said that history is just a nail on which he hangs his colorful paintings. Another thing was confusing: the musketeer from the memories looked brave, cunning , dexterous, but not very attractive. He was a typical mercenary, ready to serve the highest bidder, and fearlessly strike down the right and the guilty with his sword if they stood in his way. His attitude towards women was also far from romantic. over the image of his hero, passing on some of his own traits to him. The result was the novel “The Three Musketeers,” published in 1844. The noble Gascon depicted there forever won the hearts of readers, but scientists - both historians and writers - were dissatisfied, rejecting the heroes of Courtille. and Dumas as impostors, they have been searching for the real D'Artagnan for a century and a half.
Not only D'Artagnan
The adventure classics of the 18th-19th centuries produced many bright heroes, and almost all of them have prototypes in real history. D'Artagnan is just one example. Another is the German baron Hieronymus Carl Friedrich von Munchausen (1720-1797), whose unusual fate “Around the World” was told last year. It is worth recalling that he not only outlived both of his authors - Raspe and Burger, but also threatened to sue them for insulting his baronial dignity. The hero of Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, as we know, was actually the British sailor Alexander Selkirk (1676-1720). desert island four years instead of twenty-eight, and it was in the Juan Fernandez Islands, and not in Tobago, as Defoe wrote. The hero of Alphonse Daudet's novel "Tartarin of Tarascon" is based on the writer's cousin Jacques Reynaud (1820-1886), who once, in a romantic impulse, took Daudet to Algeria to hunt lions. In order not to offend his relative, the writer gave his hero the sonorous surname Barbarin, but in the town of Tarascon there was a family with that surname, and he had to be renamed Tartarin. The great detective Sherlock Holmes, according to scientists, is based on Conan Doyle's institute mentor, the famous surgeon Joseph Bell (1837-1911). He not only solved crimes using the deductive method, but also smoked a pipe and played the violin. Even such an exotic hero as Captain Nemo had a prototype. Jules Verne calls him the Indian rebel leader Nana Sahib (1824-after 1857). This noble feudal lord disappeared without a trace after the defeat of the uprising - in principle, he could have hidden in sea depths. Alexandre Dumas himself did not always invent his heroes. For example, the story of the Count of Monte Cristo was born from a chapter of the book “The Police Without a Mask,” published in 1838 based on investigative archives. It talked about a young shoemaker, Francois Picot, who was arrested on false charges on the eve of his wedding. Seven years later, he was released and began to take revenge on the informers, killing three, but fell at the hands of the fourth. There was also a treasure in this story, bequeathed to Pico by his cellmate, the Italian abbot.
On the banks of the Garonne
The trail of the famous musketeer leads to the banks of the Garonne and Adour, to ancient Gascony, where they are still proud famous fellow countryman. However, neither Courtille nor Dumas, who was entirely dependent on him for facts, knew the musketeer’s birthplace. They considered him a native of the Béarn region neighboring Gascony, where the real D'Artagnan had never been. Moreover, he bore a completely different name - Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore. This was found out by French historians, and in particular Jean-Christian Petifis, the author of the book "The True D'Artagnan", published in Russian translation in the famous ZhZL series.
Charles was born around 1614 in the heart of Gascony. He could not be proud of the antiquity of his family: his great-grandfather Arno Batz was an ordinary merchant who bought the castle from the completely bankrupt owners. Having slipped a couple of livres to a royal official, he received the title of nobility along with the noble prefix “de”. His grandson Bertrand strengthened his status by marrying the maiden Françoise de Montesquiou. However, the young man’s dowry received only the destroyed castle of Artagnan and numerous debts, the payment of which deprived his family of the remnants of their fortune. In fact, Bertrand only had Castelmore Castle left, where Charles, his brothers Paul, Jean and Arno, and three sisters were born.Despite the loud name, it was just a two-story stone house with two dilapidated turrets. We can judge its situation from the inventory of property compiled in 1635 after the death of Bertrand de Batz. The interior of the lower living room consisted of a long trestle table, a sideboard and five worn leather armchairs. Next was the matrimonial bedroom, where there were two closets - one with linen, the second with dishes. Also on the ground floor there was a kitchen with a large boiler and a huge vat for salting meat. Upstairs, in addition to another living room with the same old furniture, there were four bedrooms for children and guests. From there a staircase led to one of the turrets, where there was a dovecote. The inventory meticulously lists the family's property: two swords, six brass candlesticks, six dozen napkins...
