# In Which the King and the Lieutenant Each Give Proofs of Memory explained — The Vicomte de Bragelonne

> Chapter companion for The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas.

## What happens

After watching his mistress depart, King Louis XIV returns to the castle and is confronted by his lieutenant of Musketeers, who requests his discharge from service. The lieutenant delivers a passionate speech recounting his thirty-five years of service, his grievances over broken promises (including being demoted from captain to lieutenant), and his disillusionment with the court's ingratitude and cowardice. The king, initially defensive, is moved by the officer's bold truth-telling and promises to remember his claims.

## Themes in this chapter

### Honor and Loyalty

D'Artagnan's speech emphasizes his lifelong loyalty to the crown and his disillusionment when that loyalty was not reciprocated with promised rewards.

### Greed and Corruption

The lieutenant accuses Cardinal Mazarin of hoarding France's gold and humiliating the king, highlighting the corruption at court.

### Power and Ambition

The king's desire to assert his authority is contrasted with the lieutenant's bitter account of how power was wielded and promises broken.

## Character check-ins

### Louis XIV

The king, after parting from his mistress, returns to the castle and listens to his lieutenant's bitter recitation of grievances, responding with a promise of justice.

### D'Artagnan

The lieutenant of Musketeers who boldly requests his discharge, recounting his long service and the broken promise of the captaincy, and speaks truth to the king.

### Jules Mazarin

Referenced as the cardinal who gave and then took back the captain's commission, and who is accused of hoarding gold and humiliating the king.

### Charles II

Mentioned as the king of England whom d'Artagnan once helped and who was recently driven away by the minister.

## Key lines

> I have, as I have said, now served the house of France thirty-five years; few people have worn out so many swords in that service as I have, and the swords I speak of were good swords, too, sire.

D'Artagnan reminds the king of his thirty-five years of loyal military service, emphasizing his many battles.

_The lieutenant establishes his long and faithful service as the basis for his complaint._

> I was at length appointed captain of the Musketeers; that is to say, the most envied position in court... But M. de Mazarin... took it back again as soon as peace was made and he was no longer in want of me.

He was promised and given the captaincy, but Cardinal Mazarin revoked it after peace was restored.

_This broken promise is the core of d'Artagnan's grievance._

> I see my prince, who is young, handsome and brave... I see him tremble before a priest, who laughs at him behind the curtain of his alcove, where he digests all the gold of France.

D'Artagnan accuses the king of being afraid of Cardinal Mazarin, who hoards the nation's wealth.

_A bold critique of the king's subservience to the cardinal._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_vicomte_de_bragelonne_se/chapters/14-in-which-the-king-and-the-lieutenant-each-give-proofs-of-memory
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_vicomte_de_bragelonne_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_vicomte_de_bragelonne_se/chapters