One secret of the charm of the four musketeers is perhaps to be found in the fact that they stand for types of the great national characteristics. Says Parigot:
"D'Artagnan, the adroit Gascon, caressing his moustache; Porthos, the muscular and foolish; Athos, the somewhat romantic 'grand seigneur,' Aramis, who pinches his ear to make it red,—Aramis, the discreet Aramis, who hides his religion and his amours, able pupil of the good fathers—these four friends, and not four brothers as Courtils imagined, typify the four cardinal qualities of our country.... If Danton and Napoleon were the prototypes of French energy, Dumas, in 'Les Trois Mousquetaires' is its national historian. His romance is quite as dramatic as theirs, but more pleasant, and with a more continuous charm."
The origin of the two sequels has already been partly indicated. It is said that Dumas fils, frightened at the thought of the prodigious task which the rash author set himself, asked his father "In spite of the help of Madame de La Fayette, who furnishes you with the name and first-love of Athos's son, how will you manage to keep up the interest through these innumerable volumes?"
"Oh, well," answered his father, all that happened to Athos will happen over again to his son."