After the death of the head of the family, the house and six farms belonging to the de Batzes passed into the hands of greedy creditors. Fortunately, by that time the children had already been placed thanks to influential relatives. The daughters, despite their young age, were betrothed to local nobles ahead of time. The elder brother Paul was the first to join the ranks of the musketeers, but soon exchanged honorable service under the king for an army position. Having gained fame and money on the battlefields, he bought the family estate and increased its area at the expense of neighboring lands. This strong business executive lived for almost a hundred years and died with the title of Marquis de Castelmore. Jean, who also served in the guard, disappeared early from the annals of history, probably dying in battle or a duel. Brother Arno chose a spiritual career and was an abbot for many years.
...It’s hard to get rid of the feeling that Dumas brought out three brothers in the images of Porthos, Athos and Aramis. But the writer knew nothing about them, and Charles D’Artagnan himself (we’ll still call him that) saw them much less often than his imaginary friends.
Why “invented” if they really existed? The fact is that all the glorious four could communicate only for a few short months in 1643. In December of this year, in one of the countless skirmishes, Armand de Silleg, also known as the Lord de Athos, was mortally wounded. That same autumn, Isaac de Porto, a nobleman from Lanne, whom Dumas renamed Porthos for the sake of rhyme, joined the musketeers. A few years later he retired and returned home, sank into obscurity there. The third musketeer, Henri D'Aramits, was indeed a close friend of D'Artagnan and in 1655 retired to his native Béarn, where he became an abbot. All three were relatives of the captain of the musketeers de Treville - also a descendant of the merchant who conferred the title of nobility. This brave officer enjoyed the full confidence of the king and actively promoted his fellow Gascons. D'Artagnan also counted on this when he went to Paris with a letter of recommendation to Treville in his pocket. This was until 1633, when he was mentioned among the participants in the review of musketeers. At that time he was about 18 years old, as Dumas writes. However, La Rochelle had already been taken, the story with the pendants (if there was one) was successfully resolved, and the Duke of Buckingham, with whom the Gascon allegedly met, died from the assassin’s dagger. To the disappointment of fans, all these adventures of the brave musketeer were fictional. But there were plenty of real ones in his life. , and he anticipated them, rushing to Paris on the pinto horse glorified by the writer.
In the footsteps of the musketeer
Not many historical places associated with the name of the famous musketeer have survived today. The main one, of course, is the French castle of Castelmore, but it is privately owned and visitors are not allowed into it. But in the neighboring town of Lupiac a hotel was named after D'Artagnan, and in the Gascon capital Osh a monument was erected to him in 1931. Nearby is the village of Artagnan, where a hundred years ago Count Robert de Montesquiou created a museum dedicated to his ancestor. After the count's death, the collection was lost in the fire, and the castle stood in ruins for many years. Today it has been restored, but only the walls remain from the previous building. D'Artagnan's house in Paris on the corner of Bac Street and the Seine embankment was demolished in the middle of the 19th century. Of course, the Louvre, the Palais Royal, the Tuileries Garden and other places mentioned in Dumas' novel have been preserved. The gloomy fortress of Pignerol in Provence still stands, where the musketeer had to be the jailer of Minister Fouquet. And in the Dutch Maastricht you can find a place behind the city wall where a brave general was killed by a bullet. In general, not much has survived, so directors of films about D'Artagnan do without historical surroundings. For example, the famous Soviet film of 1978 was filmed in the Crimea and partly in the Baltic states, which did not hinder its success at all.
Path to glory
There were many musketeers in the armies of that time; this was the name given to all soldiers armed with muskets. This bulky predecessor to the rifle was operated by a flintlock or, like a cannon, by a lit fuse. In both cases, shooting was difficult: the muzzle of the musket had to be mounted on a special stand, which allowed at least some aiming. Each musketeer was accompanied by a servant who carried a stand, a supply of gunpowder and all kinds of equipment for cleaning capricious weapons. The musket was useless in close combat, and its owner used a sword. A company of musketeers was created to guard the king in 1600, although until 1622 its fighters were called carabinieri. The company consisted of a little more than a hundred people, half of whom, thanks to de Treville, turned out to be Gascons. D'Artagnan also fit into their ranks, renting an apartment on Vieux-Colombier Street - Old Dovecote. According to Courtille, he very soon began an affair with the owner's wife, who, under the pen of Dumas, turned into the charming Madame Bonacieux.
