'Because we did not bother to use the trenches, as cowards would've done, we reached the site of the fighting from a direction where the Dutch hadn't bothered to post proper defenses. All of us – French Musketeers, English bastards and gigolos, and Vagabond-messengers – got there at the same instant. But we could only advance through an opening just wide enough to admit one man at a time. D'Artagnan got there first and stood in the path of the Duke of Monmouth himself and begged him in the most gallant and polite French way not to go through that dangerous pass. Monmouth insisted. D'Artagnan consented – but only on the condition that he, D'Artagnan, should go through first. He did just that, and got shot in the head. The others advanced over him and went on to win ridiculous glory, while I stayed behind to look after D'Artagnan.'