Musketeer style in the fashion of the 17th century. - Representative role. - "War of Laces". - Musketeer cloaks. - The first uniforms. - Banners and music. – Military uniform of the 18th century. For everyone and everything

If the Lord came down to earth, he would not need a guard better than this!

The words spoken by the Spanish minister Don Luis de Haro at the sight of the musketeer company

The company of the royal musketeers was created out of military necessity. Her " Godfather» Louis XIII was a warrior king, more of a quartermaster than a strategist. He made sure that the troops were well trained, dressed and fed, and did not encourage any "excesses". He considered court holidays and entertainment a useless waste of time and money, and in everyday life, according to contemporaries, he dressed "like a simple musketeer."

There were no uniforms then, and the only distinguishing mark of the royal musketeers was a short (above the knees) blue cloak with silver crosses in front and behind. If necessary, it could be turned into long-sleeved clothing with the help of numerous fasteners (up to 150 buttons and loops). Otherwise, the military wore the same as civilians.

In the first third of the 17th century men's suit consisted of a shirt, stockings, tunic or camisole, trousers, jacket, cape or cloak, boots and hat. AT casual clothes the combination of yellow and brown prevailed, the combination of blue and red was more elegant. White color was the prerogative of the king.

The white canvas shirt was spacious and long, serving as both an undershirt and underpants. She looked through the slits of the sleeves and fell to the waist. Wealthy people decorated the cuffs of the shirt with lace.

The tunic did not restrict movement, fastened at the top with several buttons, descended to the waist, where its floors diverged, and was equipped with slits on the sleeves. Cloth camisole by 1643 barely reached the waist; his sleeves were cut lengthwise on the inside and tightly wrapped around the wrist; a short peplum ran along the bottom. In front, the camisole was fastened with many buttons or tied with a cord; sleeves could also be fastened with buttons; holes were sometimes made in the basque so that trousers could be tied to the camisole. In the middle of the 17th century, ribbons were in great fashion, which were tied with bows everywhere - on a camisole and trousers, on a collar and hat, and even on boots. The ends of ribbons and laces were decorated with metal pendants or pompoms; rich people could afford to insert diamonds into pendants. An elegant accessory was a wide embroidered sling over the shoulder.

The collar was turn-down; it was worn separately and tied in front, decorated with embroidery or lace (or both). By the middle of the century, they stopped starching it.

AT winter time ongrelin was put on over the camisole - fitted clothes lined with fur made of leather or cloth, with four wide peplums, with spacious or short sleeves and without a collar; in front, the ongrelin was buttoned or laced up.

The trousers went down below the knees, going into boots, the dress ones were more spacious and shorter, revealing red stockings. In winter, several pairs of silk or knitted stockings were worn - for warmth, tying them under the knee with laces or ribbons. After 1635, the trousers were sewn more narrow and tight-fitting, they were called pantaloons after the character of the Italian comedy - Pantalone. They were often decorated with buttons or ribbons on the sides, and bows with pendants were tied in front in the loops of the fly. The pants were also laced at the back, the belt was fastened in front with three buttons.

Boots were worn high, with heels, with lapels and overlays in the instep area in the form of leather tongues or jumpers. While indoors, the spurs were not removed, but only bent up, so as not to inadvertently hook on the hem and ruin the lady's dress. The toes of the boots were square, and the shoes themselves, most often, were longer than the foot. At the front boots, the spurs were gilded, and the bells were trimmed with lace on the inside, they opened like vases. Louis XIII preferred boots with bootlegs that fitted the leg and reached mid-thigh - they were probably more comfortable for riding.

Hats - soft and wide-brimmed or with small fields, but with a high crown - were certainly decorated with lush ostrich feathers, which had to be curled correctly. In extreme cases, a pheasant feather could do. Men wore shoulder-length hair, parted in the middle and sometimes curled at the ends, a thin mustache and beard. The fluff on the chin, which formed a "comma", was nicknamed the "musketeer".

In modern French, the terms “musketeer collar” (a wide turn-down collar with pointed ends), “musketeer cuff” (turning and fastening with a cufflink), “musketeer gloves” (gaiters) and “musketeer boots” (with cuffs) - a reminder of the fashion of the first half of the 17th century.

The king dressed much more modestly than some of his subjects, but his example was not to be imitated. The royal ministers tried to curb the exorbitant expenses of the court by passing "laws against luxury". These laws forbade wearing clothes made of gold and silver brocade, decorating them with embroideries, cord, gold thread, dressing in velvet, satin or taffeta with gold embroidery. But, as is usually the case, the bans have caused just the opposite reaction, facilitating smuggling and playing into the hands of foreign manufacturers. Louis XIII took things differently: by his edicts he forbade the use of foreign-made lace and knick-knacks in order to encourage the development of a domestic luxury industry. As a result, gentlemen, following the ladies, began to dress up in brocade and velvet, decorate themselves with lace, ribbons and braids. The production of fabrics began to acquire an industrial character; silk was produced in Lyon, fine woolen fabrics in Rouen. Satin, taffeta, moire with baroque ornaments were also in fashion: large ornamental curls, acanthus leaves, pomegranate and grape fruits, a diamond-shaped grid with rosettes, crowns, vases, baskets, etc. On solemn occasions, the king could show off a magnificent outfit , but there were few such cases, and the monarch died early: at forty-two years old.

Louis XIV, who succeeded him on the throne, was handsome, brought up by women and gave great importance appearance. During his reign, the men's suit retained "military features", the man had to have a good bearing, be slim and fit, but there was no longer any talk of Spartan simplicity. Two shirts were now worn: a narrow bottom and a wide top made of thin white linen, which looked out through the slits of the sleeves and between the floors of the tunic. It was richly decorated with ruffled ruffles and lace. A short vest with sleeves to the elbow was also decorated with lace and ribbons; over the ceremonial pantaloons they put on a pleated skirt - a rengrave. On the belt, along the side seams and along the hem, the trousers were decorated with ruffles, frills, and bows. All these clothes must have been in their wardrobe members of the military retinue.

The king amused himself with his musketeers, like a favorite toy, taught them discipline, conducted exercises, divided them into squadrons. After the reconstruction of the musketeer company in 1657, Parisians and "guests of the capital" often went, as if on a holiday, to look at the parade of musketeers in Vincennes or in Neuilly, trying to guess by the day when the king himself would command them. The Marquis de Danjo reports more than once in his diary that after dinner, his majesty ordered a review of both musketeer companies in order of battle in Versailles itself. It was under him that the musketeer companies began to play a "representative" role.

In 1659, Louis went to Saint-Jean-de-Luc to marry a Spanish infanta and traveled through France and back at the head of a magnificent motorcade, which included musketeers. On this occasion, they all dressed up in luxurious clothes, embroidered with gold, which sparkled in the sun, and hats with a luxurious plume; officers were indistinguishable from princes of the blood. The whole province of Bigorra gathered to admire this spectacle in a small town, lost in the south of France, along the route of the wedding cortege, the crowd stood in several rows. The solemn ceremony took place on June 9, 1660. After hunting in the local forests, Louis returned to the capital. This is how the newspapers of that time described “The Magnificent and Luxurious Entry of the King and Queen into the City of Paris”: “On Thursday, the twenty-sixth of August, Their Majesties entered Paris ... The motorcade was continued by the musketeers, defiling four by two in two different companies. The first to go were small musketeers under the command of Mr. Lieutenant de Marsac, accompanied by two officers ... There were six horse drummers in the company: four in front and two behind. The cloaks of the two hundred horsemen, armed with muskets, were of blue cloth lined with red, with galloon at the seams and white crosses with lilies in front and behind.

The second company of horse musketeers from the royal guard was commanded by Mr. d "Artagnan; she performed in four rows with her drummers and senior officers in velvet cloaks, front and back; it was noteworthy that the costumes of the old musketeers from the same cloth and the same colors looked much richer because of the abundance of braids, crosses of lilies, monograms and crowns embroidered in gold and silver, and their horses were white.Besides this difference there was another feature by which this company itself was divided into four brigades. The first seventy-six horses were decorated with plumes of white feathers; the next seventy-two - of white, yellow and black feathers; the plumes of the third brigade of fifty-two people were white-blue-black, finally, the last sixty - white-green; saddles of most horses were the same color Each brigade was headed by a corporal, and an ensign with a badge rode in the middle.

