agnan had
disguised names perhaps illustrious, or else that the bearers of these
borrowed names had themselves chosen them on the day in which, from
caprice, discontent, or want of fortune, they had donned the simple
Musketeer's uniform.
From the moment we had no rest till we could find some trace in
contemporary works of these extraordinary names which had so strongly
awakened our curiosity.
The catalogue alone of the books we read with this object would fill
a whole chapter, which, although it might be very instructive, would
certainly afford our readers but little amusement. It will suffice,
then, to tell them that at the moment at which, discouraged by so many
fruitless investigations, we were about to abandon our search, we at
length found, guided by the counsels of our illustrious friend Paulin
Paris, a manuscript in folio, endorsed 4772 or 4773, we do not recollect
which, having for title, "Memoirs of the Comte de la Fere, Touching Some
Events Which Passed in France Toward the End of the Reign of King Louis
XIII and the Commencement of the Reign of King Louis XIV."
It may be easily imagined how great was our joy when, in turning over
this manuscript, our last hope, we found at the twentieth page the
name of Athos, at the twenty-seventh the name of Porthos, and at the
thirty-first the name of Aramis.
The discovery of a completely unknown manuscript at a period in which
historical science is carried to such a high degree appeared almost
miraculous. We hastened, therefore, to obtain permission to print it,
with the view of presenting ourselves someday with the pack of others
at the doors of the Academie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, if
we should not succeed--a very probable thing, by the by--in gaining
admission to the Academie Francaise with our own proper pack. This
permission, we feel bound to say, was graciously granted; which compels
us here to give a public contradiction to the slanderers who pretend
that we live under a government but moderately indulgent to men of
letters.
Now, this is the first part of this precious manuscript which we offer
to our readers, restoring it to the title which belongs to it, and
entering into an engagement that if (of which we have no doubt) this
first part should obtain the success it merits, we will publish the
second immediately.
In the meanwhile, as the godfather is a second father, we beg the reader
to lay to our account, and not to that of the Comte de
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