Lieutenant's Commission
The Lieutenant's Commission is the document that formalizes d'Artagnan's promotion from a Guardsman cadet to a lieutenant in the Musketeers of the Guard, marking the culmination of his journey from an obscure Gascon provincial to a recognized officer of the crown. It is the tangible reward for his courage, loyalty, and the successful execution of the queen's secret mission, and it represents the final step in his integration into the elite brotherhood of the Musketeers.
Origin and Bestowal
The commission originates not from the king but from Cardinal Richelieu, d'Artagnan's most powerful adversary. After d'Artagnan, having been arrested by the Chevalier de Rochefort on the cardinal's orders, is brought before his Eminence at Surgeres, the cardinal confronts him with accusations of corresponding with the kingdom's enemies and thwarting the plans of his general. D'Artagnan, in his defense, reveals that Milady de Winter, the cardinal's own agent, has been tried and executed by him and his friends for her crimes, including the poisoning of Constance Bonacieux. The cardinal, upon hearing this and recognizing the young man's value, tears up the safe-conduct that d'Artagnan presents as his defense and instead writes a new commission on a parchment, two-thirds of which is already filled. He hands it to d'Artagnan, saying, "I have taken from you one carte blanche to give you another. The name is wanting in this commission; you can write it yourself." D'Artagnan, seeing it is a lieutenant's commission in the Musketeers, falls at the cardinal's feet, declaring his life henceforth at his Eminence's disposal.
Refusal by the Three Musketeers
D'Artagnan, believing the honor belongs more rightly to his friends, immediately offers the commission to each of the three Musketeers in turn. He first goes to Athos, who is calmly drinking his nightly bottle of Spanish wine. Athos refuses with a gentle smile, saying, "For Athos this is too much; for the Comte de la Fere it is too little. Keep the commission; it is yours. Alas! you have purchased it dearly enough." Next, d'Artagnan finds Porthos admiring himself in a magnificent embroidered wedding suit. Porthos explains that the husband of his duchess has died, and he intends to marry the widow, whose coffer holds eight hundred thousand livres. He tells d'Artagnan to keep the lieutenancy. Finally, d'Artagnan goes to Aramis, who is found kneeling before a prie-dieu. Aramis declares that his recent adventures have disgusted him with military life and that he has irrevocably decided to enter the house of the Lazarists after the siege. He tells d'Artagnan, "The profession of arms suits you. You will be a brave and adventurous captain."
Fulfillment and Significance
Returning to Athos, d'Artagnan finds him still at the table. Athos takes a quill, writes d'Artagnan's name in the commission, and returns it to him. The young man, overwhelmed by the honor and the loss of his friends' companionship, lets his head sink into his hands and weeps. Athos consoles him, saying, "You are young; and your bitter recollections have time to change themselves into sweet remembrances." The commission thus becomes the symbol of d'Artagnan's new rank and his separation from his former life as one of the four inseparable friends. It is the official recognition of his worth by the very man who had been his greatest enemy, and it sets the stage for his future career as a captain of the Musketeers, a position he will hold for many years.