“The King’s Life Guards were followed by a company of musketeers, which His Eminence presented to His Majesty: on good horses, in blue cloaks embroidered with silver galloon, with His Majesty’s monogram embroidered on the sleeves and in the four corners. They were commanded by Monsieur de Marsac and the Marquis de Mongaillard; the first rode in front, dressed in expensive gold-woven and silver-woven clothes, on a beautiful gray horse in ribbons, and the second behind, in gold brocade and silver lace, on a Spanish bay with a gold-woven saddle, also completely covered with silver lace. However, Mr. d "Artagnan" on an expensive horse "was not inferior to them in luxury.

Lace was an important attribute of the ceremonial costume. At first they were imported from Flanders, where their production was firmly established at the end of the 16th century; embroidered lace with a geometric pattern was replaced by braided bobbins. Particularly famous were the thin woven laces "benche", "valenciennes", "raspberry" (named after the cities in which they were produced), with an ornament formed by a dense interlacing of threads against a background of patterned nets. Due to the Thirty Years' War and subsequent military conflicts, imports stopped, and domestic production had to be established. By 1669, more than thirty thousand lacemakers were working in France. Embroidered guipure with an elegant pattern (small floral ornament, figurines of people, cupids, etc.) was made in Alençon, Argentan, and Sedan. Craftswomen from Caen, Chantilly, Bayeux, Le Puy made braided tulle lace of the “blonde” types (from golden and black unwoven silk threads) and “chantilly” (from white and black twisted silk threads). Usually cotton or linen thread was used for braided lace, but sometimes gold thread was also woven into them. Lace was very expensive: for example, in the 17th century, for one lace handkerchief, which was held in hand, they asked for 200 ducats (700 grams of gold), and in the 18th century, Casanova paid for a shirt with cuffs embroidered with hemstitch, 50 louis (500 livres, then as the salary of an ordinary musketeer was 300 livres a year). But this did not bother the king.

When the commander of the second musketeer company changed, it quickly became the favorite of the court and all of Paris. Composer Lully composed a march for her. The Comte de Molevrier, who was selfish, foppish and quite rich, entered into rivalry with the first company under the command of d'Artagnan, supplying his musketeers expensive clothes. For their part, the "gray musketeers" got into debt so as not to concede in luxury to the "blacks". They even went to war "with all the parade", to say nothing about the reviews in peacetime, which merged into one endless equestrian ballet.

In March 1665, the king held a general review of the musketeers on Pre-au-Clair; in April of the same year, both companies paraded in Saint-Denis in front of the whole court and thirty thousand spectators. The Italian Sebastiano Locatelli describes this spectacle in his essay Travels in France:

“The Swiss were followed by senior musketeers, numbering five hundred, splendidly mounted on fine horses, almost all of which were white or dappled gray. The musketeers were wearing cloaks of blue cloth, decorated with silver lace, forming on the back and chest two crosses with gold-embroidered rays, and the royal monogram; these crosses are somewhat reminiscent of the crosses of the Knights of Malta. Their decorated and embroidered cloaks... were worn over fine doublets of blue camlot with silver embroidery. The blankets of their horses were red-violet in color, and four suns were embroidered on them at the four corners, since the king took the sun with the motto "Ubique solus" ("Everywhere the only one" - E. G.) as his emblem. They had beautiful plumes of feathers on their hats.

In February 1669, Louis XIV held a review of his troops in the Bois de Boulogne, in March - in the Seine valley near Colombes, a little later, the musketeers went to the camp on the outskirts of the Saint-Germain Forest, where, after the traditional parade, a grand feast was held for court ladies.

Reviews of musketeer companies were annual; at the behest of the king, the musketeers either marched on foot or pranced on horseback. During the last wars, reviews were always held on horseback. "The last great parade of the retinue of the king in the apogee of glory" took place in 1683 near Besancon, when Louis XIV, together with his musketeers, went to inspect the military fortifications in Alsace.

After the siege of Maastricht in 1673, the king ordered that the musketeers of both companies dress the same, only the first galloon was gold, and the second was silver.

Ceremonial clothes differed from everyday clothes not only in decoration: for example, the famous musketeer cloaks for the parade were sewn short, barely reaching the saddle. It was in such cloaks that the musketeers flaunted during the solemn entry of Louis XIV into Paris in 1660. Immediately after this, the musketeers went to war, and then their cloaks were already much longer - below the knee. There were four crosses on the cloaks: behind, on the sides and in front.

The color of the musketeer's cloak was not constant: it changed depending on the holidays in which the royal musketeers took part. If the king wished to arrange some particularly striking parade, he himself gave orders regarding the dress code. For example, he once ordered that all musketeers wear buffalo suits, and those who are richer should decorate their sleeves with diamonds. On another occasion, they were ordered to dress up in black velvet, and on a third occasion, in gray uniforms trimmed with gold galloon. Of course, it was impossible to make such outfits on a musketeer's salary, you had to borrow money, turn to relatives and friends. “When you learn that we were ordered to get velvet camisoles and blankets and that I should dress in black and sew a suit of droguet for myself and another one for my servant, you will understand that no one dresses anyone for nothing,” wrote eighteen-year-old Joseph de Montesquiou. to his mentor, Mr. d "Ozon. Ceremonial costumes could then be sold or inherited. The posthumous inventory of d" Artagnan's property lists his many outfits: velvet tunics, brocade jackets, suede and Dutch cloth pants, a camisole made of gold brocade with floral pattern and lining of scarlet silk with gold thread, brown suede gloves with lace, cloaks and capes of black velvet or Spanish cloth, buckles, ribbons, silk stockings ...

In raincoats, it was inconvenient to perform combat techniques on foot, and in equestrian combat, musketeers usually threw their raincoats behind their backs, so their distinguishing marks could not be immediately seen. In 1685, the king ordered the Musketeers to wear supervest - blue sleeveless kaftans, decorated, like raincoats, with two crosses of white velvet: front and back; the crosses were sheathed with silver galloon, and lilies were embroidered at their ends. The front and back of the Super Vests were fastened on the sides with fasteners.

Such a cape was supposed to be worn by all musketeers, even junior corporals, corporals and sergeants, only senior officers could do without it. The cloaks and capes of the first company were distinguished by the fact that the crosses on them at the ends were decorated with three scarlet rays, and those of the second - with "leaves" with five yellow rays. In addition, the first company wore hats with gold lace, and the second with silver. The hats were black, with a black cockade. Cloaks and capes were issued from the treasury, and upon retirement, the musketeer was obliged to hand them over.

In 1689, the king's grandson, the seven-year-old Duke of Burgundy, joined the Musketeers. Then the companies were quartered in Versailles; the young duke participated in the exercises in the presence of the king, and the Marquis de Quensy, lance corporal of the second company, held his hand. The prince liked the first company more, but in order not to cause jealousy from the second, he acquired two uniforms, which he wore alternately, and a "neutral" cape.

At the end of the 17th century, a new type of clothing appeared - justocor: a tight-fitting camisole extended downwards with a scarf belt and a clasp with many small buttons. The sleeves were narrow, with wide turn-down cuffs. There was no collar, it was replaced by a wide tie made of white fabric with lace ends.

The use of ties in the army dates back to 1635. It was brought to France by Croatian cavalry mercenaries, and French officers quickly adopted this fashion: the tie was much more comfortable in the field than starched breeches. Louis XIV was very fond of ties and even introduced a special court position of the keeper of royal ties; the king is depicted wearing a tie on a half-ecu coin minted during his reign. Ties were made of cambric or muslin with lace at the ends; rich people wore all-lace ties. It was wrapped around the neck once or twice and tied in front, sometimes decorating the knot with multi-colored ribbons. Tying a lace tie took quite a lot of time. In 1692, during the War of the League of Augsburg, the French positions at Steenkerken were suddenly attacked by the British; the officers jumped out of the tents, hastily tying their ties simple knot and putting one end into the loop of the vest (the sixth from the top). The steinkirk knot remained in fashion until the end of the reign of Louis XIV, and then gave way to the "stoke" - a rectangle of white muslin, which was folded in a narrow strip, wrapped around the turned-up collar of the shirt and stabbed with a pin. "Stoke" tightly squeezed the neck, making it difficult to breathe, but allowed to keep the head high and straight, so such ties (black) were adopted in most European armies.

For the first time, welt, low-lying pockets appeared in the Justocore. Under the justocor, they wore a sleeveless camisole and a collar that was shorter by 10-15 centimeters and contrasted with it in color, as well as culottes (pants to the knees) made of velvet, silk or wool, also with welt pockets, the legs at the bottom were fastened with a button or buckle.

