The four Musketeers take service under Cardinal Mazarin, the power behind the throne of Louis XIV. They aid him in the insurrection of the Fronde, and he sends them to England to aid Cromwell. Instead they attempt to rescue Charles I. of England from the block. In this they are foiled by the son of the Milady. Returning to France they are imprisoned by the Cardinal, but soon reverse the situation by imprisoning him; he ransoms himself by giving the four Musketeers rewards and dignities.
This is the second in a trilogy which consists of three novels: Les Trois Mousquetaires, Vingt Ans Après (Twenty Years After), and Le Vicomte de Bragelonne ou Dix Ans Plus Tard (Ten Years Later).
This third novel is often split up into three pieces
when published in English: The Vicomte of Bragelonne, Louise de la Vallière, and The Man in the Iron Mask.
Oeuvres/Related Works L'évasion du Duc de Beaufort - Boston, D. C. Heath, n.d., an intermediate French text for English speakers. Taken from Vingt ans après. Dumas père, Alexandre: Twenty Years After - Available from amazon.com (expensive paperback) Dumas père, Alexandre: Twenty Years After - Available from amazon.com (hardcover) Dumas père, Alexandre: Twenty Years After - Available from amazon.com (cheap paperback) Twenty Years After - New York, P. F. Collier & Son, n.d., The Works of Alexandre Dumas in Thirty Volumes (vol. 13), blue cloth, gilt spine
From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: Another of Dumas' great historical romances. It is the first sequel to "Les Trois Mousquetaires," being followed in its turn by "Le Vicomte de Bragelonne." It deals with the Fronde and the execution of Charles I. Period 1648-1649.
It was written in collaboration with Maquet.
As a serial it appeared first in "Le Siècle," which had asked for a feuilleton. Dumas suggested a sequel to "Les Trois Mousquetaires," which had appeared in that journal, but the feuilleton editor declined on the plea that the public had read enough about the musketeers and desired no more. Then Dumas went in search of Desnoyers ; he was strolling in his garden after dinner ; to him, as they walked, Dumas related the entire story of his projected serial, not one word of which had yet been put upon paper ; the director immediately accepted it, and, as one knows, it thoroughly satisfied his subscribers.
Original edition : Paris, Baudry, 10 vols., 8vo., 1845. Pp. 332, 334, 334, 319, 324, 315, 312, 312, 296, 302, each with a page of table of contents in addition. The romance finishes on page 221 of the last volume, which is completed by the article on "Giorgione" from the "Histoire des Peintres," 1845,
Second edition : Paris, Michel Lévy Frères, 8 vols., 8vo., 1846.
First illustrated edition : Paris, J. B. Fellens et L. P. Dufour, 1 vol., large 8vo., 1846. Half-title, title and pp. 595; on the verso of the last leaf is found the classification of the 37 woodcuts not included in the text ; they are by Marckl, Gruerin, Coppin, Wattier, etc.
Paris, Louis Conard, 3 vols., 1923—, with woodcuts by Dutertre from designs by Fred-Money.
It now occupies three volumes in the standard Calmann-Lévy edition, three in their illustrated series, and one in their "Musée Littéraire." In Le Vasseur's "Alexandre Dumas Illustré" it forms part of Vol. I.
References :—
Dumas: Causerie on "Le Fils Naturel," in "Le Monte-Cristo," No. for January 21st, 1858. Quérard: "Supercheries Littéraires Dévoilées," Vol. I., Columns 1103-1105. Parran: "Bibliographie d'Alex. Dumas," page 52.
Simon (Gustave): "Histoire d'une Collaboration : Dumas et Maquet."
"Blackwood's Magazine," No. for November, 1845. [vol 58, page 596]
And some of the references listed under "Les Trois Mousquetaires."
Principal English Translations :—
"Twenty Years After; or, the Further Feats and Fortunes of a Gascon Adventurer," forming Vols. 3 and 4 of the "Library of Foreign Romances," London, 1846. Contains the chapter "Goodman Broussel."
"Cromwell and Mazarin," in 22 Penny Nos., London, Vickers, 184—.
"Cardinal Mazarin," London, Clarke, 1856.
"Cardinal Mazarin; or, Twenty Years After;" Vol. 148 of the "Parlour Library;" London, Simms and Macintyre (later Hodgson), 1847.
"Twenty Years After;" London, Routledge, translated by W. Robson, pp. vi., 530, 1856. This has been frequently reprinted but is not in the "Aramis Series," which is mainly the Parlour Library text.
"Twenty Years After;" London, Dicks, 24 illustrations, pp. 285, 1890.
"Twenty Years After;" London, Walter Scott, new translation by H. L. Williams, pp. 383, post 8vo., 1893.
"Twenty Years After;" London, Dent, 2 vols., cr. 8vo., illustrated, 1894. Reprinted, same firm, 1906 and 1926.
"Twenty Years After;" London, Walter Scott, translated from the latest French edition, illustrated by F. T. Merrill, cr. 8vo., pp. 806, 1896.
"Twenty Years After;" London, Methuen, 8vo., sewed, 1903. Another edition, cloth, with coloured plates by F. Adams, 1904. Reprinted, same firm, 18mo., 1924.
"Twenty Years After;" London, Collins, 12mo., pp. 720, illustrated, 1909.
"Twenty Years After;" London, Sampson Low, 2 vols., 1912.
"Twenty Years After;" London, Harrap, coloured plates by H. Wheelwright, royal 8vo., pp. 781, 1923.
From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: A strange vicissitude befell this work in being transferred from serial issue to volumes. The earliest pirated Belgian printing known to me has the numeration of its chapters jumbled. If this was the case also in "Le Siècle" from which it was drawn (and I know of other works which show similar errors), it probably explains why the first Paris publisher, Baudry, became confused and dropped out this chapter through overlooking the two similarly numbered sections. Whether this is correct or not, the fact remains that all Belgian printings known to me, and both the first two illustrated French editions include this chapter, which is entitled "Le Bonhoimme Broussel;" while all the other known French editions lack it.
English translations indicate whether taken from a Belgian or French publication by the inclusion or omission of this "Goodman Broussel" chapter. The only issue now in print contains it is that of Warne, it being a full reprinting of William Barrow's fine first translation. (It was my friend Mr. I. H. Slater who drew my attention to this unusual chapter in Warne's issue.)
