When reading documents about the tragic events of the Great French Revolution (and not only the French one), the question often arises: why people - both those who until recently lived relatively peacefully in the neighborhood, and completely unfamiliar, suddenly so willingly and mercilessly began to destroy each other only on on the basis of belonging to a particular class or stratum of society? Without making any special distinctions between men and women, old and young, smart and stupid, cruel and not so … Many researchers, historians, philosophers have tried to answer this question. But, sometimes the answer can be found in completely unexpected sources that seem to have nothing to do with this problem. More recently, while preparing to make a certain trip, I decided to download an audiobook to my smartphone for listening on the road. Something light, not too serious, so as not to hammer your head on vacation with irrelevant problems. The choice fell on the classic and well-known novel by A. Dumas "The Three Musketeers", which I read as a teenager, and the original text had already been thoroughly forgotten. The main storyline remained in my memory, corrected by watching various film versions of the novel - from very serious to parody.
Still from the movie "The Three Musketeers", directed by Richard Lester, 1973
British TV series "The Musketeers", 2014
"The Four Musketeers" by Charlot
The result of the new reading turned out to be quite unexpected: I paid attention to the episodes that I had just skimmed before. And these episodes sometimes shocked me. To summarize the impression made on me by re-reading the novel, I have to say that its characters this time did not seem so positive to me. And their behavior, in some cases, to put it mildly, is not too beautiful. For example, the noble Gascon nobleman d'Artagnan hires a servant in Paris named Planchet and does not pay him the stipulated salary. In response to Planchet's legitimate requests to pay off his wage arrears, or, in extreme cases, to let him go to another service, d'Artagnan severely beats him. This act evokes the full approval of his Musketeer friends, who are delighted with the "diplomatic talents" of the Gascon. The even more noble Athos demands complete silence from his servant Grimaud and does not speak to him himself: he must guess the desires of his master by his look or gestures. If Grimaud does not understand the owner and is mistaken, Athos calmly and without any emotion beats him. As a result, as Dumas writes (or rather, his next "literary negro"), poor Grimaud almost forgot how to speak. Do not think that A. Dumas wrote an acutely social novel exposing the cruel customs of that time: it never happened - all this is communicated between the case and as a matter of course. But back to the text. Here is a typical "little man", a downtrodden and unfortunate haberdasher Bonacieux asks his noble tenant d'Artagnan (who owes him a decent sum for an apartment and is not going to give it back) for protection and help in finding his missing wife. D'Artanyan willingly promises both, and begins to use his landlord's unlimited credit for this help, demanding the best wine and snacks not only for himself, but also for his guests. But he does not provide any help, moreover, he allows the police to arrest him in front of his eyes, which causes misunderstanding and displeasure even among his fellow musketeers. And it is very easy to protect the haberdasher: d'Artagnan and his friends have both swords and pistols, and the police are unarmed. When the representatives of the law try to arrest the pretty wife of the haberdasher, who, without waiting for help, escaped from custody herself, d'Artagnan will drive them away alone, simply drawing his sword. And only now the Gascon still generously intends to provide real help to Mr. Bonacieux - he plans to replace him in the matrimonial bed. The behavior of the musketeers in hotels during the famous trip to England for the queen's pendants is also interesting. Porthos, because of a mere trifle, got involved in a duel, was wounded and remained in the hotel. The owner will arrange for him to receive treatment and care from a local doctor. As gratitude, Porthos threatens him with physical harm, and in general, demands not to bother about such trifles as paying bills. In fact, he had money - d'Artagnan gave him a quarter of the amount that Mrs Bonacieu had stolen from her husband, but Porthos lost it. And now, instead of trying to somehow come to an agreement with the owner, he terrorizes the poor fellow who does not dare to either expel him or complain to anyone. I think that any of our "brother" from the 90s would admit that the noble Porthos is just a bogeyman and a scumbag and "is out of line". It is even more interesting with the noble Athos: he is accused of trying to pay off with counterfeit coins, and this is clearly not about some kind of prison or hard labor, everything will be safely resolved within an hour or two. But Athos freaks out, gets involved in a fight and, retreating, barricades himself in the master's cellar. The shelter is not very reliable: there would have been a real order of the cardinal's arrest, they would have pulled Athos out of there in 5 minutes. But, like the notorious "elusive Joe", no one needs Athos. Having found a fair amount of wine in the cellar, Athos forgets about everything in the world and begins to do what he does best in this novel: goes into a binge. Of course, he will not let the owner into the cellar "privatized" by him. And when d'Artagnan appears, the former count acts according to the principle “what I haven’t eaten, I will take a bite”: spoils the remaining food and spills unfinished wine. But this, of course, is just an innocent prank - this musketeer is capable of more. In a fit of drunken frankness, Athos tells that he, it turns out, is not an aristocrat: the count, "noble like Dandolo or Montmorency", "was a sovereign master on his land and had the right to execute and pardon his subjects." And about a sixteen-year-old girl, "lovely as love itself," whom he once married.