Buttons under Louis XIV turned into a luxury item: they were used as precious jewelry. Ruined nobles sold buttons from their clothes to make ends meet. In the 18th century, buttons became a real work of art: they were made of glass with figurines depicted in the depths, landscapes, nymphs, cupids and insects; were made of embroidered silk or in the form of crystal chests, inside which insects or dried flowers were placed. Jeweler Strass introduced rhinestones into fashion, which were widely used and sold in special shops. No less delighted were buttons made of polished steel, shining like gems. The Sevres manufactory made porcelain buttons, and already under Napoleon, mother-of-pearl ones appeared. The same role was played by ancient coins in a gold frame ... But we got too carried away.

The officers of the musketeers dressed in a scarlet justocor with gold galloon, buttons and loops, the same jacket and short trousers. There were three gold buttons on each sleeve, and seven buttons adorned the pockets of the camisole. Saddlecloths and pistol bags were trimmed with embroidery. Soft wide-brimmed hats with ostrich feathers acquired a triangular shape.

Initially, the musketeers wore coarse cavalry boots, but from 1683, at the request of the king, they were replaced with black boots made of dressed cowhide with spurs. The king also ordered that, when on guard duty, the royal musketeers should put on short boots: walking in them was easier. The musketeer had to buy boots (as, indeed, a horse) at his own expense.

The officers, as already mentioned, did not wear a supervest, but in battle they wore a double cuirass (on the chest and on the back). This is understandable: after all, they always went ahead, dragging the soldiers behind them. Ordinary musketeers did not wear cuirasses, under which clothes quickly wore out and became unusable.

Since 1693, the company of the royal musketeers consisted of a lieutenant commander, two lieutenants, two warrant officers, two cornets, six flag bearers with a standard (when moving on horseback), one flag bearer with a banner (for moving on foot), eight sergeants, four corporals, sixteen lance corporals and privates. The rank could be judged by the width of the galloons: the wider they were, the higher the position. In addition, the officers wore a collar - a white scarf loosely tied around the neck, and senior commanders - a white scarf over their shoulder.

Both companies were armed with the notorious muskets only for parades; in ordinary life, their weapons were a gun, a sword and pistols. Muskets (while they were in service) were supplied by the king, the gun had to be purchased by ourselves.

The musketeer banners were smaller than the infantry ones and were white. White is the symbol of the French kings. Since 1616, white banners have been issued to the most loyal military units, so that others take an example from them. The banner and four standards of each company were kept by the king, they were guarded by twelve musketeers, who were replaced every five days. Both the flag and the standards were made of white satin, trimmed with gold and silver, and bore the emblem of the regiment. On the square standard of the 1st company was a land mine flying out of a cannon and falling on the city, and the motto: "Quo ruit et lethum" ("Where it falls, there is death"). On the standard of the second company were depicted twelve feathered darts pointing down and the motto: “Alterius Jovis altera tela” (“The same Jupiter, the same arrows”), that is, the king added the second company to the first, and it will help him to smash the enemy.

The company consisted of six drummers and four oboists. The latter wore baldrics, like trumpeters from the royal retinue. During the parades, the Musketeers rode on horseback, two or four abreast; in front were drummers in the ceremonial royal livery, trumpeters and flutists (until 1663). The drums of the musketeers - painted blue and adorned with the coat of arms of France - were smaller than those of the infantry, but rattled much more cheerfully: the royal musketeers were the only unit of the king's military retinue that did not have trumpeters and timpani. But only they had drums: for the first time in the French army, cavalry drummers appeared!

Military uniform, first introduced by Louis XIV, did not undergo major changes until 1760.

Army regiments belonging to princes and nobles wore gray uniforms, royal regiments - blue, musketeers - red, over which they wore a uniform supervest with crosses.

The uniform was wide, but fitted, with two rows of buttons; a buffalo breastplate could be worn underneath. The lapels were fastened with buttons. One uniform took two and a half arshins (three meters) of cloth, plus another quarter of an arshin for lapels and cuffs, three arshins of twill for the lining, thirty-eight large buttons and four small ones. The required length was determined as follows: the floors of the uniform should be one inch from the ground when its owner is kneeling. When he mounted, the skirts of his uniform were raised and fastened with buckles and hooks sewn to the lining two inches from the corners, on pieces of heart-shaped cloth.

To the "French" uniform was supposed to be a muslin tie with ribbons, twice covering the neck, pulling together an inch-high collar; the edges of the tie were lined with canvas.

Over the uniform they wore a cloth overcoat of the same color, lined with twill. A buffalo leather jacket was worn under the uniform. Her sleeves, trimmed with red cloth, were fastened with buttons along the entire length. During the exercises, the cavalrymen remained in the same leather jackets, and also put on leather pants with a double belt that reached to the calves, and on top - pants made of red panne velvet lined with canvas.

A belt was put on a leather jacket, to which a sword clung. The straps should have been adjusted in such a way that if you lower your hand along the body, the hilt of the sword itself lies in the palm of your hand. The harness, three fugues six inches long, was also of buffalo leather and fastened at the front with a buckle. Leather belt the blunderbuss was the same width as the belt; in the royal troops it was white, in the rest it was yellow.

Until 1737, cavalrymen wore over the knee boots, and then leggings came into use.

At the royal court, high powdered wigs were in fashion, but in army conditions it was impossible to follow it. The Musketeers still wore their hair long, sometimes braided, pulled into a ponytail, or tucked into a net; however, the officers wore wigs with a pigtail at the back, intertwined with a black ribbon. To keep the wig from slipping, they used a special “solitaire” tie, borrowed from the British: a narrow black strip of fabric, tied over a “drain” tie, grabbed the hair from behind. Mustaches and beards were shaved.

The lace hat weighed 13-14 ounces (approximately 390-420 grams). Until 1750, an iron cup was enclosed inside, which was then replaced with a rim so that the hat would not lose its shape. The cup was attached to the crown with leather straps, it had three holes for laces, which were used to tuck the brim of the hat. Its purpose was not only to maintain the shape of the hat, but also to protect its owner: during the battle of Neuerwinden in 1693, an iron cup saved the life of Prince de Conti, who was hit on the head with a saber. In the 18th century, hats were no longer worn with wide brims, but in the form of a cocked hat: the front corner had to be an inch shorter than the other two. The hat was pulled over the forehead in such a way that the front "corner" was above the left eye. The cockade was made from black silk ribbon. Entering the room, the cocked hat was supposed to be removed and kept under the arm. Leather gloves were worn only for the parade.

By the lace that bordered the edges of the hat, one could judge the rank of its owner: for sergeants and officers, it was twice as wide as for privates. Otherwise, the officers dressed in the same way as their subordinates, except that the cloth of their uniform was of the best quality, and the ruffled cuffs of a thin cambric shirt protruded from under the sleeves. In addition, the officers had swords with a gilded guard. Until 1759, a silver fringe was sewn to the loop on the shoulder through which the blunderbuss belt was passed: for junior officers - simple, for commanders - in the form of a twisted cord. Epaulettes, which serve to distinguish ranks, were introduced only in 1763.

The silver braids that framed horse saddles were also of different widths: for senior officers - 30 lines (6.75 centimeters), for others - 24 lines (5.4 centimeters), for standard bearers - 18 lines (4.05 centimeters), etc. By the way, the horses were full participants in the parades, and they were dressed up accordingly. Usually Musketeers were of medium height, about four feet eight inches (about 145 centimeters) at the withers, not younger than five, but not more than sixteen years old. By a special ordinance dated September 25, 1680, it was prescribed that all horses should have a long tail. For viewings, their manes were braided and a cockade was attached to the right ear. The tail was carefully combed and decorated at the very root with a large rosette of wide ribbon.

In the XVIII century, there was no shortage of parades either, they were included in the list of court entertainment. Louis XV streamlined the composition of military bands, supplementing the traditional flutes, oboes and bassoons with clarinet and horn, as well as percussion instruments. Music was supposed not only to set the pace during the march, but also to accompany the presentation of the banner, the entry of the king into the city, military prayers, etc.

The coronation of Louis XVI on June 11, 1775 was perhaps the last solemn ceremony involving the royal musketeers: a year later both companies were disbanded.