The life of the musketeers was not easy. They received little, and besides, guards etiquette dictated that they squander their salaries in taverns. The king was always short of money, and his guards used their own money to buy uniforms, including the famous cloaks and hats with feathers. It was necessary to dress as fashionably as possible in order to keep up with the hated rivals - the cardinal's guards. Clashes with them occurred almost every week and claimed many lives. Even during the war, when the regulations prohibited duels on pain of death, opponents found an opportunity to wave their swords. We know nothing about duels, nor about the 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. The young musketeer showed not only courage, but also wit. The besieged Spaniards wrote on the gate: “When Arras is French, the mice will eat the cats.” The Gascon, under fire, got closer and wrote a short “not” before the word “will.”
At the end of 1642, the all-powerful Richelieu died, and King Louis XIII briefly survived him. Power was in the hands of the regent Anne of Austria and her favorite Cardinal Mazarin. This miser decided to disband the musketeers, and D'Artagnan found himself out of work. Only in 1646 did he and his Gascon friend François de Bemo gain an audience with the cardinal and receive the positions of his personal couriers. For several years, the former musketeer raced along the roads in the heat and cold France, carrying out the instructions of his master. finest hour came in August 1648, during the terrible days of the Fronde, when the Parisians rebelled against the hated power of Mazarin. D'Artagnan, in a carriage, managed to pave the way through the ranks of the rebels and take the cardinal and the young king and his mother out of the Louvre. Mazarin soon left the country and settled in the town of Brühl near Cologne. The Gascon continued to serve him, visiting the cardinal's supporters throughout Europe Finally, in 1653, Louis XIV, who had come of age, again brought the Italian to power, and with him D'Artagnan returned to Paris in triumph.
Soon he found himself under the walls of besieged Bordeaux - the last stronghold of the Fronde. Disguised as a beggar, he managed to penetrate the city and persuade its defenders to surrender. Having also fought with the Spaniards, he returned to Paris, where the king in 1657 restored a company of musketeers. Then they had a single uniform: red camisoles and blue cloaks with a white bandage. And the horses of the king’s defenders were gray, so they were called a company of Gray Musketeers (later another company was created - the Black Musketeers). However, Mazarin did not increase their salaries. Therefore, some took money from rich mistresses, others looked for a way out in marriage. D'Artagnan also followed this path, marrying the rich heiress Charlotte de Chanlécy in 1659. The cardinal himself and many courtiers were present at the wedding, wine flowed like a river. As a dowry, the musketeer received one hundred thousand livres of annual income and a two-story mansion on the corner of the street Bac and embankment of the Seine.Within a year of each other, the couple had sons Louis and Louis-Charles. However, it was not an idyll. The newlywed was already over thirty, she had already been married and was not distinguished by either beauty or gentle disposition. And D'Artagnan, with his psychology of an old bachelor, quickly tired of his unusual family life. A year later he went to war and since then has been home only twice. In rare letters, he justified himself: “My beloved wife, duty comes first for me.” Charlotte she bit her lips, imagining how her husband was having fun with other girls. She knew very well that the musketeer in his youth was a desperate womanizer, and even now he was far from old for amorous exploits. In 1665, she decided on an extreme measure: she took the children and left for the village. , leaving her husband forever. Both sons of the Gascon became officers and lived to old age, but only the youngest continued the family, whose descendants lived until the 19th century.
Jailer reluctantly
Not too regretting the loss of his wife, D'Artagnan set off to meet new adventures. Back in 1661, he and the king visited the luxurious castle of Vaux, the residence of the surintendent of finance Nicolas Fouquet. This trickster often confused the state treasury with his own, and his palace was far superior in splendor to the Louvre Louis began to frown even at the gate, on which the minister’s coat of arms was displayed: a squirrel with the Latin motto “I’ll fit in anywhere.” But when he saw the marble grottoes, the marvelous park with fountains, the dining room, where the tables were moved by an invisible mechanism, the fate of the impudent courtier was decided. D'Artagnan was ordered to arrest the minister and take him to the impregnable castle of Pignerol in Provence. In Nantes, Fouquet, sensing something was wrong, tried to escape, but the musketeer caught up with him in the city crowd and transferred him to another carriage with bars on the windows. In the same carriage the minister was taken to Pignerol, and the king offered the Gascon the position of its commandant. His answer went down in history: “I prefer to be the last soldier of France than its first jailer.” And yet, D'Artagnan had to spend more than one year in the fortress. The prisoner did not give him any worries: broken by his fall, Fouquet became very pious and if he annoyed the musketeer with anything, it was with religious teachings.
