M. de Patru

M. de Patru appears only as a name in the conversation between Aramis and the two ecclesiastics who visit him at Crevecoeur, but his single mention carries significant weight in the scene. He is invoked by the Jesuit as a standard of profane eloquence against which the young Musketeer's proposed thesis is measured. When Aramis defends his chosen subject—"NON INUTILE EST DESIDERIUM IN OBLATIONE" ("A little regret is not unsuitable in an offering to the Lord")—the Jesuit warns him that such a theme would please the ladies and have "the success of one of Monsieur Patru's pleadings." The remark is intended as a rebuke, implying that Aramis's approach is more suited to a worldly courtroom or a salon than to a theological exercise. The Jesuit's criticism reveals that Patru's reputation as a master of persuasive, elegant, and popular oratory was so well established that his name could serve as shorthand for a style of discourse that was engaging and effective but, in the eyes of the Church, dangerously secular and lacking in spiritual rigor. Aramis, who has already confessed to writing a rondeau that pleased the poet Voiture, is visibly transported by the comparison, crying out "Please God!"—a reaction that exposes his deep, unresolved attachment to the very literary and social acclaim the Jesuit condemns. The curate of Montdidier, who throughout the scene mechanically echoes the Jesuit, adds nothing of his own to the reference. Patru himself never appears in the narrative, and his function is purely emblematic: he represents the allure of a brilliant worldly career that Aramis is ostensibly renouncing but cannot quite let go. The invocation of his name thus crystallizes the central conflict of the chapter—the struggle between the Musketeer's genuine but wavering religious vocation and his pride in his own wit, learning, and ability to charm an audience. It also serves as a concrete historical anchor, grounding the fictional debate in the real literary culture of seventeenth-century France, where Patru was indeed a celebrated figure known for his elegant pleadings and his role in the Quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns.

The Jesuit's Rhetorical Strategy

The Jesuit's use of Patru's name is a calculated rhetorical move. By comparing Aramis's proposed thesis to a Patru pleading, he frames it as a piece of worldly entertainment rather than a work of sacred scholarship. The Jesuit's own preferred thesis—"UTRAQUE MANUS IN BENEDICENDO CLERICIS INFERIORIBUS NECESSARIA EST" ("The two hands are indispensable for priests of the inferior orders, when they bestow the benediction")—is presented as properly dogmatic and didactic, the opposite of Patru's elegant but profane style. The contrast is meant to shame Aramis into abandoning his more personal and poetic approach. The Jesuit's warning that Aramis's thesis "would please the ladies" is a direct appeal to the stereotype of Patru as a fashionable, courtly speaker, whose success was measured by popular acclaim rather than by theological depth. This tactic nearly succeeds; Aramis is momentarily flattered, but the Jesuit's stern rejoinder—that "the world still speaks within you in a loud voice"—forces him to reaffirm his commitment to the Church, though his subsequent behavior proves the commitment is fragile.

Aramis's Divided Loyalties

Aramis's reaction to the mention of Patru is one of the most revealing moments in his character arc. Despite his protestations of piety and his stated intention to enter the priesthood, he cannot suppress his delight at being compared to a famous man of letters. His exclamation, "Please God!" is a slip that betrays his true priorities: he would rather be admired for his wit and eloquence than for his holiness. This moment echoes the earlier scene in which he shows d'Artagnan a rondeau he has written, which he describes as "theology in verse" but which is clearly a piece of gallant poetry. The Patru reference thus links Aramis to a broader network of literary and social ambition that includes figures like Voiture and Benserade, all of whom represent the worldly success he claims to despise but secretly craves. The Jesuit's rebuke—"Mundane presumption!"—is accurate, and Aramis's subsequent, more vehement declarations of his irrevocable resolution ring hollow, especially when, moments after the ecclesiastics leave, he abandons his thesis entirely upon receiving a love letter from his mysterious patroness.

The Oath of the Four Friends

In a separate but thematically related context, the name of Patru is not mentioned, but the rhetorical and ethical principles he represents are implicitly challenged by the oath sworn by d'Artagnan and the three Musketeers. After d'Artagnan cleverly allows the arrest of Monsieur Bonacieux to avoid compromising himself and his friends, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis join him in swearing the famous motto: "All for one, one for all." This oath is a performative speech act that creates a binding bond of absolute loyalty and mutual defense. Unlike Patru's elegant pleadings, which are designed to persuade a judge or an audience, the Musketeers' vow is a private, solemn commitment that prioritizes action and solidarity over rhetoric. The contrast underscores the novel's central value system: the world of the court and the salon, represented by Patru, is one of words, appearances, and manipulation; the world of the Musketeers is one of deeds, honor, and unbreakable fellowship. Aramis's lingering attraction to the former world is precisely what makes him the most complex and conflicted of the four friends, and the Jesuit's invocation of Patru's name serves to highlight that internal division.