In the 19th century, fashion was strongly influenced by England. The reconstructed musketeer companies were dressed in tight-fitting uniforms of scarlet velvet with tails and blue piping. Stand-up collar, two rows of buttons with a musketeer's cross, ivory silk lining, fringed epaulettes. On the head is a cocked hat made of black felt with black feathers; a cockade made of white and silver threads, a buttonhole made of gold (or silver) galloon and a button with a cross embossed on it. On his feet - white leggings, high black boots with spurs ... But to flaunt in new form the Musketeers did not have long: until January 1, 1816.

A distinctive feature of this musketeer costume is the presence of a special cape, hat and sword. Making them with your own hands is not difficult even for the most inexperienced seamstress.

Do-it-yourself musketeer costume for a boy: cape

In order to sew a cape, you will need the following materials: fabric of two colors (it is better if it is satin), lace or a wide satin ribbon. The width of the satin ribbon should be at least 4 cm, and the length should be at least 5 meters, since a small piece will be required for the hat. By color scheme the material should be blue or cyan, and be combined in this range of shades. So, for example, the cloak will be of blue color, and the cross on it and the pants are blue. In this case, the edging and collar are best made from white or light-colored fabric. blue color.

The cross here is an ornament - a symbol of the Order of the Musketeers, it can be made of white fabric. Another beautiful combination of colors can be a navy blue cape, a white cross, a white collar and a white openwork edging around the edge of the entire cape.

Stage 1

Take your boy's measurements. For sewing, you need to know the following values: product height (distance from the shoulder to the bottom point capes), collar circumference and arm length. Since the cape will not have a shoulder, the measurement of the length of the arm here will be the distance from the collar to the elbow or the middle of the forearm.

Stage 2

Lay out a piece of blue or light blue fabric on a flat surface to cut the cape. Transfer the dimensions to it and draw the outline of the pattern.

There are two options for a cape with a cross and one option for a cape-cloak to choose from.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Option 3:

The third option, if desired, can be freely combined with the second option. This will be a convenient composition, since the second version of the cape does not have sleeves.

Stage 3

Cut out the shape of the cape that you have chosen for sewing your costume from the fabric. Separately, a collar and a cross are cut out of white fabric or a lighter tone than the cape itself.

Stage 4

At this stage, the edging of the cape is sewn, which will be made of either light lace or satin ribbon.

If your choice fell on lace, then fold and stitch the cut edge around the perimeter of the entire part. Since the fabric is satin, it is better to double the hem.

If you have good sewing skills, you can tuck the fabric and line the lace at the same time. And if you doubt your abilities, then first tuck and stitch the fabric, and sew lace over the first with the second seam. At the same time, the edge of the lace that is attached to the fabric is hidden behind the fabric, and not vice versa.

If a satin ribbon is used as a border, then it is not necessary to tuck the edge of the fabric. The ribbon simply goes around the cut edge on both sides and is attached around the entire perimeter of the cape.

Stage 5

Just as the cape was sheathed, sheathe the collar. Sew the collar to the neck of the cape. To do this, turn the cape inside out and place it on a flat surface. front side way down. Lay the collar piece on top, face down. Align the neckline of the collar and cape and stitch it around the entire circumference, stepping back from the edge no more than 1 cm.

Turn the cape right side out and pull the collar out through the neckline. Straighten it and iron it so that there are no creases on the fabric.

Stage 6

A cross is sewn in the center of the front side of the cape. To do this, tuck the edges of the cross and baste it by hand. See if the cross is evenly located, and only then attach it on a sewing machine, stepping back from the edge of less than 0.5 cm.

Before you start basting, for the splendor of the decoration, lace can be laid between the fabrics around the entire perimeter of the cross. It will make the image bigger. And if you lay the lace in uniform folds and stitch it, then this will be the peak of skill and very beautiful.

Do-it-yourself musketeer costume for a boy: trousers

For this costume, both trousers and breeches are suitable. Let's call everything in one word "pants", and you will choose their length for your costume yourself. They can be either brown or black or blue.

For sewing, you will need not only fabric, but also a wide elastic band.

Stage 1

First, take measurements from the child. You need to know the length of the pants (the distance from the waist to the bottom of the pants), the circumference of the hips and the circumference of the leg.

Stage 2

Transfer the measurements to the fabric and draw the pattern. The simplest option is perfect for breeches.

You can offer here such a pattern of medium complexity.

Stage 3

Cut and sew the pieces together. Insert the elastic into the belt. If desired, the elastic can be inserted into both legs above the cut edge and then you will get a fluffy bottom of the pants, or along the very edge, in this embodiment, they will taper to the bottom, as shown in the picture below.

Do-it-yourself musketeer costume for a boy: hat

For a dark blue cape with a blue cross on the chest, you can make both a dark blue hat and blue in combination with the color of the cross. Also, the color of the hat can be in the same color scheme with black or brown pants.

The hat can be made of cardboard, and then pasted over with suede or satin fabric.

Stage 1

Cut out details from cardboard: brim, tulle or height and bottom of the hat. The width of the crown is 10-15 cm. Plus 4 cm for the hem.

Stage 2

Fold the tulle 2 cm above and below and coat the tucked edges with glue. Make cuts on the long side from the cut edge to the collar. Connect the opposite narrow edges of the crown and twist into a circle or tube and secure them with glue or a stapler. It is necessary that she remains in this position and does not turn around.

Stage 3

Glue the bottom of the hat and brim to the crown. Wait for the glue to dry.

Stage 4

At this stage, the hat can be decorated with fabric, belt and feather.

Cut out exactly the same details from the fabric from which the cardboard hat was assembled. Only there should be more fabric parts, since it is desirable to glue not only the outer, but also the inside of the hat. Coat the cardboard structure with glue and glue it with a cloth.

Wait for the glue to dry completely.

Stage 5

Lay a border in the form of a strip of satin ribbon along the outer edge of the fields. Fold the ribbon in half along the entire length and glue with a fold to the bottom and top sides of the hat brim.

Wrap the bottom of the crown with a wide satin ribbon. Slip under it and glue the feather. It is better if the pen is naturally fluffy, but it can also be made from paper.

Cut out the shape of a feather on a white sheet of paper and make frequent cuts along the entire length from the edge to the center. You can do the same with two or three sheets of paper, and then glue them in the center along the entire length. In this embodiment, the pen will turn out two to three times more magnificent than if it were only from one layer of paper.

Do-it-yourself musketeer costume for a boy: sword

In order to make a sword, you will need cardboard, scissors, a marker and foil.

Stage 1

Cut out the guard, handle and blade from cardboard. For the blade, cardboard is cut in the shape of an elongated rectangle. For the pen, the cardboard is cut out in the form of a small rectangle 6x15 cm.

Stage 2

Twist the piece for the blade into a tube. The part cut out for the handle wraps around a blade-shaped cardboard tube from the bottom wide edge. All this is inserted into the guard hole.

Stage 3

Make a drawing in the form of patterns on the guard with a marker.

For more realism, if you wish, you can wrap the blade of the sword with foil. So it will be more like a metal product. Even if you leave the blade in an unwrapped version, the sword will still look like a sword.

When a young man began his career in the French army of the 17th or 18th century, he joined the largest and most modern military machine in Europe. It could not be otherwise, because France at that time was the most populous country on the continent (20 million people). For comparison, 8 million people lived in the Austrian Empire, 7 million people in the Spanish Empire, and 6 million people in Britain.

The French army at the time of Louis XIII had 50,000 men, including guards. Louis XIV increased the number of troops to 125,000 men (by 1667), and to 200,000 men by 1677. During the wars of the late 17th century, the French army reached 450,000 men. The Royal Musketeers were integral part armies and were part of the maison militaire (guards) in the maison de Roi (royal estate).

In fact, the musketeers were a small military elite of the country. During the time of Louis XIII, the guard units were divided into the Garde du dedans du Louvre (the guard unit that provided security for the Louvre): Gardes du Corps, Cent-Suisses, Gardes de la Porte and security units that performed the functions of palace guards (they were armed with halberds) and at the Garde du dehors du Louvre (guards outside the Louvre).

At the end of 1622, the army of Louis XIII was sent to quell the unrest in southern France. In November or early December, on the way to Avignon, the king carried out a reform of the guard. The new elite unit was armed with muskets, as well as a new commander - Captain Sur de Montalet. To replenish the detachment, called Mousquetaires du Roi (Royal Musketeers) and consisting of 100 people, it was decided to recruit volunteers of noble birth (mostly from the provincial aristocracy). The detachment had to be able to fight both on horseback and on foot. All fighters had to be able to handle swords and muskets.