Having rejected the position of jailer, D'Artagnan willingly accepted the title of caretaker of the royal poultry house, fortunately, no one required him to personally clean the birds' cages. Moreover, the court sinecure brought in a good income. He even began to call himself a count, and in the spring of 1667 he was appointed captain of the musketeers This position corresponded to the general's. The dream of the young man who once came from Osh to Paris on a piebald nag came true. But soon the battle trumpet again called the restless Gascon on a campaign. During the new war with the Spaniards, he distinguished himself during the capture of Lille and was appointed its governor. According to the testimony of his contemporaries, he ruled fairly, forbidding his soldiers to oppress the population. True, in the summer of 1671 he brutally suppressed the peasant uprising in the Vivarai region. Well, he remained the son of his century, after all, the rebels were the enemies of the king, to whom. he experienced not only loyal, but also, to some extent, fatherly feelings...In the summer of 1673, D'Artagnan and his musketeers went to Flanders, where the army of Marshal Turenne was besieging Maastricht. More than once the French broke through to the walls of the city, but the Spaniards kept throwing them back. On the evening of June 24, after a powerful artillery barrage, both companies of musketeers rushed to the attack and occupied one from the enemy forts. In the morning, the Spaniards forced them to retreat under heavy fire. Few of the French reached their positions, and D’Artagnan was not there, in search of whom several volunteers went. His body was found only in the evening: the commander’s throat was pierced by a bullet. Despite Dumas, he did not manage to become a marshal of France. This title was soon received by his cousin Pierre de Montesquiou, who, by the way, did not distinguish himself in anything special.
Alexandre Dumas was repeatedly reproached for inattention to historical truth. However, his hero, thanks to chance or artistic flair, turned out to be much closer to the real D'Artagnan than the unprincipled condottiere Courtille. However, in the combined character of The Three Musketeers, all three D'Artagnan coexist, and each reader can choose a hero for himself. One will be closer to a desperate romantic, suspiciously similar to Mikhail Boyarsky. To others, he is a cunning and witty man who emerges unscathed from any troubles. And the third is an honest servant who made the nobleman’s motto the law of life: “The sword is for the king, honor is for no one!”
Mikhail Boyarsky as D'Artagnan. Photo: boiarsky.narod.ru
Based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas "The Three Musketeers" More than one generation has grown up. While historians pointed out to the writer how many inaccuracies there are in the image D'Artagnan, ordinary people followed with interest the adventures of the king’s brave personal guard. So, what is fact and what is fiction? Who really was the Gascon who became the prototype of the legendary image?
Despite the fact that many details of the story about D'Artagnan are fictitious, the creation of the image is based on the real life story of the Gascon, who was in the company of the royal musketeers. Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore (full name of D'Artagnan on his father's side) was born in 1613 , Dumas moved the story 20 years ago to realize the idea of diamond pendants, around which the entire action of the novel unfolds.
Charles Ogier inherited the surname D'Artagnan from his mother, Françoise de Montesquieu D'Artagnan, who came from the count family of de Montesquieu. After the death of his father, the Gascon inherited a more than modest fortune of three arquebuses, seven muskets and two swords. Among the bequests were also 6 pieces of lard and 12 salted geese. In a word, the musketeer frankly had nothing to start his journey in Paris with. It should also be remembered that D'Artagnan also inherited a bright red horse from his father. His father strictly ordered to take care of the horse, but the newly minted musketeer sold it for a very prosaic reason: the king's guards only owned gray horses.
Book D'Artagnan, like him real prototype, had a servant, since it was simply impossible to do without an assistant in this branch of the military. It was simply impossible to control a musket, the length of which was often greater than human height, alone. The servant received a rich salary from D'Artagnan, he could easily afford it, since the lion's share of his income was the salary from his position as the gatekeeper of the Tuileries, and later as the caretaker of the royal poultry house. In both positions, D'Artagnan actually did practically nothing, but he received a stable salary of 2-3 thousand liras a year and was housed for free at the palace.
