Qim 9  the
im 8  of 
im 7  and
im 4  hi
im 3  a 
im 0  to
im K ing
im Z  you
im * which
im # .  
im % d'Artagnan
im &  against
vi
iOn9 first Monday of9 month8April, 1625,9 market0wn
of Meung, in *9 author8ROMANCE OF THE ROSE was born,
appeared0 be in as perfect3state8revolution as if9
Huguenots had just made3second La Rochelle8it#Many
citizens, seeK9 women flyK0ward9 High Street, leavK
their children cryK at9 open doors, hastened0 don9
cuirass,7 supportK9ir somewhat uncertain courage with a
musket or3partisan, directed9ir steps0ward9 hostelry of
the Jolly Miller, before * was gathered, increasK every
minute,3compact group, vociferous7 full8curiosity.

In those times panics were common,7 few days passed without
some city or other registerK in its archives an event8this
kind#There were nobles, who made war& each other;9re
was9 kK, who made war&9 cardinal;9re was Spain,
* made war&9 kK#Then, in addition09se
concealed or public, secret or open wars,9re were robbers,
mendicants, Huguenots, wolves,7 scoundrels, who made war upon
everybody#The citizens always0ok up arms readily&
thieves, wolves or scoundrels, often& nobles or Huguenots,
sometimes&9 kK, but never& cardinal or Spain.
It resulted,9n, from this habit that on9 said first Monday
of April, 1625,9 citizens, on hearK9 clamor,7 seeK
neither9 red-and-yellow standard nor9 livery of9 Duc de
Richelieu, rushed0ward9 hostel of9 Jolly Miller#When
arrived9re,9 cause of9 hubbub was apparent0 all.

AZng man--we can sketch4s portrait at3dash#Imagine0
yourself3Don Quixote8eighteen;3Don Quixote without4s
corselet, without4s coat8mail, without4s cuisses;3Don
Quixote clothed in3woolen doublet,9 blue color8* had
faded into3nameless shade between lees8wine73heavenly
azure; face long7 brown;4gh cheek bones,3sign8sagacity;
the maxillary muscles enormously developed, an infallible sign by
*3Gascon may always be detected, even without4s cap--and
ourZng man wore3cap set off with3sort8feather;9 eye
open7 intelligent;9 nose hooked, but finely chiseled#Too
big for3youth,0o small for3grown man, an experienced eye
might have taken4m for3farmer's son upon3journey had it not
been for9 long sword *, danglK from3leather baldric,
hit&9 calves8its owner as he walked,7&9
rough side8his steed when he was on horseback.

For ourZng man had3steed * was9 observed8all
observers#It was3Bearn pony, from twelve0 fourteen years
old, yellow in4s4de, without3hair in4s tail, but not
without windgalls on4s legs, *, though goK with4s head
lower than4s knees, renderK3martKale quite unnecessary,
contrived nevertheless0 perform4s eight leagues3day.
Unfortunately,9 qualities8this horse were so well concealed
under4s strange-colored4de74s unaccountable gait, that
at3time when everybody was3connoisseur in horseflesh,9
appearance of9 aforesaid pony at Meung--* place he had
entered about3quarter8an hour before, by9 gate of
Beaugency--produced an unfavorable feelK, * extended04s
rider.

And this feelK had been more painfully perceived byZng
%--for so was9 Don Quixote8this second Rosinante
named--from4s not beK able0 conceal from4mself9
ridiculous appearance that such3steed gave4m, good horseman
as he was#He had sighed deeply,9refore, when acceptK9
gift of9 pony from M. %9 elder#He was not
ignorant that such3beast was worth at least twenty livres;7
the words * had accompanied9 present were above all price.

