Louis XIV absorbed all the smaller stars of his court in his own vast radianbsp;but his father, a sun PLURIBUS IMPAR, left his personal splendor to eabsp;of his favorites, his individual value to eabsp;of his courtiers. In addition to the leeves of the king and the cardinal, there might be reed in Paris at that time more than two hundred smaller but still hy leeves. Among the two hundred leeves, that of Treville was one of the most sought.
The court of his hotel, situated in the Rue du Vieux-bier, rembled a camp from by six o''clobsp;in the m in summer and eight o''clobsp;in winter. From fifty to sixty Musketeers, who appeared to replabsp;one another in order always to prent an imposing number, paraded stantly, armed to the teeth and ready for anything. On one of tho immen staircas, upon who spabsp;modern civilization would build a whole hou, asded and desded the offibsp;ekers of Paris, who ran after any sort of faventlemen from the provinbsp;anxious to be enrolled, and rvants in all sorts of liveries, bringing and carrying messages between their masters and M. de Treville. In the antechamber, upon long circular benches, repod the elebsp;that is to say, tho who were called. In this apartment a tinued buzzing prevailed from m till night, while M. de Treville, in his offibsp;tiguous to this antechamber, received visits, listened to plaints, gave his orders, and like the king in his baly at the Louvre, had only to plabsp;himlf at the window to review both his men and arms.