The end of the career of both the book and the real D'Artagnan was brilliant: Dumas described his heroic death in battle with the rank of marshal of France, but in reality the Gascon died during the capture of Maastricht with the rank of field marshal. The news touched Louis XIV to the depths of his soul, who admitted that France has lost a wonderful warrior.
The heroes of the cult film about the adventures of the musketeers are still popular. Continuing the topic -.
Biography
Childhood and youth
Castelmore Castle, where D'Artagnan was born, in the town of Lupiac, near the town of Osh
Charles de Batz Castelmore was born in 1611 at the castle of Castelmore near Lupillac in Gascony. His father was Bertrand de Batz, the son of the tradesman Pierre de Batz, who, after marrying Françoise de Coussol, assumed a noble title, whose father Arno Batz bought the Castelmore “castle” in the county of Fezensac, which previously belonged to the Puy family. This "domenjadur" (fr. domenjadur) - the manor house, which is a two-story stone structure, has still been preserved and is located on the border of the counties of Armagnac and Fezensac on a hill, between the valleys of the Douz and Zheliz rivers. Charles de Batz moved to Paris in the 1630s under the name of his mother, Françoise de Montesquiou d'Artagnan, descended from an impoverished branch of the noble family of Counts de Montesquiou, descendants of the ancient Counts of Fezensac. The modest estate of Artagnan itself (fr. Artagnan or Artaignan) near Vic-de-Bigorre in the 16th century passed to Montesquiou after the marriage of Paulon de Montesquiou, master of the horse of the Navarre King Henry d'Albret, to Jacquemette d'Estaing, Madame d'Artagnan. D'Artagnan himself always wrote his name with an "i", maintaining its archaic form and always signed his name with a lowercase letter. In the papers of the royal compilers of the genealogies d'Auzier and Cherin, a record was found that Louis XIII himself wished that the cadet of the guard Charles de Batz should bear the name d'Artagnan in memory of the services rendered to the king by his maternal grandfather, which equalized the Batz-Castelmores, who in all respects are incomparably lower than Montesquiou, with the Montesquiou-Fezensacs. Charles entered the company of the royal musketeers in 1632, thanks to the patronage of a family friend - the captain-lieutenant (actual commander) of the company of Monsieur de Treville (Jean-Armand du Peyret, Count of Troisville), also a Gascon. As a musketeer, d'Artagnan managed to gain the patronage of the influential Cardinal Mazarin, the chief minister of France since 1643. In 1646, the musketeer company was disbanded, but d'Artagnan continued to serve his patron Mazarin.
Military career
Presumably a portrait of d'Artagnan
D'Artagnan made a career as a courier for Cardinal Mazarin in the years after the First Fronde. Thanks to d'Artagnan's devoted service during this period, the cardinal and Louis XIV entrusted him with many secret and sensitive matters that required complete freedom of action. He followed Mazarin during his exile in 1651 due to the hostility of the aristocracy. In 1652, lieutenant of the French Guard, then to captain in 1655. In 1658, he became a second lieutenant (i.e., second-in-command) in the reconstituted company of the Royal Musketeers. This was a promotion as the Musketeers were much more prestigious than the French Guard. In fact, he took command of the company (under the nominal command of it by the Duke of Nevers, Mazarin's nephew, and the even more nominal command of the king).
D'Artagnan was famous for his role in the arrest of Nicolas Fouquet. Fouquet was the comptroller general (minister) of finances of Louis XIV and sought to take Mazarin's place as advisor to the king. The impetus for this arrest was the grand reception given by Fouquet at his castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte in connection with the completion of its construction (). The luxury of this reception was such that each guest received a horse as a gift. Perhaps Fouquet would have gotten away with this impudence if he had not placed the motto on his coat of arms: “What I have not yet achieved.” Seeing her, Louis was furious. On September 4, in Nantes, the king summoned d'Artagnan to his place and gave him the order to arrest Fouquet. The amazed d'Artagnan demanded a written order, which was handed to him along with detailed instructions. The next day, d’Artagnan, having selected 40 of his musketeers, tried to arrest Fouquet as he left the royal council, but missed him (Fouquet got lost in the crowd of petitioners and managed to get into the carriage). Having rushed with the musketeers in pursuit, he overtook the carriage in the city square in front of the Nantes Cathedral and made an arrest. Under his personal guard, Fouquet was taken to prison in Angers, from there to the Castle of Vincennes, and from there to the Bastille. Fouquet was guarded by musketeers under the personal leadership of d'Artagnan for 5 years - until the end of the trial, which sentenced him to life imprisonment.
