Reading Help The Three Musketeers Ch.41-67

41 THE SEIGE OF LA ROCHELLE `
` `
` The Siege of La Rochelle was one of the great political `
` events of the reign of Louis XIII, and one of the great `
` military enterprises of the cardinal. It is, then, `
` interesting and even necessary that we should say a few `
` words about it, particularly as many details of this siege `
` are connected in too important a manner with the story we `
` have undertaken to relate to allow us to pass it over in `
` silence. `
` `
` The political plans of the cardinal when he undertook this `
` siege were extensive. Let us unfold them first, and then `
` pass on to the private plans which perhaps had not less `
` influence upon his Eminence than the others. `
` `
` Of the important cities given up by Henry IV to the `
` Huguenots as places of safety, there only remained La `
` Rochelle. It became necessary, therefore, to destroy this `
` last bulwark of Calvinism--a dangerous leaven with which the `
` ferments of civil revolt and foreign war were constantly `
` mingling. `
` `
` Spaniards, Englishmen, and Italian malcontents, adventurers `
` of all nations, and soldiers of fortune of every sect, `
` flocked at the first summons under the standard of the `
` Protestants, and organized themselves like a vast `
` association, whose branches diverged freely over all parts `
` of Europe. `
` `
` La Rochelle, which had derived a new importance from the `
` ruin of the other Calvinist cities, was, then, the focus of `
` dissensions and ambition. Moreover, its port was the last `
` in the kingdom of France open to the English, and by closing `
` it against England, our eternal enemy, the cardinal `
` completed the work of Joan of Arc and the Duc de Guise. `
` `
` Thus Bassompierre, who was at once Protestant and Catholic-- `
` Protestant by conviction and Catholic as commander of the `
` order of the Holy Ghost; Bassompierre, who was a German by `
` birth and a Frenchman at heart--in short, Bassompierre, who `
` had a distinguished command at the siege of La Rochelle, `
` said, in charging at the head of several other Protestant `
` nobles like himself, "You will see, gentlemen, that we shall `
` be fools enough to take La Rochelle." `
` `
` And Bassompierre was right. The cannonade of the Isle of Re `
` presaged to him the dragonnades of the Cevennes; the taking `
` of La Rochelle was the preface to the revocation of the `
` Edict of Nantes. `
` `
` We have hinted that by the side of these views of the `
` leveling and simplifying minister, which belong to history, `
` the chronicler is forced to recognize the lesser motives of `
` the amorous man and jealous rival. `
` `
` Richelieu, as everyone knows, had loved the queen. Was this `
` love a simple political affair, or was it naturally one of `
` those profound passions which Anne of Austria inspired in `
` those who approached her? That we are not able to say; but `
` at all events, we have seen, by the anterior developments of `
` this story, that Buckingham had the advantage over him, and `
` in two or three circumstances, particularly that of the `
` diamond studs, had, thanks to the devotedness of the three `
` Musketeers and the courage and conduct of d'Artagnan, `
` cruelly mystified him. `
` `
` It was, then, Richelieu's object, not only to get rid of an `
` enemy of France, but to avenge himself on a rival; but this `
` vengeance must be grand and striking and worthy in every way `
` of a man who held in his hand, as his weapon for combat, the `
` forces of a kingdom. `
` `
` Richelieu knew that in combating England he combated `
` Buckingham; that in triumphing over England he triumphed `
` over Buckingham--in short, that in humiliating England in `
` the eyes of Europe he humiliated Buckingham in the eyes of `
` the queen. `
` `
` On his side Buckingham, in pretending to maintain the honor `
` of England, was moved by interests exactly like those of the `
` cardinal. Buckingham also was pursuing a private vengeance. `
` Buckingham could not under any pretense be admitted into `
` France as an ambassador; he wished to enter it as a `
` conqueror. `
` `
` It resulted from this that the real stake in this game, `
` which two most powerful kingdoms played for the good `
` pleasure of two amorous men, was simply a kind look from `
` Anne of Austria. `
` `
` The first advantage had been gained by Buckingham. Arriving `
` unexpectedly in sight of the Isle of Re with ninety vessels `
` and nearly twenty thousand men, he had surprised the Comte `
` de Toiras, who commanded for the king in the Isle, and he `
` had, after a bloody conflict, effected his landing. `
` `
` Allow us to observe in passing that in this fight perished `
` the Baron de Chantal; that the Baron de Chantal left a `
` little orphan girl eighteen months old, and that this little `
` girl was afterward Mme. de Sevigne. `
` `