A detachment of musketeers was based in Paris, near the Louvre - the home of the royal family. Thus, the musketeers performed their immediate duties when the king left his house. Louis constantly cared for his pets. On October 3, 1634, he proclaimed himself captain of the musketeers, a position he held until he handed it over to the Count of Treville, who became the new lieutenant commander and commander of an elite unit. After the death of Richelieu and Louis XIII (at the beginning of 1646), the Musketeers were left without an influential patron. Cardinal Mazarin, who stood at the helm of the country, decided to transfer command of the unit to his nephew the Duke of Nevers, but Treville refused to leave his post. As a result, the Musketeers were completely disbanded. This happened on January 30, 1646.

The royal musketeers of Louis XIII left behind such a bright trace of glory that it was a matter of time before they were reformed. On January 10, 1657, Louis XIV re-formed an elite detachment of 100 people and became its formal captain (the actual commander was Lieutenant Commander Philippe Mancini, Duke of Nevers). As before, the musketeers served on horseback and on foot, and also dressed in a blue uniform with a silver cross. The new musketeers were to take the place of the obsolete gendarmes and chevaliers, while the size of the unit increased to 300 people.

Louis XIII surrounded by France and Navarre.

In 1660, Mazarin ceded his personal guard to the king, who included new fighters in the musketeer unit. In 1663, the musketeers undertook a campaign in Lorraine, and at the end of 1664 a second regiment of musketeers was formed, commanded by the king. The first regiment of musketeers was henceforth called gray (after the color of the musketeer horses), while the second regiment received the name "black". Of course, the 2nd regiment was not as bright as the first, because a long train of glory did not stretch behind it. However, his fighters had all the privileges of their older comrades.

In 1680, a funny incident happened - the grandson of Louis XIV - the Duke of Burgundy - decided to become a musketeer. A serious struggle ensued between the regiments for an influential newcomer, for success in the confrontation could give the regiment a serious political advantage. In order to prevent internal strife, the king made a "Solomonic decision" and the Duke of Burgundy began to serve in both regiments alternately, which made it possible to avoid clashes between brothers in arms.

Each musketeer regiment consisted of 300 people, but in 1668 the number of musketeers in the detachment decreased to 250 people. The regiment of musketeers was under the command of a lieutenant commander, who was subordinate to a sub-lieutenant, brigadiers and 15 soi brigadiers (the cavalry equivalent of an infantry sergeant), an ensign (with a flag), six drummers, four hatbuas (new-style flute players), a commissioner (supply), chaplain, fourier (quartermaster sergeant), surgeon, pharmacist, blacksmith, saddler and three treasurers. When the size of the detachment increased again to 280 people, the regiment was divided into 6 platoons. In 1693, an additional sub-lieutenant, ensign and cornet appeared in each regiment. During the reign of Louis XV, the musketeer regiments went through a series of additional reforms. By 1774, each musketeer company had 176 personnel, plus 7 officers, 10 marechaux des logis, 4 brigadiers, 18 soi brigadiers, 4 hatbois, 6 drummers, 10 officer candidates and a chaplain. As you can see, the musketeer regiment was equal in number to a typical peacetime cavalry regiment.

Until 1682, regiments of musketeers lodged in Paris and only then moved to Versailles. During the daily matins, the musketeers approached the king in order to receive new orders and tasks. The same procedure was repeated in the evening, when the king went to bed. Often, the musketeer service was reduced to the banal protection of the king, but, at times, the monarch gave secret or secret orders. When the king was at Versailles, the musketeers guarded the entrance to his chambers. When the king traveled by carriage, 4 musketeers always moved ahead of the horse procession.

As for music, between 1622 and 1642 a trumpeter and a drummer served in the regiment. In 1657, a trumpeter reappeared as part of the new musketeers, but already in 1663 he was replaced by 5 drummers and a flutist. In 1665, three hatbuas were added to both regiments, later there were 4, while the flutist was replaced by a sixth drummer. At the same time, the regiments never had horse drummers (kettledrummers), who often appear in book drawings and images.

AT war time the number of the regiment was several hundred people, as a result of which the provincial nobles, who became musketeers, had great odds get promotions and rewards. When the war began, the musketeer's office turned out to be inundated with letters and recommendations from young applicants who could serve as volunteers in the regiment and later become full-fledged musketeers (naturally, such heroes were paid only for participating in hostilities). Ten volunteers could later join the regiment as officer candidates.

In order to become an officer in a musketeer regiment, the applicant needed to lay out a tidy sum of money. So, for example, in 1672 the rank of cornet of musketeers cost 100,000 pounds. Prices may change over time. For example, Joseph de Montesquiou, Count D'Artagnan ( distant relative famous hero Dumas) received a musketeer cloak for only 40,000 pounds. However, when Joseph decided to become a lieutenant commander, instead of the 80-year-old Marquis de Maupertier, he had to shell out £150,000. In the same year there was an attempt to curb inflation by fixing the cornet at £60,000. However, throughout 1720 a place in a musketeer regiment fluctuated greatly in price from 40,000 to 150,000 pounds. At the same time, some positions could not be bought at all. Beginning in 1716, the Montbossier family held the position of lieutenant commander of the second regiment. The position passed from father to son over several generations. From the foregoing, it becomes clear that many positions could not be bought with the salary of musketeers, which means that applicants for positions had to have a high income outside the service.

Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu look at the positions of the French army in the mountains of Pas de Suze. March 6, 1629.

RECRUITMENT

During the reigns of Louis XIII, Louis XIV and Louis XV, musketeers were recruited mainly from the countryside. This is not surprising, since 85% of the French population lived outside the cities. Many musketeers had an old chateau or mansion in the countryside, in which their ancestors once lived. Such estates did not bring large incomes, as a result of which the descendants of petty nobles had two possible careers to choose from - spiritual or army.

If you remember Dumas' novel The Three Musketeers, you can probably imagine the scene where the young Gascon leaves Father's house to become a Musketeer cadet. The objective reality was much gloomier, the cadet musketeers were not the heirs of their fathers and could not inherit the estate. In fact, only the eldest son became a gentleman, who inherited the estate and property of his father. Less fortunate brothers went to the army or to the despicable (according to the French aristocrats) navy.

In the reign of Louis XIV and Louis XV, a young man who was able to hold a weapon and who was at least 16 years old could become a candidate for royal musketeers. The age limit, of course, could be lowered. An example is the story of Luis Baltazar de Girardot, who became a musketeer in 1750 at the age of 10. On average, the age of novice musketeers was around 17 years old, which was somewhat lower than in other parts of the guard (this was also due to the fact that the detachments of the royal musketeers partially took on the duties of a military academy). Musketeer of humble origin long years served in the regiment, could ask the king for the nobility. The chances of successfully obtaining the nobility increased if the ancestors of the applicant were themselves musketeers and had been in the royal service for many years.

Contrary to popular belief, future musketeers were not required to have "a quarter of noble blood." This requirement was mandatory for the regiments of the Gardes du Corps and chevalegers. In fact, any offspring of raznochintsy capable of leading a "noble lifestyle" could become a musketeer. Louis XIV himself believed that a man whose family could support his unproductive and difficult lifestyle could become a musketeer. In addition, children of musketeers and sons of officers accepted into the Order of St. Louis (which was created in 1683) often became musketeers.

Letters of recommendation were important for any future musketeer. This point is well shown in the book of Dumas. D'Artagnan arrives in Paris with letter of recommendation, written by the father and addressed to De Treville. Family ties also mattered. A potential recruit had a great chance of success if he had an attestation letter written by a relative or friend who had weight in the eyes of the guards or musketeer authorities. The Duke of Saint-Simon's father did exactly what Father D'Artagnan did for his son. He wrote a letter of recommendation to his friend Captain-Lieutenant Maupetrius (1st Musketeer Regiment), in which he asked to accept his son into the ranks of the Musketeers. Very often several relatives served within the same regiment. So, for example, Georges Moneron de la Busier, the brigadier of the 1st regiment, helped five of his nephews enter the service. Brigadier of the 2nd Regiment René-Claude de Girardot, Sir de Lanay, provided places for 7 of his sons and 4 grandchildren. In addition, one of his daughters was married to a musketeer, as a result of which the Girardeau family can be confidently considered the most musketeer family in the history of France. As a result, the image of the Musketeer as a lone hero crumbles under the weight of irrefutable facts. The truth is that many musketeers served in the entourage of their closest relatives.