After he distinguished himself so much in the Fouquet affair, d'Artagnan becomes the king's confidant. D’Artagnan began to use a coat of arms “divided into four fields: on the first and fourth silver field a black eagle with outstretched wings; on the second and third fields, on a red background, there is a silver castle with two towers on the sides, with a silver mantel, all empty fields are red.” Since 1665, in documents they begin to call him “Count d’Artagnan,” and in one agreement, d’Artagnan even calls himself “a holder of the royal orders,” which he could not be due to his artistic birth. A true Gascon - “a nobleman in case” could now afford this, since he was confident that the king would not object. In 1667, d'Artagnan was promoted to captain-lieutenant of the musketeers, effectively commander of the first company, since the king was the nominal captain. Under his leadership, the company became an exemplary military unit, in which many young nobles not only from France, but also from abroad sought to gain military experience. D'Artagnan's other appointment was as governor of Lille, which was won in battle in 1667. In the rank of governor, D'Artagnan failed to gain popularity, so he sought to return to the army. He succeeded when Louis XIV fought the Dutch Republic in the Franco-Dutch War. In 1672 he received the rank of “field marshal” (major general).
Death
D'Artagnan was shot in the head (according to Lord Alington) during the siege of Maastricht on June 25, 1673, during a fierce battle for one of the fortifications, in a reckless attack across open ground organized by the young Duke of Monmouth. The death of D'Artagnan was perceived as a great grief at court and in the army, where he was endlessly respected. According to Pelisson, Louis XIV was very saddened by the loss of such a servant and said that he was “almost the only man who managed to make people love himself without doing anything for them that would oblige them to do so,” and according to d'Aligny , the king wrote to the queen: “Madame, I have lost D’Artagnan, whom I trusted in the highest degree and who was fit for any service.” Marshal d'Estrade, who served under D'Artagnan for many years, later said: "Better Frenchmen are hard to find."
Despite his good reputation, the illegality of conferring the title of count during his lifetime was beyond doubt, and after d'Artagnan's death, his family's claims to nobility and titles were disputed in court, but Louis XIV, who knew how to be fair, ordered an end to any persecution and leave the family of his faithful old servant alone. After this battle, in the presence of Pierre and Joseph de Montesquiou d'Artagnan, two of his cousins, the body of the musketeer captain d'Artagnan was buried at the foot of the walls of Maastricht. For a long time the exact burial place was unknown, however, the French historian Odile Bordaz, after analyzing information from historical chronicles, states that the famous musketeer was buried in the small church of Saints Peter and Paul on the outskirts of the Dutch city of Maastricht (now the urban district of Wolder)
Family
Wife
D'Artagnan's wife was Anna Charlotte Christina de Chanlécy (? - December 31), daughter of Charles Boyer de Chanlécy, Baron de Sainte-Croix, descended from an ancient Charolais family. The family’s coat of arms depicted “an azure column dotted with silver drops on a golden background,” and had the motto “my name and essence are virtue.”
Children
Descendants
D'Artagnan's grandson Louis-Gabriel was born around 1710 in Sainte-Croix, and like his famous grandfather, he also became a musketeer, then captain of a dragoon regiment and assistant major of the gendarmerie. He, like his Gascon grandfather, was a brilliant officer with delusions of grandeur and called himself “Chevalier de Batz, Comte d’Artagnan, Marquis de Castelmore, Baron de Sainte-Croix and de Lupiac, owner of Espa, Aveyron, Meime and other places.” Such emphatically well-born nobility seemed suspicious and he was forced to explain the origin of these clearly fictitious titles. But he was lucky because papers were discovered where his grandfather was named “Sir Charles de Castelmore, Count d'Artagnan, Baron of Sainte-Croix, Lieutenant-Commander of the Royal Musketeers,” which confirmed the status of the family and its coat of arms - on a red background, three silver towers on openwork field - was included in the armorial. His condition did not live up to his claims. Needing money, he sold Sainte-Croix in 1741 for 300 thousand livres, which he squandered. Soon he left military service and cheaply gave up the cradle of his ancestors, Castelmore, to a tax advisor. From then on he lived in the capital, where he married, on July 12, 1745, Baroness Constance Gabrielle de Moncel de Luray, Dame de Villemur. He lived out his last days in poverty in furnished rooms in Paris. He had a son, Louis Constantin de Batz, Comte de Castelmore, born in 1747. He was an assistant major in the foreign royal forces. In the army he was valued as very fond of his work. He became the last in the family of Charles Ogier d'Artagnan, although he no longer bore the name of his glorious great-grandfather.
