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The Man in the Iron Mask Chapter Five: Where, Probably, Molière Formed His First Idea of the Bourgeois Gentillhomme Summary

  • Porthos is radiantly happy with this visit to Percerin. Aramis shakes hands with Porthos, then asks Molière if he is ready to go to St. Mande.
  • Porthos is astonished that Aramis is planning to hang out with an apprentice tailor.
  • D'Artagnan and Aramis reveal to Porthos that Molière is actually one of Percerin's chief clerks and a member of the Epicureans.
  • Aramis and Molière leave.
  • D'Artagnan asks how the fitting went.
  • Porthos is in rapture. He says that they first tried to find a dressmaker's dummy of the same size. He interrupts the story to say that he must remember Molière's name. D'Artagnan tells him that Molière is also known as Poquelin.
  • Porthos says he will use Molière, and remember the name by thinking of Voliere (which means aviary in French).
  • Porthos tells D'Artagnan that Molière then used a mirror to take his measurements. As he tells the story, he keeps calling the tailor "Voliere."
  • Molière had Porthos throw himself on guard – because a suit shouldn't constrain its wearer even when said wearer is fighting.
  • Finally, Porthos gives up on the Volière business and tries calling him Poquelin. He has no better success at this.
  • He tells D'Artagnan that Molière had some lads support his arm, which was starting to get tired of being in fight position.
  • Porthos is very proud of being the first to have his measurements taken in such a manner.
  • The two men leave Percerin's house, and the narrator directs our attention to St. Mande.