Review of the guards of the cardinal. 1620s.

PREPARATION FOR BATTLE

After watching movies and reading books, people begin to think that the Musketeers were superbly educated 20-30 summer men, excellent swordsmen, experts in riding, who had courteous manners and served all their lives in the same regiment. However, as I wrote above, not adults initially entered the regiment, but teenagers who were not even 20 years old. The Cadets could read and write a little, knew elementary mathematics, and understood something about geography, history, and science. Young people who had tutors could learn fencing or horseback riding before entering the service.

Most of the time the musketeers spent in the grueling training necessary for spectacular parades. I had to train both on foot (with a sword and musket) and in the saddle (with a sword). The musketeer had to always come to training in his best dress, since the king could watch the exercises. Louis XIV checked his wards at least once a year. At the same time, many trainings were held in the outer courtyard of the Louvre. The Musketeers knew that Louis XIV was well versed in stepping, and were horrified at the mere thought that something could go wrong.

Indeed, sometimes embarrassment occurred during training. In his memoirs, the politician Mirabeau recalled that his grandfather (when he was a teenage musketeer) once found himself on exercises that were observed by the king. Grandpa Mirabeau had very tight shoes. Without hesitation, the musketeer cut them off and only then realized that the black boots contrasted with the red stockings. To solve this problem, the young talent decided to cover the stockings with ink, but the fabric turned not black, but purple. When the king arrived for the exercises, the young man placed his feet in such a way as to hide the stain. This movement caught the eye of Louis XIV. Stopping next to the musketeer, the king remarked: "Your stance is wrong, musketeer." When the musketeer changed position, the king saw the stain and laughed. For grandfather Mirabeau, this case ended happily. The young man continued to serve and eventually became a general.

As for the principles of training, the Duke of Saint-Simon (who was a musketeer during the reign of Louis XIV) believed that endless training demeans the dignity of aristocrats, because they are forced to practice stepping in the same way as regular soldiers and grenadiers. In fact, endless exercises were part of a curriculum that allowed for a short time turn green fighters into skilled and disciplined soldiers.

The sons of officers, who traditionally became cadets, were taught the basics of camp life in military camps and campaigns. In 1622, the first "elements" of the military school began to take root in the regiments, but only during the revival of the musketeers, the primitive "school" turned into a more or less decent "military academy". Within the framework of the academy, there were professors who taught the arts, science and literature to the royal guards. At the same time, it was believed that all the above items were necessary for a musketeer who wants to get a successful military career. After two years of such study, a young musketeer could acquire a captain's rank in an ordinary infantry regiment of the line. If the family had sufficient financial resources, then the young man could acquire an officer rank in a more prestigious musketeer regiment.

TERMS OF SERVICE

The lifestyle of the royal musketeers was in fact the lifestyle of young gentlemen. Each musketeer had at least one servant who came with the master from the provinces and helped him in most undertakings, and also looked after the horse.

In the 17th century, the royal musketeers rented rooms in houses or taverns located near the palace. Their horses were located in nearby stables. Louis XIV changed this situation and built two hotels (barracks) with stables for his pets. The first of these was intended for the musketeers of the first regiment and was located on the Rue du Bac in the district of Saint-Germain. The hotel consisted of three elegant buildings, inside which was located an open courtyard. The Hotel of the Second Regiment was built in 1708 on the Rue Sharenton in the suburb of Saint-Antoine. This hotel included four buildings (340 rooms with hearths). Thus, each musketeer, along with his servants, lived in a well-heated room. Inside the hotel there was also an open courtyard - a great place for training, parades and horse exercises. It is worth noting that the Musketeers had to spend the nights inside the hotels, it was possible to sleep outside the barracks with prior permission from the lieutenant commander. A detachment of four musketeers was under the supervision of a brigadier or sub-brigadier. The care of the horses was carried out by the musketeers in turn. This approach was really important, for the musketeers had to be good riders, and they had to understand the manner of horses, both in battle and in peacetime.

After the king moved to Versailles in 1682, the Musketeers also changed their place of residence and settled in the Hotel Limoges, which was located on Rue Skeu, near the palace gates. Near the hotel there was an excellent arena for horses. In addition, the Musketeers were allowed to visit the royal gardens in their free time.

During the war, the musketeers lived in the houses of local residents, which, in theory, should have had two sleeping places (for the musketeer and his servant), as well as a stable that could fit two horses. Such an introduction could lead to conflict, since the musketeer counted on big house while the host family was unwilling to share anything with a stranger. Theoretically, the owners of the house were afraid of excesses and thefts on the part of the musketeers. However, often the situation developed in the opposite way. For example, in 1730, a detachment of musketeers stopped in Namur. The Marquis de Chifreville, Ensign of the 2nd Company, stated that the widow Le Roy did not allow him to use the kitchen, dining room and study, while the horses inside the stable were uncomfortable to stand due to barrels scattered everywhere. Another officer, Viscount Canillac, noticed that his master refused to give a room to a servant, despite the fact that the house was full of empty rooms. It also happened that the owners refused guests in rooms with fireplaces or reduced the number of free beds.

INSPECTION OF ROYAL RECRUITTS, 1625-30

The young nobleman, who became a musketeer, radically changed his lifestyle. After joining the regiment, he learned to fence, shoot a musket, manage a horse with the help of skilled teachers who had direct combat experience. Musketeers had to be agile and strong, they needed intelligence and ingenuity to succeed, both in the service and during a combat encounter with a real enemy. At the same time, many Musketeers were no more than teenagers of 17 years of age.

In the image you can see a recruit of a musketeer regiment, in whose hands is a matchlock musket. His blue cloak hides a vault for bullets and gunpowder. Note that the musket was used mainly for shooting at a distance, while in close combat, the musketeers used swords. In the background are experienced musketeers who are mentors to the recruit. A little time will pass and the young man shown in the picture will face numerous dangers. real life that will temper his spirit and character in the best musketeer traditions.

UNIFORM OF THE ROYAL MUSKETEERS, 1657-64

When the regiment of royal musketeers was restored (January 1657), its fighters again put blue cloaks with white crosses on their shoulders, imitating the first musketeer call. In the image you can see a musketeer in combat uniforms. It was in this form that the musketeers fought during the Battle of the Dunes (or the Battle of Dunkirk in 1658), this is how they looked during the arrest of the Superintendent of Finance Nicolas Fouquet (French oligarch and politician in 1661, was arrested by D'Artagnan as the organizer of the conspiracy, directed against the king).

In fact, at the time of the Musketeers there was no real uniform, but a certain unity of style was achieved through the unity of decorative elements and elements of clothing. For a musketeer, this meant that he had to wear a blue cloak, in the center of which was a red radiant sun, over which a white cross was embroidered. Unfortunately, we do not have an exact description of this element, and different sources describe the musketeer symbol in different ways. So, for example, in some manuscripts it is said that the solar disk was not red, but golden. In other cases, it is argued that there was still a red sun, but only the fighters of the oldest and most distinguished companies wore it. The edging of the cloak was made of silver thread. Musketeers bought the rest of their clothes on their own and at their own expense.

The "musketeer sword" was usually a rapier with a brass hilt and a wide, long blade. In addition to this, the musketeer was armed with a flintlock musket and two pistols, which most of the time were in holsters strapped to the saddle.

(c) Ilya Sadchikov
Sourced from Rene Chartrand. Osprey - Warrior 168 - French Musketeers 1622-1775

Who were the king's musketeers, their history, battles and life

Thanks to the wonderful writer Alexandre Dumas, the royal musketeers of France are world famous, but at the same time they are shrouded in an endless number of clichés and myths coming from very unhistorical adaptations that have already exceeded a hundred. However, the history of the Royal Musketeer companies is much more interesting than any TV series or feature films.

The history of these units began long before the 17th century and dates back to the times described by another great writer Walter Scott in the historical novel Quentin Dorward. In 1445, Charles VII acquired a personal guard, consisting of hundreds of Scots shooters, the king's personal guard changed over time, and in 1593 a company of light cavalry (carabinieri) appeared as part of the guard. Louis XIII, who loved military affairs in 1622, rearmed a detachment of carabinieri with muskets and he became a company of mounted musketeers, which separated from 1629 into an independent unit. This year can be considered the year of the formation of the company of royal musketeers, familiar to everyone from books and films.