` The Comte de Toiras retired into the citadel St. Martin with `
` his garrison, and threw a hundred men into a little fort `
` called the fort of La Pree. `
` `
` This event had hastened the resolutions of the cardinal; and `
` till the king and he could take the command of the siege of `
` La Rochelle, which was determined, he had sent Monsieur to `
` direct the first operations, and had ordered all the troops `
` he could dispose of to march toward the theater of war. It `
` was of this detachment, sent as a vanguard, that our friend `
` d'Artagnan formed a part. `
` `
` The king, as we have said, was to follow as soon as his Bed `
` of Justice had been held; but on rising from his Bed of `
` Justice on the twenty-eighth of June, he felt himself `
` attacked by fever. He was, notwithstanding, anxious to set `
` out; but his illness becoming more serious, he was forced to `
` stop at Villeroy. `
` `
` Now, whenever the king halted, the Musketeers halted. It `
` followed that d'Artagnan, who was as yet purely and simply `
` in the Guards, found himself, for the time at least, `
` separated from his good friends--Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. `
` This separation, which was no more than an unpleasant `
` circumstance, would have certainly become a cause of serious `
` uneasiness if he had been able to guess by what unknown `
` dangers he was surrounded. `
` `
` He, however, arrived without accident in the camp `
` established before La Rochelle, of the tenth of the month of `
` September of the year 1627. `
` `
` Everything was in the same state. The Duke of Buckingham `
` and his English, masters of the Isle of Re, continued to `
` besiege, but without success, the citadel St. Martin and the `
` fort of La Pree; and hostilities with La Rochelle had `
` commenced, two or three days before, about a fort which the `
` Duc d'Angouleme had caused to be constructed near the city. `
` `
` The Guards, under the command of M. Dessessart, took up `
` their quarters at the Minimes; but, as we know, d'Artagnan, `
` possessed with ambition to enter the Musketeers, had formed `
` but few friendships among his comrades, and he felt himself `
` isolated and given up to his own reflections. `
` `
` His reflections were not very cheerful. From the time of `
` his arrival in Paris, he had been mixed up with public `
` affairs; but his own private affairs had made no great `
` progress, either in love or fortune. As to love, the only `
` woman he could have loved was Mme. Bonacieux; and Mme. `
` Bonacieux had disappeared, without his being able to `
` discover what had become of her. As to fortune, he had `
` made--he, humble as he was--an enemy of the cardinal; that `
` is to say, of a man before whom trembled the greatest men of `
` the kingdom, beginning with the king. `
` `
` That man had the power to crush him, and yet he had not done `
` so. For a mind so perspicuous as that of d'Artagnan, this `
` indulgence was a light by which he caught a glimpse of a `
` better future. `
` `
` Then he had made himself another enemy, less to be feared, `
` he thought; but nevertheless, he instinctively felt, not to `
` be despised. This enemy was Milady. `
` `
` In exchange for all this, he had acquired the protection and `
` good will of the queen; but the favor of the queen was at `
` the present time an additional cause of persecution, and her `
` protection, as it was known, protected badly--as witness `
` Chalais and Mme. Bonacieux. `
` `
` What he had clearly gained in all this was the diamond, `
` worth five or six thousand livres, which he wore on his `
` finger; and even this diamond--supposing that d'Artagnan, in `
` his projects of ambition, wished to keep it, to make it `
` someday a pledge for the gratitude of the queen--had not in `
` the meanwhile, since he could not part with it, more value `
` than the gravel he trod under his feet. `
` `
` We say the gravel he trod under his feet, for d'Artagnan `
` made these reflections while walking solitarily along a `
` pretty little road which led from the camp to the village of `
` Angoutin. Now, these reflections had led him further than `
` he intended, and the day was beginning to decline when, by `
` the last ray of the setting sun, he thought he saw the `
` barrel of a musket glitter from behind a hedge. `
` `
` D'Artagnan had a quick eye and a prompt understanding. He `
` comprehended that the musket had not come there of itself, `
` and that he who bore it had not concealed himself behind a `
` hedge with any friendly intentions. He determined, `
` therefore, to direct his course as clear from it as he could `
` when, on the opposite side of the road, from behind a rock, `
` he perceived the extremity of another musket. `
` `
` This was evidently an ambuscade. `
` `
` The young man cast a glance at the first musket and saw, `
` with a certain degree of inquietude, that it was leveled in `
`