In his latest book, the historian paints a benevolent portrait of the famous musketeer.
D’Artagnan has long been considered a fictional character when he really existed…
When the character of D’Artagnan appears in the cycle of Three Musketeers of Dumas in 1844, nobody knows that he existed. In his preface, Dumas nevertheless specifies that he relied on the Memoirs of M. d’Artagnan, a book he would have found at the Royal Library. In reality, this book was the work of a certain Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras, a libelist specializing in the fabrication of apocryphal memoirs. This text, which appeared in 1700, at a time when the memory of D’Artagnan remained in the minds of the public because he had marked the reign of Louis XIV by his character and his actions, however contained very few authentic elements.
It was not until 1912 that the historian Charles Samaran published the first biography of the famous musketeer. Romantic hero and fighter in Dumas, the real D’Artagnan had a different career, he was an endearing, courageous man, a man-at-arms wounded several times, a great servant of the monarchy.
What do we know of his Gascon youth?
Charles de Batz de Castelmore, his real name, descended from wealthy merchants who had, as was often done, attached to their surname the name of the manor they had purchased. Tormented like his ancestors by the demon of social ascent, the father of our hero had allied himself with Françoise de Montesquiou d’Artagnan, a high lineage of Gascony. Despite everything, it was not a rich family, we have an inventory of 1635 of the castle of Castelmore, in Lupiac, which rather evokes misery.
It is believed that Charles de Batz rode to Paris with his mare and his saddlebag, as was the tradition among many cadets from Gascony who hoped to find fame, wealth and adventure, around 1630. And that he is entered the corps of musketeers in 1633.
In 1640, he no longer appears on the registers and we lose track of him until 1646, when we find him ordinary gentleman of Mazarin, Prime Minister of the regent Anne of Austria.
First Mazarin’s liaison and intelligence agent during the Fronde, he was then Louis XIV’s confidant…
His role with Mazarin was both a courier, responsible for carrying important messages, and a political agent. We are at the beginning of the reign of Louis XIV and the society of the time functioned according to protective links.
A shadow character evolving in the upper echelons of the state, D’Artagnan became the king’s man, he was appointed second lieutenant of the musketeers in 1658. Louis XIV fell in love with this loyal, very strict man. It is to him that he will entrust delicate missions such as the arrest of the powerful Nicolas Fouquet in 1661, his confinement in the Bastille and then his transfer to the donjon of Pignerol. D’Artagnan is in the service of the king, even in less glorious missions such as the repression of the popular uprising of Vivarais.
Captain-lieutenant of the company of musketeers, governor of Lille, field marshal during the Dutch war, d’Artagnan would have become marshal of France if he had not died during the siege of Maastricht in 1673. A title that will give him Dumas in The Viscount of Bragelonne.
Was he a prominent and popular man in his day?
Yes, he was very well known at the time of his death, because he was very close to the king. He contrasted with the brutality of his century, he was very human, endowed with great qualities of heart, generous, even prodigal, who knew how to make himself loved. Madame de Sévigné says so in her letters. But he was also a brittle person, capable of getting into quarrels with his subordinates, and sometimes vain. But so valuable.
He died a hero in Maastricht, leaving the world stunned by his bravery. He was mourned.
One for all! All for one ?
Another surprise in history! Athos, Porthos and Aramis, the comrades in arms of the valiant d’Artagnan, also did indeed exist, even if Dumas claimed the contrary. Athos was called Adrien de Sillègue d’Athos, Lord of Autevielle. Sir Porthos was named Isaac de Portau and Aramis, Henri d’Aramitz. If these three gentlemen of Béarn actually wielded the rapier, the dates on which they served with the musketeers or the regiment of guards, make a friendship with D’Artagnan unlikely. All were significantly younger than him, but let’s not let this small detail tarnish the legend of the three musketeers who were four!