In essence, the royal musketeers (fr. Mousquetaires de la maison militaire du roi de France) were initially the external guards of the palace and were obliged to accompany the monarch on any trips outside the palace. They were lower in status than the personal guards of the king, but they were recruited exclusively from the guards, where only impeccable nobles with a two-hundred-year history of the family fell. The transition to the musketeers was a significant increase, the prestige of service in the musketeer companies is evidenced by the fact that even the Polish king Jan Sobieski did not disdain to serve as a musketeer in his youth.

Actually, as the name implies, the musketeer had to use, first of all, a musket, that is, a muzzle-loading long-barreled small arms, this is the only weapon that was given by the king, the rest was bought at his own expense. The musket is a heavy (up to 9 kg) and long (up to 1400 mm) small arms, as a rule, fired from it from a bipod, having a pad for the shoulder, there is no need to talk about the accuracy and accuracy of the battle, they were compensated by volley fire and caliber - at a distance of 200 m musket bullet pierced the cuirass, an individual target could be hit at a distance of up to 50 m. extremely accurate, the archer was armed with an arquebus squeaker, therefore, strictly speaking, he was a colleague of a musketeer - an arquebusier). In one of the pieces there was a powder pulp for transferring fire to the charge, and in the rest - the powder charges themselves (a fire potion), a bag of bullets and a wick were hung from the sling. Natruski were wooden, copper or bone, so they made a noise when moving, they were placed in bags to covertly approach the enemy. Reloading required several minutes, so the musketeers, as a rule, used edged weapons more, and the royal musketeers were considered mediocre snipers at all. Optionally there were a couple of saddle pistols. Over time, the musket turned into a ceremonial weapon, and the musketeers used a gun purchased from own funds.




The main offensive-defensive complex of the musketeer was edged weapons. The musketeer was armed with a combat sword, common for that time, which is, in fact, a thin sword, about 1000 mm long or slightly longer and weighing from 1 to 1.5 kg. They preferred to act with a sword, because with it it was possible to prove their true courage, with a sword the musketeers heroically burst into the bastions, inspiring legitimate awe in the enemy. Fencing and horse riding were taught both by relatives and in regiments, as well as numerous legal and illegal schools and brilliant academies, such as the Pluvinel Academy. A sword with a "Musketeer's" cross and some ceremonial specimens appeared at sunset of the Musketeers' mouths, they look very picturesque, but are just as uncharacteristic as the Spanish "Casoleta", for some reason often passed off as "Musketeers". Less often, in the equestrian formation, the musketeers used a cavalry broadsword.

Necessarily during the time of their formation and heyday, the musketeers carried a dagu with them - a long dagger, they held it in their left hand and they basically took a blow from a sword on it. As a rule, the daga is forgotten even in very competent reconstructions and is not depicted as a weapon for a musketeer, however, a daga is a very characteristic weapon for a musketeer. Daga is an echo of just a sword fight, when there was no fencing as such, the swords did not touch each other, and the blow of the sword was taken on the shield (mainly because of the fear of damaging the expensive and fragile blade). To some extent, the daga is a development of the shield or fist shield and plate glove, and the daga was also used as an independent weapon in close combat, especially in hand-to-hand combat.



It is rarely mentioned that the armament of the musketeers was supplemented by a baguette, that is, a bayonet. The baguette or bayonet appeared in 1647 and was initially inserted into the barrel of a musket, allowing at least some resistance to cavalry and pikemen, although it was not very popular among the troops, preference was given to a sword and broadsword.
The musketeers had their own form, or rather an element of the form, the famous azure cloak with a cross. This short cloak was called a kazakin and, in fact, was a coat of arms, like the Crusaders, showing belonging to one or another overlord or order. The cloak was sheathed along the edges with silver galloons, in front, behind and on the sides of the musketeer's cloak there were velvet white crosses with royal golden lilies at the ends. The first company had four scarlet shamrocks in the corners of the cross, the second company had silver ones, the companies also differed in the color of the horses: the first - a gray company had white horses or gray dapples, the second - a black company of black horses. In later times, a red uniform was introduced, where the gray musketeers had a gold lace around the cuffs, on the hat, on the hem of the camisole and on the bottom of the pistol saddle holster, the black musketeers of the second company, respectively, had a silver lace. Treads relied on black leather, a black hat with white feathers, azure Cossack raincoats were replaced in 1688 with azure super vests (sleeveless jackets).


Until a rigid uniform was introduced, under the Cossacks issued by the king, the musketeer wore any clothing available to him within his means. Bandages of gold embroidery, Lile, Milanese, Brabant and Brussels lace richly decorated the clothes of musketeers. Also, an invariable attribute of the musketeers was a wide-brimmed Felt hat with ostrich feathers and a metal cup inside, it both shaped and wore a purely utilitarian purpose of protecting the head like a helmet in combat conditions. The hat was not removed either indoors or at the table, except when greeting a lady, gloves, as a rule, were also not removed either at the table or in battle. The musketeer wore shoes, changing shoes for hiking in over the knee boots and wore spurs even without a horse.

As already mentioned, there were two companies of royal musketeers, black musketeers appeared much later. At first there were a hundred ordinary musketeers of the first, or rather then the only company, the king himself was a captain since 1634, there were still two lieutenants and four cornets. The first company commander was Captain Jean de Berard, Chevalier, Marquis de Montale, and then the actual commander, who held the rank of Lieutenant Commander, was Jean-Armand de Peyret, from 1643 Comte de Troyville, better known as de Treville. From 1646 to 1657, the company was disbanded by Cardinal Mazarin, but was restored by the king and its lieutenant, and then Charles de Batz de Castelmore, better known as the Comte d'Artagnan, becomes lieutenant commander. He expands the company from one hundred and twenty to two hundred and fifty people, sometimes the staff reaches three hundred and thirty people. Previously, the Musketeers lodged wherever they could, now the "House of the Musketeers" is being created on Sharaton Street, their first barracks. A second company of musketeers is being formed, for some time even considered more prestigious than the first, privates served six months a year, four officers, three lieutenant commanders, arbitrarily distributing service time, but everyone was required to be in the theater of operations during the war. By the end of the reign of Louis XIV, each company had two hundred and fifty privates in the state and began to serve in inner chambers palace, being already a personal guard. In 1746, the Royal Musketeers took part for the last time at the Battle of Fontenoy and were disbanded on December 15, 1775 due to financial difficulties kingdoms. Attempts to revive the companies of musketeers were unsuccessful; on January 1, 1816, the royal musketeers were finally eliminated.

Musketeers: 1. Drummer and oboist, 1622 2. Musketeer of the king and guardsman of the cardinal, 1646 3. Oboe player, 1660 5. Uniform of the 1st company musketeers in 1676 6. Uniform of the 1st company musketeers in 1685 10. Breastplate, 18th century.

Musketeers became famous not only for battles, but also often participated in political arrests and repressions, suppression of peasant uprisings, duels, scams, intrigues, brawls and obscene behavior, popular despite the edicts prohibiting edicts. D'Artagnan in particular, although he made a brilliant military career, showing himself to be a desperate brave man, becoming a "field marshal" (major general), however, he was mainly engaged in assignments of cardinals, political intrigues and arrests, he is famous, for example, for the illegal and unreasonable arrest of the Minister of Finance Fouquet (envying the completely legitimate wealth of Fouquet, the king ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the minister, his property was confiscated and Nicola Fouquet spent the last 15 years of his life imprisoned in Pignerol Castle, after which he was acquitted, although he remained ruined and slandered). Duels were popular both in France and among the musketeers, and there was no question of observing any rules of the dueling code - opponents were intentionally maimed (chopped off their noses, cheeks, hands), used ambushes, finished off, used firearms against cold. Needless to say, with a rather modest content, the Musketeers ate "Gascon cuisine", and these are: cheese, bread, scrambled eggs and a lot of sour Burgundy wine. Therefore, the widespread drunken fights and brawls of the musketeers were widely known, even real street battles happened with dozens of dead and wounded. This happened at the drinking houses, of which there were a lot, there were also cheap priestesses of love in a large assortment, there were also a lot of them in the barracks. Women easily entered the barracks by dressing as men, because according to the then standards of beauty, women had to be small and thin, and a tall musketeer was considered 175 cm, so often lived in the barracks under the guise of servants of a kept woman and simply prostitutes. Big scandals were also caused by sodomy in the barracks, quite common among the musketeers and in general in Parisian society. The musketeer companies were replenished with provincial youths who quickly absorbed bad inclinations and, despite the efforts of their father commanders to educate them and teach them manners, the moral character of the musketeers left much to be desired, they were considered completely uncontrollable.