Mila Jovovich as Milady
And, finding on his wife's shoulder a lily stamp, “completely tore the dress on the countess, tied her hands behind her back and hung her on a tree” (nothing special: “just murder,” says Athos to d'Artagnan, shocked by this story). Let's stop for a minute and try to figure out what a minor girl could have done that she was branded as a criminal? Athos quickly replies: "I was a thief." But later it turns out that his wife was not a thief: a priest in love with a young nun stole church vessels in order to go with her "to another part of France, where they could live peacefully, because no one would know them there." While trying to escape, they were arrested. The priest was branded and sentenced to 10 years. The executioner from Lille turned out to be the brother of this priest, he decided that an inexperienced young girl (about 14 years old, probably, she was then) is to blame for the fact that she was seduced by an adult pedophile. Something very familiar, spinning on the tongue, but, I remembered!
"Your hair, lips, and shoulders are your crimes, because you can't be so beautiful in the world."
He tracked her down and branded her without permission. And, meanwhile, the former nun who became a countess (according to Athos himself) was smart, educated, well-brought up and perfectly coped with the role of the "first lady" of the county. Perhaps the girl is an orphan from a "good family", forcibly sent to the monastery by the guardian who appropriated her property. But Athos is too lazy to figure it out: he hung her up - and there is no problem. He does this to a woman who at that time is equal to him in status. It is not difficult to imagine how the count treated the "common people" who had the misfortune to live in the territory under his control. In general, the noble Athos was a typical "wild landowner". Is it any wonder that the descendants of peasants, noble servants, innkeepers and other haberdashers, when the time of the revolution came, began to destroy the descendants of Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan in unison? Just because they were nobles. For too long, from generation to generation, hatred has been accumulating and it has been too concentrated to figure out which of the former masters is right and who is to blame. It was the same in Russia.
So, the heroes of the novel treat people from the people almost like animals. And none of the people around is surprised: they behave in the same way as their colleagues, friends, relatives. But, perhaps, among people equal to themselves, these four were the embodiment and standard of chivalry, bearers of high moral ideals and possessed outstanding moral qualities? Alas, not everything is smooth here either. Compared to the rest, Porthos looks almost good: just a narrow-minded soldier, on such, in general, any army is supported. He is also a gigolo, kept by a 50-year-old bourgeois woman (at that time just an old woman). But these are Russian hussars, if you believe the anecdote, “they don’t take money from women” - the French royal musketeers do it with great pleasure. And no one calls Porthos not too flattering words like une catin or putaine, the only thing he is ashamed of is that his owner is not a noblewoman.
With Athos - everything is much more serious: a former big tyrant, misanthrope, alcoholic and degenerate with very strange notions of honor and unique moral principles. He does not consider it shameful to lose the property of his friend (d'Artagnan) at the dice. And he goes on an expedition for the pendants, being under investigation: he was recently released from prison on the parole of Captain de Treville, who vowed that until all the circumstances were clarified, Athos would not leave Paris. But what is the honor of his commander for a radiant count, and what is an elementary feeling of gratitude? Most of the time he is either drunk or in a state of apathy and indifference, "bright" intervals, during which he surprises everyone with refined manners and sound judgments, are rare and short: what was in him faded away, and his brilliant features were hidden, as if shrouded in deep darkness … With his head down, with difficulty pronouncing certain phrases, Athos for long hours looked with a faded gaze now at the bottle and glass, now at Grimaud, who was accustomed to obey his every sign and, reading in the lifeless gaze of his master his slightest desires, immediately fulfilled them. If the gathering of four friends took place at one of these minutes, then two or three words uttered with the greatest effort - such was Athos' share in the general conversation. But he drank one for four, and this did not affect him in any way,”writes Dumas.
