# On the Notable Difference d’Artagnan Finds Between Monsieur the Intendant and Monsieur the Superintendent explained — The Vicomte de Bragelonne

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

## What happens

D'Artagnan visits Colbert to collect a pension payment, but finds Colbert suspicious and hostile. Colbert interrogates him about the riot and Menneville's death, then questions why Fouquet paid D'Artagnan more than the king's order specified. The chapter highlights the contrast between Fouquet's generosity and Colbert's rigid, envious nature.

## Themes in this chapter

### Greed and Corruption

Colbert's envy and suspicion of Fouquet's generosity highlight the corruption and greed within the financial administration of the kingdom.

### Class and Social Mobility

D'Artagnan, a soldier of modest origins, navigates between the powerful Fouquet and Colbert, illustrating the social dynamics of the court.

## Character check-ins

### D'Artagnan

Visits Colbert to collect his pension; recounts killing Menneville and restoring order; contrasts Fouquet's generosity with Colbert's stinginess.

### Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Receives D'Artagnan with hostility; interrogates him about the riot and Menneville; criticizes Fouquet for overpaying D'Artagnan.

### Nicolas Fouquet

Mentioned as having paid D'Artagnan the full 20,000 livres instead of 5,000, demonstrating his generosity and financial ease.

### Menneville

Reported dead after the riot; identified as an enemy of Colbert and a follower of the Abbé Fouquet.

## Key lines

> The sentiment of flattery is instinctive with people of abject condition; they have the sense of it, as the wild animal has that of hearing and smell.

Those in low positions instinctively flatter those in power, just as animals rely on their senses.

_Narrator's observation on the behavior of the archers and police who came to flatter Colbert._

> The serpent is as brave as the lion, the hawk as courageous as the eagle, that cannot be contested.

Even a snake can be as brave as a lion, and a hawk as bold as an eagle—this is undeniable.

_Narrator's reflection on Colbert's courage in standing up to D'Artagnan._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_vicomte_de_bragelonne_se/chapters/64-on-the-notable-difference-d-artagnan-finds-between-monsieur-the-intendant-and-monsieur-the-superintendent
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_vicomte_de_bragelonne_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_vicomte_de_bragelonne_se/chapters