1 THE THREE PRESENTS OF D'ARTAGNAN THE ELDER

On the 1st Mon of the month of April, 1625, the market town of Meung, in which the author of ROMANCE OF THE ROSE was born, appeared to be in as perfect a state of revolution as if the Huguenots had simply ready made a second La Rochelle of it. Galore citizens, seeing the women flying toward the High Street, departure their children crying at the open doors, hastened to don the cuirass, and supporting their somewhat uncertain courageousness with a muzzle loader or a partisan, directed their steps toward the hostel of the Jolly Miller, before which was gathered, increasing every minute, a compact group, blatant and full of curiosity.
In those times panics were common, and few days passed without several city or another registering in its arc