Porthos

Also known as: Baron de Bracieux / Du Vallon / M. de Vallon / M. du Vallon / du Vallon / monseigneur / the baron / the colossus / the giant / the man with the feathers · Family: French · Role: nobleman · First appears: Chapter 18

In chapter 18, Aramis urgently summoned Porthos before the Equinox, and Porthos left Pierrefonds with his secretary to answer him. Porthos and Aramis were friends, while Mousqueton served as his employer’s attendant; Porthos was also a friend of D’Artagnan, who was eager to embrace him. Around this time, Porthos accidentally caused three men and an old woman to die when a blow collapsed a wall. In chapter 21, D’Artagnan’s will left five thousand livres to Porthos and Aramis to give, in their names and his, to Raoul.

At Belle-Isle in chapter 69, D’Artagnan recognized Porthos despite his disguise, and Porthos recognized the disguised D’Artagnan in turn. “the first movement of the two men was to throw their arms around each other.” Porthos had arrived disguised as a miller, and in chapter 70 he took sole responsibility for the fortifications, while also telling D’Artagnan that his house was open to him for life. By chapter 71, Porthos had an equerry because Mouston could use a carriage only as a means of locomotion, and in chapter 72 he was described as Raoul’s tutor, whose strength Raoul had inherited.

In chapter 73, Aramis secretly sent Porthos on horseback to Paris so that D’Artagnan would not discover their plan, and entrusted him with a letter for Fouquet that had to arrive before noon. Aramis deceived D’Artagnan by saying that Porthos had gone hunting near the canal. Porthos feared that Getard might harm him in his absence; later, according to Pelisson’s orders, his boots had to be cut off because they could not be removed by ordinary force. In chapter 75, Porthos’s plans were attributed to a distinguished engineer, while Louis XIV first said he did not know du Vallon and then instructed Colbert to remember his name.