Illustration from Dumas' Vicomte, 1910 | ©Public domainDo you know the famous novel written by French writer Alexandre Dumas, Le vicomte de Bragelonne (″Viscount of Bragelonne″)?
It’s the part II of the ″Three Musketeers″, which introduces Raoul de Bragelonne, Athos’ son.
Well, Dumas probably drew his inspiration from a lord of le Saussay: Nicolas de Bragelone (with a single ″n″)!
In the novel, Raoul died at war, out of spite. Damned! Because his love Louise de La Vallière ditched him and became Louis XIV’s mistress…
Athos his dad died, inconsolable. Oh, but, Nicolas’ life looked exactly like the viscount’s one!
Because Nicolas really fell madly in love with Louise. But the young thing snubbed him and preferred Louis XIV’s arms…
″I can’t compete with a rival like that...″ sighed our poor Nicolas. Crushed by sorrows, he went to war… and never came back!