While the young wife sent to death by him for the second time in her short life literally "rises from the ashes", finding herself in the role of a confidant and the closest collaborator of the greatest politician and statesman of France, the Comte de la Fere slipped to the level of an ordinary musketeer … Moreover, he was forced to fake his death, and hides his true name. Something quite scandalous and bad was done by Mr. Count: so serious that the usual excuse, they say, nothing special, "just murder", did not work. And this crime is clearly more serious than the misdemeanor of a young girl who had the misfortune of becoming his wife. By the way, did you notice how readily, almost joyfully, the count gets rid of his young, beautiful and impeccably behaving wife? And then he avoids women, preferring them to the company of the company of wine bottles. Thoughts involuntarily appear about the impotence of Athos, or about his latent homosexuality.
But Aramis is a narcissistic bigot and a hypocrite, caring for himself more than other women. In the meantime, Dumas reports that
"Aramis avoided putting his hands down for fear that the veins on them might swell."
Later:
"From time to time, he pinched the lobes of his ears to maintain their delicate coloration and transparency."
Further:
"He spoke little and slowly, often bowed, laughed silently, exposing his beautiful teeth, which, as well as his entire appearance, apparently, he carefully looked after."
And further:
"Admiring his white and plump, like a woman's hand, which he raised up to cause the blood to drain."
And:
"Hands, to which he (Athos) himself did not pay any attention, drove Aramis to despair, who constantly looked after his own with the help of a large amount of almond soap and fragrant oil."
And finally:
"Aramis … wrote a dozen lines in graceful female handwriting."
In general, Aramis was that “musketeer”, in today's Europe he would definitely pass for one of his own. And Dumas also claims that he is the lover of a state criminal - Marie Aimé de Rogan-Montbazon, Duchess de Chevreuse. And now this is already very serious.
Jean Le Blond, Duchess de Chevreuse
The list of charges brought against this lady is quite impressive:
The intrigue around the connection between Anna of Austria and the Duke of Buckingham (1623-1624) is the most harmless of them.
Rubens, Anna of Austria, portrait from the Prado Museum
The transfer of secret documents stolen from a lover to Spain, and the organization of correspondence between the queen and the king of Spain (1637) is already more serious.
Finally, planning a coup d'état in favor of Gaston d'Orléans, as a result of which Louis XIII was to lose the throne.
Philippe de Champaigne, Portrait of Louis XIII. 1665 year
And participation in the conspiracy of Count Chalet (1626) with the aim of assassinating Cardinal Richelieu.
Henri Motte, Cardinal Richelieu at the siege of La Rochelle. 1881 year
After Richelieu's death, the Duchess became a member of the Arrogant conspiracy against Mazarin (1643).
Remember the story of the handkerchief that d'Artagnan picked up from the ground so inappropriately and handed him? Everyone usually explains Aramis' anger by his concern for the lady's honor. No, everything is much more serious: a handkerchief is a ticket to the Bastille, it is a password, a secret sign with which the Duchess gives orders and orders to her accomplices. D'Artagnan will see the second such handkerchief at Madame Bonacieux. During a secret visit to Paris of the Duke of Buckingham (the head of a hostile state!), The Duchess voluntarily leaves the place of her exile (Tour - here Dumas is mistaken, the Duchess is still in Paris at this time, but takes an active part in the intrigue) and organizes a cover operation, and she directs accomplices from Aramis's apartment. And Aramis himself misleads the people of Richelieu, successfully portraying Buckingham: “a tall man, black-haired, with the manners of a nobleman, reminiscent of your stranger, d'Artagnan, accompanied by five or six people, who followed him a dozen steps, approached to me and said: "Mister Duke", and then continued: "And you, madam", already addressing the lady who was leaning on my hand … please sit in the carriage and do not try to resist or raise the slightest noise."
Paul van Somer, Duke of Buckingham (in pearls)
But that's not all: treason in favor of the British is not enough for Aramis, Dumas does not spare the hero and tells another amusing story. A beggar comes to the house of Aramis, and, having ascertained his identity, hands over a purse with Spanish gold coins. And also a letter from de Chevreuse, in which the Duchess calls the guest a Spanish grandee. Normal situation? The Spanish grandee with pockets full of gold, instead of visiting the best houses and secular salons of Paris, wanders around France in the costume of a beggar. From the point of view of Aramis, everything is fine and in order, there is no reason for concern: just such an extravagant Spanish grandee who likes to dress up and give gold to strangers. You can live on in peace. However, we all perfectly understand that Aramis received another "grant" from foreign "sponsors" - payment for previously rendered services, or an advance for future ones.
