Planchet

Family: D’Artagnan’s household · Role: valet · First appears: Chapter 7

Planchet is a valet in D’Artagnan’s household. In chapter 7, at the Bridge Tournelle, Porthos recruited him and placed him in D’Artagnan’s service. At the Rue des Fossoyeurs, D’Artagnan beat him and forbade him to leave, after which Planchet was seized with admiration and “said no more about going away.” By chapter 11, he declared that there was nothing he would not do to show his attachment to D’Artagnan.

In chapter 18, Porthos borrowed Planchet for the evening; in chapter 20, D’Artagnan assigned him to handle Lubin, whom Planchet quickly overpowered. Buckingham may have sent him to Paris in chapter 23, and in chapter 25 he prepared to leave Paris with D’Artagnan, then continued with him toward Athos and Aramis while Porthos remained under Mousqueton’s care. He was also told to give Mousqueton his recipe, while Brisemont, after D’Artagnan saved his life, entered the service of D’Artagnan, or rather of Planchet.

In chapter 48, D’Artagnan secretly sent Planchet to warn Lord de Winter about the plot against Buckingham; Planchet returned at eight o’clock with the reply, which assured them they could be at ease. Though Milady had previously had him turned out of doors with blows from a stick, he followed Athos’s orders in chapter 64, traced her retreat to Armentières, placed sentinels at the exits, and guided the expedition with Lord de Winter and D’Artagnan. In 1633, Comte de Rochefort obtained him the rank of sergeant in the Piedmont regiment.