D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

PREFACE. ii maker,” is unknown land—even at our later day! Portu- gal! the Peninsular! the great rival of Old Spain in conquering the New World. The European Hermit- Kingdom! It was a flash of genius which shot itself in- to this dark, mysterious corner, brimming with surprises, and revealed how much passion, courage, humor, and sterling virtues struggled from the tempestuous coast to the debated capital. But on this crude stone D’Artagnan sharpens his sword and his wit; he meets unaccustomed foes, but defeats them as if familiar with their attacks; he inspirits the dul- lards, he enchants the sluggards, he thrills the masses, and bears off the crown—to give it to the heir with that loyalty and self-sacrifice peculiar to the lion-hearted gentleman-of-fortune. Alone, his Quixotic Restoration of the Braganzas would be satiety of mental feasting, but allied with him in his exploits is the choicest spirit of the ‘‘Four Musket- eers’! Porthos! ‘‘Our good Porthos!’ whose rich humor, smooth patience, unfaltering friendship, and mighty fist make him so cheery that many a reader, divided in ad- miration and affection, cries, enraptured: ‘‘If I were not D’Artagnan, I would I were Porthos!” In the same way that Dumas’ devotees journey to Marseilles and scratch their names on the wall of ‘‘Monte Christo’s’” cell (that prisoner only existing in Dumas’ mind), so may we expect the readers of this engaging and instructive story to travel—in the spirit—along the course of its pages where the ‘‘Kingmaker’”’ brings the true monarch to the audaciously recovered throne. Portugal, in this work, becomes another memorial to the vernal writer, a stranger now to no land, an idol to every appreciative reader. H. L. W. (E(0) MmIGDOO KS ie =}