Finally, d'Artagnan is a dishonest adventurer who immediately begins to regard his fellow Musketeers as steps for his career (as Dumas claims) and slowly collects dirt on them. Returning from London, the Gascon does not show the slightest interest in the fate of the Musketeers who went with him. He goes in search of them only after an unambiguous demand from de Treville, who asks: “Where are my subordinates that went with you“to the water”? You do not know? So go and find out."
Jean Armand du Peyret, Comte de Treville
But d'Artagnan acts especially disgusting and vile in relation to the ex-wife of Athos - a mysterious woman who in the novel is most often called My Lady (My Lady, of course). In Russia, for some reason, many people also call her Lady Winter, although in fact she is Lady Claric (the title of Baron Winter is borne by the brother of her English husband). The young woman is seriously in love with the Comte de Wardes, who was wounded by d'Artagnan during his mission, she sends the Count a letter in which she inquires about his health and the possibility of meeting. The maid Kathy mistakenly hands over the letter to Planchet, d'Artagnan's servant. Allegedly in love with Madame Bonacieux Gascon, enters into correspondence with Milady on behalf of the wounded count. At the same time, he visits her house and is convinced that Lady Claric is absolutely indifferent to him, but not indifferent to Catty, whom d'Artagnan easily seduces. Finally, Milady makes an intimate date with the false de Vardo, which takes place in the dark, and D'Artagnan enjoys the "favor" of a woman in love with another man. Then, fearing exposure, in order to end the intrigue, Milady writes a terrible insulting letter on behalf of de Ward. The humiliated woman turns to d'Artagnan, as to a person who already has a reputation in society as a dangerous duelist, with a request to defend her honor.
"Kill de Varda? Yes, with great pleasure," replies d'Artagnan, "But not for free. And money in this case does not interest me."
And again becomes Lady Claric's lover. But he is in no hurry to fulfill his promise. When Milady reminds him of him, he says:
"Don't kill de Ward - he has nothing to do with it, I was joking like that. It's funny, isn't it? Let's go back to bed."
To the surprise of d'Artagnan, Milady does not laugh, but, on the contrary, becomes furious, while inadvertently showing him a lily-shaped mark on his shoulder. She tries to kill him, and the gallant guard escapes from her bedroom and locks himself in Catty's room. His clothes have become a legitimate trophy for Lady Clark, he leaves the house in what Catty managed to give him: "a woman's dress with flowers, a wide bonnet and a cape, shoes with bare feet."
(Is Alexander Kerensky running?
- Everyone's running!)
Furious with fear, d'Artagnan rushes down the street "to the shouts of the patrolmen, here and there in pursuit of him, the whooping of rare passers-by," and takes refuge at Athos. Moreover, the servant of Athos, Grimaud, “in spite of his usual muteness,” meets him with the words: “What do you want, shameless woman? Where are you climbing, slut? " Further: “Athos … in spite of all his phlegmatism, burst into laughter, which was fully justified by the bizarre fancy dress that presented itself to his gaze: a hood on one side, a skirt that slid down to the floor,rolled up sleeves and a sticking out mustache on an agitated face.
Honestly, it's a pity that this episode was not included in any adaptation of this novel.
A little later, unfortunate Catty comes, who knew who came to Madame at night under the guise of de Wardes, and now helped d'Artagnan escape and is now afraid of her anger.
"You see, my dear, that I can do nothing for you," - d'Artagnan meets coldly.
But the high-ranking lover of Aramis just asked to send a reliable servant. Catty is sent to Tours, to de Chevreuse. You can only sympathize with the poor girl - she got out of the fire into the fire: the conspirator-duchess, in which case she will again get off with a slight fright (the raven will not peck out a crow's eyes), but who will believe that the English maid is not a connected one, sent from London? Let's return to d'Artagnan: in the future, the brave Gascon literally shakes with fear at the thought that Milady can take revenge on him - up to the disgusting reprisal against her, which is organized by Athos, who is accustomed to such dirty deeds.