During its existence, the Musketeers distinguished themselves in numerous wars and battles. In fact, in terms of tactics, they were dragoons - that is, infantry on horseback, their task was to arrive on horseback at the battlefield, dismount and fight on foot. Occasionally they used caracol - that is, to ride horses to the enemy’s ranks, discharge pistols or muskets into it and give way to the next ones in order to calm environment reload and repeat the attack, such tactics were more typical for reiters. Despite the fact that the protection of the king was considered the main function, nevertheless, the musketeers, as well as the guards of the cardinal, fought a lot and successfully, in particular, having carried out many successful sieges, in one of them, at Maastricht, on June 25, 1673, d'Artagnan was killed , according to Lord Alington, with a bullet to the head. The musketeers won their first big victory on November 8, 1627 in the battle on the island of Re, then at La Rochelle and Dunkirk, after which they fell in love with the king for their gaiety and courage in battle, as well as Cardinal Richilieu, who preferred to use effective troops as often as possible. Musketeers participated in battles with almost all European states and peoples, in particular in the Thirty Years' War, the war with the Turks, the Dutch War, the wars for the English, Palatinate, Spanish and Polish inheritance, the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763, which unfolded from the Caribbean to the Philippine Islands, and often referred to as the First World War.

Musketeer costume

In the fashion of the 17th century, d'Artagnan wore a wide-brimmed felt hat with a bunch of lush feathers on his head. The brave musketeer wore it not only on the street, but did not take it off indoors, and often did not part with it even at the table. D'Artagnan pulled his hat over his ear, over his forehead, or twisted it at the back of his head. - It depended on whether he wanted to give his appearance an expression of anger, good nature or daring.

The hair from under the hat fell to the very shoulders, but this did not mean at all that the hero of the novel had a magnificent head of hair. Shortly before d'Artagnan's arrival in Paris, the bald King Louis XIII began wearing a wig. The fashion for wigs quickly spread among the courtiers.

D'Artagnan was wearing a doublet. It was fastened only on the chest, and long, widening downwards, the floors bristled at the hips. A large lace collar and lace cuffs were let out from under the camisole.

Short trousers, decorated with many bows, ended with garters for long stockings. The garters were the special pride of the gentleman, they were made of lace and hung with a fringe below the knees. In order for the garters to be visible, the wide tops of the boots had huge bells.

“Monsieur d'Artagnan is in the company of the guards of Monsieur Dezessard, and this gentleman is a musketeer from the company of Monsieur de Treville. Look at his clothes, commissar, look at his clothes!” Monsieur Bonacieux exclaims in the novel.

You might think that the clothes of a musketeer were different from the uniform of a guardsman. Nothing like this.

In the first half of the 17th century, military uniforms did not yet exist, and even the soldiers of the warring armies did not always distinguish their own by clothing.

Only at the end of the 17th century, during the period described in the novel "10 years later", musketeers of various companies began to wear camisoles of different colors - red, gray, blue. Prior to this, the musketeer could only be distinguished by the small letter "L" ("Louis - King of France"), embroidered on clothes.

In the novel, the king's musketeers compete with the guards of Cardinal Richelieu. Usually in the drawings, the guardsmen are depicted with crosses on their cloaks, but this sign was also introduced much later, when Richelieu was no longer alive.

From the book Following the heroes of the books author Brodsky Boris Ionovich

Musketeer Weapon A musketeer is a soldier armed with a musket. The musket, the ancestor of the gun, was so heavy that for a shot it was necessary to put it on a special stand - a bipod. When firing, the musket hit the shoulder with such force that the musketeers had to put under

From the book Following the heroes of the books author Brodsky Boris Ionovich

Ceremonial costume Ceremonial toilets of the 17th century gave guests a prim, important, and magnificent look. The ribs and waist of women were pulled together by a corset on metal straps. From this, the upper part of the body became like a glass. The skirt looked like a bell. To make it possible

From the book Everyday Life in Europe in 1000 the author Ponyon Edmond

The suit of a rich lord We know what the men's suit was, usual for the royal court, from the description of the same ubiquitous Raoul Glaber: “About the year 1000, when King Robert had just married Queen Constance, who

author Pasturo Michel

Men's suit In the morning, the seigneur put on a bree shirt, chausses shoes, pelisson and blio. If he was going to leave, then a cloak, headdress and boots were added to this. Going to war, over ordinary clothes, he put on military equipment. Brae -

From the book Everyday Life in France and England at the Time of the Knights of the Round Table author Pasturo Michel

Women's costume Most of the elements of the women's costume did not differ in their purpose or cut from what men wore. However, an even greater abundance of fabrics and colors, as well as patterns and accessories, reigned here. However, women did not wear bree, but they deftly

From the book Great Secrets of Civilizations. 100 stories about the mysteries of civilizations author Mansurova Tatiana

Three Musketeers It is interesting that the friends of the brave Gascon - Athos, Porthos and Aramis - also turned out to be uninvented. However, the glorious four could only communicate for a few brief months in 1643. In December of this year, in one of the countless skirmishes, Armand was mortally wounded.

From the book Scandals of the Soviet Era the author Razzakov Fedor

Musketeers-scandals ("D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers") During the filming of the famous TV blockbuster "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers" there were many scandals. I will describe only a few. The first scandal happened at the very beginning of filming - in April 1978: then the actors rebelled.

From the book Greece and Rome [The evolution of military art over 12 centuries] author Connolly Peter

Roman military costume This series of drawings illustrates the development of Roman military costume and armor from the 1st century BC. BC. according to the III century. AD, made by the author of the book with the help of H. Russell Robinson for the Central Romano-Germanic Museum in Mainz. Figures 18 and 19 are added to

From the book 100 great treasures author Ionina Nadezhda

Jade costume of Prince Liu Shen Stone carving is one of the oldest types applied arts China. For carving, skillful Chinese stone cutters used jasper, jade, and jadeite, similar in color to it. And besides them, also agate, chalcedony, rock crystal, amethyst and

From the book Greece and Rome, an encyclopedia of military history author Connolly Peter

Roman military costume This series of drawings illustrates the development of Roman military costume and armor from the 1st century BC. BC. according to the III century. AD, made by the author of the book with the help of H. Russell Robinson for the Central Romano-Germanic Museum in Mainz. Figures 18 and 19 are added to

From the book A Short Age of a Brilliant Empire author Shirokorad Alexander Borisovich

Chapter 1. How the "Three Musketeers" got scared of the R-5M Egyptian pharaohs. In the 19th century, French and Italian engineers took up the design of the canal in earnest. Former French Vice Consul

From the book Rise of sunken ships author Gorz Joseph

DIVING SUIT WITH A HARD HELMET In 1837, Siebe significantly improved his invention. Now the waterproof suit covered the entire body of the diver (except for the hands), the legs were shod in galoshes, equipped with heavy weights, and the graduation cap installed in the helmet

From the book Daily Life of the People of the Bible author Shuraki Andre

Women's costume With the exception of the "ephod" and "adderet", women wear the same clothes as men. However, the difference in women's and men's fashion is still noticeable, since the law prescribes to distinguish gender in clothes. The differences are in the quality and color of fabrics, length, decoration and cut.

From the book Farewell, Russia! author Chiesa Giulietto

Chapter 3. The Four Musketeers So, it's time to get acquainted with the four musketeers of the reform, knights without fear and reproach, who secretly settled in room 1120 on the eleventh floor of the Moscow President Hotel. We already know the name of one - Richard Dresner. This

From the book Mayan People author Rus Alberto

Women's costume Regarding women, Landa reports that "the Indians of the coast of the provinces of Bacalar and Campeche are very modest in their costume, since in addition to the veil that they wore from the middle of the body down, they covered their breasts with a folded cloth, tying it under the armpits; all

From the book Amazons, Savromats, Sarmatians - a debunked myth. Version 1.1 author Sevryugin Sergey Anatolievich

Chuvash women's costume Many famous scientists wrote about the Chuvash women's costume: G. And Nikitin with T. A. Kryukov - the book "Chuvash folk art", 1960; A. A. Trofimov with E. D. Medzhitova - the book "Chuvash folk art", 1981. Great