THE REAL D'ARTAGNAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14925, 24 February 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE REAL D'ARTAGNAN.

According to the historical researches which see the light in the Revue de Paris, d'Artagnan does not cut such a dashing figure as he does in the pages of Dumas. The fire-cater of "The Three Musketeers" is revealed to us rather ad a thoroughly nice fellow. Entrusted with a mission entailing some show of severity, he does bus duty, but at the same time does not disguise his sympathy.

In 1661 he was ordered to go to Nantes and arrest Fouquet as he emerged from the Council Chamber close to the cathedral. Having done this, bo conducted his prisoner under a good escort to the Chateau of Angers, and then to other places, until they finally reached the Bastille, where tho prisoner lived for some years, until his case came on for trial and all the time d'Artagnan was his gaoler.

4 This was certainly a somewhat less dazzling career than that furnished for him by the genius of Dumas; still, he was a* good gaoler, and lightened the lot of his prisoner as far as he could. Thus Mme. Sevigne tells us that the marchioness, being desirous of seeing the poor man, went with other ladies to a window that commanded a view of his path to the judgment hall. Fouquet walked along with downcast eyes, and would never have eeen the friendly faces at the window had not Lis gaoler drawn his attention to them. - When the trial finished and judgment had been pronounced d'Artagnan was appointed to the command of the hundred musketeers who were to escort the condemned man to Pignerol. Here again he showed a kind heart, watching over his prisoner's health., providing him with warm, clothing when the air of the Alps struck chilly, and comforting him with sympathetic words.