In culture
Literature
The life of d'Artagnan, richly flavored various kinds fantastic episodes, formed the basis of the three-volume Memoirs of M. d'Artagnan, published in 1700. In fact, this text (like a number of other pseudo-memoirs) was composed by the writer Gasien de Courtille de Sandra; d’Artagnan himself did not write anything.
In the 19th century, when Alexander Dumas the father created his cycle about musketeers on the basis of this book (“The Three Musketeers” (), “Twenty Years Later”, “Vicomte de Bragelonne”), the fantastic nature of “d'Artagnan's memoirs” was already well known . In order to make his books more believable, in the preface to “The Three Musketeers” he added facts that supposedly proved the reality of the “memoirs”. Dumas included in his heroic biography of d’Artagnan a number of pre-existing semi-legendary plots of the 17th century that were not initially associated with him (the episode with the pendants of Anne of Austria, the attempt to save Charles I, the legend of the Iron Mask - allegedly the brother of Louis XIV, etc.)
From Dumas, d'Artagnan receives the baton of the Marshal of France before his death; in fact, he was a “field marshal” (according to the modern rank - major general). The marshal was from 1709 another Comte d'Artagnan, his cousin Pierre de Montesquiou d'Artagnan, governor of Arras, who later was the guardian of d'Artagnan's grandchildren. (The famous philosopher Charles de Montesquieu, in turn, has nothing to do with Marshal d’Artagnan).
French poet Edmond Rostand wrote the play Cyrano de Bergerac in 1897. After one of the play's famous scenes, in which Cyrano defeats Valver in a duel, ending the poem, d'Artagnan approaches Cyrano and congratulates him on his excellent fencing.
In Raphael Sabbatini's work "The Return of Scaramouche" one of the main characters is the Gascon Count Jean de Batz. Perhaps Sabbatini did not introduce this surname by chance, but in order to hint at the relationship between his brave character and the literary character Dumas.
Film and television
Many filmmakers were inspired by the novels of Alexandre Dumas. Among the actors who played d'Artagnan on screen:
- Aime Simon-Girard, in "The Three Musketeers" ()
- Douglas Fairbanks, in "The Three Musketeers"() And "Iron Mask" ()
- Walter Abel, in "The Three Musketeers" ()
- Warren William, in "The Man in the Iron Mask" ()
- Laurence Payne, in "The Three Musketeers"(TV series) ()
- Maximilian Schell, in "The Three Musketeers"(TV movie) ()
- Gerard Barré, in "The Three Musketeers" ()
- Jeremy Brett, in "The Three Musketeers"(TV series) ()
- Sancho Gracia, in "The Three Musketeers"(TV series) ()
- Michael York, in "The Three Musketeers: The Queen's Pendants" (), "The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge" (), "Return of the Musketeers"(), And "Mademoiselle Musketeer (Woman Musketeer)"(television miniseries) ()
- Louis Jordan, in "The Man in the Iron Mask"(TV movie) ()
- Mikhail Boyarsky, in "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers"(), and also "The Musketeers Twenty Years Later", "The Mystery of Queen Anne, or The Musketeers Thirty Years Later" And "Return of the Musketeers"( , And )
- Cornel Wild, in "The Fifth Musketeer" ()
- Chris O'Donnell, in "The Three Musketeers" ()
- Philippe Noiret, in "D'Artagnan's Daughters" ()
- Michael Dudikoff, "The Musketeers Forever" ()
- Gabriel Byrne, in "The Man in the Iron Mask" ()
- Justin Chambers, in "The Musketeer" ()
Monuments
- In Osh there is a monument to d'Artagnan, whom locals revere as a fellow countryman
Notes
Links
- Jean-Christian Petifis. True d'Artagnan.
- V. Erlikhman. D'Artagnan about three heads.
- LentaRu - Life and fiction. A French historian claims that she managed to find the grave of d'Artagnan's prototype
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