Twenty Years After Chapter 16 Summary

Summary

One evening Cardinal Mazarin, passing the guard-chamber on his way to the queen, overhears the guards discussing a prophecy by a man named Coysel that the Duc de Beaufort will escape from Vincennes before Whitsuntide. Some guards scoff while others insist fate cannot be thwarted; Mazarin, who is superstitious, takes the warning to heart. He questions the men and learns the prophecy has been taken seriously among the sentries, and that talk of the duke’s escape has unsettled even the cardinal.

Mazarin returns to his rooms troubled and summons Bernouin to check the special guard around the Duke. La Ramee, the officer in charge at Vincennes, comes to reassure Mazarin: the duke is confined in a strong donjon, with thick walls, iron-grated windows, and eight guards constantly present. La Ramee praises his deputy Grimaud — silent, severe, and recommended by the steward of the Duc de Grammont — asserting that there is no likely way for the prisoner to escape. Mazarin, however, cannot shake his fear; he fears both the duke's potential escape and the hatred Beaufort would feel toward him if he obtained freedom. After consulting the queen, who shares his superstition, Mazarin resolves to redouble precautions and writes to summon D'Artagnan back to Paris to assist with the matter.

Key events

1. Mazarin overhears guards discussing Coysel’s prophecy about the Duc de Beaufort escaping.
2. Guards argue whether prophecies can be prevented by precautions; one invokes destiny.
3. Mazarin questions the guards and sends for Bernouin to review Vincennes’ guard.
4. La Ramee visits Mazarin and insists the prison and its guards (including Grimaud) are secure.
5. Mazarin confides his fears to the queen and decides to increase surveillance.
6. Mazarin writes to D'Artagnan, asking him to hasten his return to Paris.

Analysis

This chapter heightens tension by shifting focus from the imprisoned Duc de Beaufort to the anxieties of those who hold power, especially Mazarin. The overheard prophecy operates as a narrative inciting incident: it awakens long-standing fears and prompts concrete action (recalling D'Artagnan). The scene demonstrates how rumor and superstition can alter political behavior; Mazarin’s Italian superstition and secret dread of losing control make him susceptible to the soldiers’ talk, exposing his insecurity despite his position. The chapter also establishes defensive measures as a motif — walls, bars, perpetual watch — juxtaposed with the idea of destiny, which suggests limits to human control.

Character-wise, Mazarin’s mixture of vanity, paranoia, and political calculation comes through: he promises rewards to secure loyalty (pistoles, uniforms) while privately fretting. La Ramee’s confident descriptions of Vincennes and Grimaud’s stern, nearly mute presence provide a counterpoint: institutional order and personal vigilance. The narrative technique is close third-person focusing on Mazarin’s reactions, letting the reader see how a rumor becomes policy. The prophecy functions symbolically to foreshadow unrest and to probe themes of fate versus agency; at the same time, the chapter structurally prepares the reader for forthcoming mobility (the recall of D'Artagnan) and possible confrontation around Beaufort’s imprisonment.

Important quotes

“if Coysel says loud enough for the cardinal to hear him, on such or such a day such a prisoner will escape, ’tis plain that the cardinal will take measures of precaution and that the prisoner will not escape.”

GuardA guard explains why speaking a prophecy aloud would cause authorities to prevent it, prompting Mazarin's interest.

“if it is written yonder, in Heaven, that the Duc de Beaufort is to escape, he will escape; and all the precautions of the cardinal will not prevent it.”

Sleeping guard (speaking suddenly)This expression of fatalism startles Mazarin and seeds his deeper anxiety about Beaufort's confinement.

“I shall still take precautions.”

MazarinMazarin's response after consulting La Ramee and the queen, resolving to tighten surveillance and summon help.

Characters in Chapter 16

• Mazarin
• Coysel
• Saint Laurent
• Bernouin
• La Ramee
• Duc de Beaufort
• Duc de Chavigny
• Grimaud
• Anne of Austria
• D'Artagnan