So, the moral character of the heroes of the novel is very doubtful, but maybe they are selflessly loyal to France and the king, which completely atone for all sins? Also - missed the mark. "In love" with Constance Bonacieux d'Artagnan (who actually suffers from "spermotoxicosis") agrees to a very dubious undertaking - a secret trip to London to the first minister of a state hostile to France, while the purpose of the trip, in general, remains for him secret - he is carrying a sealed letter: "To my Lord Duke of Buckingham, London" - such is the inscription on the envelope. What's in this letter? Maybe a state secret of extreme importance? And what do the two pendants conveyed by Buckingham mean? Maybe the war will start in 2 months? Or - another country has entered into an alliance with Britain, and France will have to fight against a coalition of two states? It is not known, however, that as a reward for his visit to London, d'Artagnan receives four horses with rich saddles from Buckingham and an expensive ring from the Queen. D'Artagnan's friends easily agree to take part in this adventure, and it seems that their main motive is the money that d'Artagnan has: the Musketeers have run out of money and are literally starving at that moment. And d'Artagnan has money because Constance Bonacieux stole it from her husband. And, this time, nobody bothers that the “customer” is a thief. Hanging her, like Athos his wife, did not even occur to anyone. And then, during the siege of La Rochelle, Athos, overhearing the conversation between Richelieu and Milady, learns of the cardinal's order to kill Buckingham.
La Rochelle
So, George Villiers, Baron Waddom, Duke of Buckingham, Equestrian of the Court, Knight of the Order of the Garter, Lord Steward of Westminster, Lord Admiral of England. The King of England and Scotland, James I, in letters in turn calls him both wife and husband, and affectionately calls Stini - in honor of St. Stephen (whose face "shone like the face of an angel"). He retained his influence on the son of Jacob - King Charles I, who after the death of his favorite called him "my martyr." He pulled England into two unsuccessful wars for her - with Spain in 1625-1630. and with France, which began in 1627 and ended after his death in 1629. One of the most mediocre and despised politicians in Great Britain, whom A. Dumas's playful pen turned into a positive hero.
Equestrian portrait of the Duke of Buckingham. Peter Paul Rubens, 1625
Because of Buckingham, England entered the war with France, the Duke does not even want to hear about a compromise, now he is preparing a landing to help the rebels, his life is the death of thousands, and maybe tens of thousands of Frenchmen. But d'Artagnan exclaims: "The Duke is our friend! We must warn him and save him." To which, being in his "light phase" Athos reasonably notes: now is the time of war, it will be regarded as high treason, the Bastille or the scaffold awaits us. D'Artagnan agrees with him, but does not refuse the idea of betraying France and the beloved king: you just need not go yourself, but send servants: one - to London, but not to Buckingham, but to the English brother-in-law Milady (the same Lord Winter), the other, to be sure, to the queen.
“No,” says the experienced conspirator Aramis (in his mind, apparently, calculating the size of the next fee), “It’s also dangerous to the queen: it’s better to one of my friends on Tours” (to the main manager of foreign trenches, Duchess de Chevreuse, of course - so that passed).
In general, the gentlemen of the royal musketeers betrayed France. But the trouble is - they did not take into account the outstanding abilities of Lady Claric, who, through their efforts, was illegally arrested immediately upon arrival in England. Taking advantage of the denunciation of the Musketeers, unencumbered by any evidence, as an excuse, Baron Winter, who hated his daughter-in-law, seized her and, for no reason, he kept her locked up without charge and without a court decision. But even in such conditions, Milady managed to fulfill Richelieu's instructions. At the end of the book, along with the Musketeers, Baron Winter (a high-ranking nobleman of the state with which France is at war!) Takes part in the disgusting comedy of lynching her, along with the Musketeers. And one of the charges is the conscientious observance of the order of the head of the French government (the murder of Buckingham).
(Another extremely dubious accusation is the murder of the accomplice of the state criminal de Chevreuse, Constance Bonacieux).
Guys, this is already beyond the bounds, isn't it? This is not just treason, and not just espionage - this is a terrorist act against a trusted employee of Cardinal Richelieu, a political assassination committed in favor of a hostile country. Gentlemen, Musketeers, if you do not agree with the policy of France and the methods of Cardinal Richelieu, resign, do not receive the royal salary, go to London and throw mud at your homeland, this is not new, you will not be the first, nor the last. But you took the military oath and now you have violated it. Plahu and an ax for gentlemen musketeers!
“You cowards, you pathetic killers! Ten men of you gathered to kill one woman!”- says Milady before her death, and it is impossible not to agree with her.
It seems to me that Dumas was mistaken with the choice of heroes: a charismatic and strong girl with a tragic fate fighting against the enemies of France - she was the one who deserved to become the true heroine of the novel.
Well, and with all their might the aristocrats who bring the revolution closer, if you trust the information given in A. Dumas's novel glorifying them, can hardly claim the role of positive heroes.