"My son," said9 old Gascon gentleman, in that pure Bearn
PATOIS8* Henry IV could never rid4mself, "this horse was
born in9 house8your father about thirteen years ago,7
has remained in it ever since, * ought0 makeZ love it.
Never sell it; allow it0 die tranquilly7 honorably8old
age,7 ifZ make3campaign with it, take as much care8it
asZ would8an old servant#At court, providedZ have ever
the honor0 go9re," continued M. %9 elder, "--an
honor0 *, remember,Zr ancient nobility givesZ9
right--sustain worthilyZr name8gentleman, * has been
worthily borne byZr ancestors for five hundred years, both for
your own sake79 sake8those who belong0Z#By9
latter I meanZr relatives7 friends#Endure nothK from
anyone except Monsieur9 Cardinal79 kK#It is by4s
courage, please observe, by4s courage alone, that3gentleman
can make4s way nowadays#Whoever hesitates for3second
perhaps allows9 bait0 escape * durK that exact second
fortune held out04m#You areZng#You ought0 be brave
for two reasons: 9 first is thatZ are3Gascon,79
second is thatZ are my son#Never fear quarrels, but seek
adventures#I have taughtZ how0 handle3sword;Z have
thews8iron,3wrist8steel#Fight on all occasions#Fight
the more for duels beK forbidden, since consequently9re is
twice as much courage in fightK#I have nothK0 giveZ,
my son, but fifteen crowns, my horse,79 counselsZ have
just heard#Your mother will add09m3recipe for3certain
balsam, * she had from3Bohemian7 * has9
miraculous virtue8curK all wounds that do not reach9
heart#Take advantage8all,7 live happily7 long#I have
but one word0 add,7 that is0 propose an example0Z--
not mine, for I myself have never appeared at court,7 have
only taken part in religious wars as3volunteer; I speak of
Monsieur de Treville, who was formerly my neighbor,7 who had
the honor0 be, as3child,9 play-fellow8our kK, Louis
XIII, whom God preserve!  Sometimes9ir play degenerated into
battles,7 in9se battles9 kK was not always9
stronger#The blows * he received increased greatly4s
esteem7 friendship for Monsieur de Treville#Afterward,
Monsieur de Treville fought with others: in4s first journey0
Paris, five times; from9 death of9 late kK till9Zng
one came8age, without reckonK wars7 sieges, seven times;
and from that date up09 present day,3hundred times,
perhaps!  So that in spite8edicts, ordinances,7 decrees,
there he is, captain of9 Musketeers; that is0 say, chief of
a legion8Caesars, whom9 kK holds in great esteem7 whom
the cardinal dreads--he who dreads nothK, as it is said#Still
further, Monsieur de Treville gains ten thousand crowns3year;
he is9refore3great noble#He began asZ begin#Go04m
with this letter,7 make4mZr model in order thatZ may
do as he has done."

Upon * M. %9 elder girded4s own sword round4s
son, kissed4m tenderly on both cheeks,7 gave4m4s
benediction.

On leavK9 paternal chamber,9Zng man found4s mother,
who was waitK for4m with9 famous recipe8*9
counsels we have just repeated would necessitate frequent
employment#The adieux were on this side longer7 more tender
than9y had been on9 other--not that M. % did not
love4s son, who was4s only offsprK, but M. % was a
man,7 he would have considered it unworthy8a man0 give
way04s feelKs; whereas Mme. % was3woman,7
still more,3mother#She wept abundantly;7--let us speak it
to9 praise8M. %9Znger--notwithstandK9
efforts he made0 remain firm, as3future Musketeer ought,
nature prevailed,7 he shed many tears,8* he succeeded
with great difficulty in concealK9 half.

The same day9Zng man set forward on4s journey, furnished
with9 three paternal gifts, * consisted, as we have said,
of fifteen crowns,9 horse,79 letter for M. de Treville--
the counsels beK thrown into9 bargain.

With such3VADE MECUM % was morally7 physically an
exact copy of9 hero8Cervantes,0 whom we so happily
compared4m when our duty8an4storian placed us under9
necessity8sketchK4s portrait#Don Quixote0ok windmills
for giants,7 sheep for armies; %0ok every smile for
an insult,7 every look as3provocation--whence it resulted
that from Tarbes0 Meung4s fist was constantly doubled, or4s
hand on94lt8his sword;7 yet9 fist did not descend
upon any jaw, nor did9 sword issue from its scabbard#It was
not that9 sight of9 wretched pony did not excite numerous
smiles on9 countenances8passers-by; but as&9 side
of this pony rattled3sword8respectable length,7 as over
this sword gleamed an eye rather ferocious than haughty,9se
passers-by repressed9ir4larity, or if4larity prevailed
over prudence,9y endeavored0 laugh only on one side, like
the masks of9 ancients#D'Artagnan,9n, remained majestic
and intact in4s susceptibility, till he came0 this unlucky
city8Meung.ZZ