"I have seen his eminence Monsieur le Cardinal de Richelieu, and his eminence Monsieur le Cardinal de Mazarin; the one was a red politician, the other a black politician; I have never felt very much more satisfaction with the one than with the other; the first struck off the heads of M.de Marillac, M.de Thou, M.de Cinq-Mars, M.Chalais, M.de Boutteville, and M.de Montmorency; the second got a whole crowd of Frondeurs cut in pieces, and we belonged to them." "On the contrary, we did not belong to them," said D'Artagnan.
"Oh! indeed, yes; for, if I unsheathed my sword for the cardinal, I struck for the king." "Dear Porthos!" "Well, I have done.

My dread of politics is such, that if there is any question of politics in the matter, I should far sooner prefer to return to Pierrefonds." "You would be quite right if that were the case.

But with me, dear Porthos, no politics at all, that is quite clear.

You have labored hard in fortifying Belle-Isle; the king wished to know the name of the clever engineer under whose directions the works were carried on; you are modest, as all men of true genius are; perhaps Aramis wishes to put you under a bushel.

But I happen to seize hold of you; I make it known who you are; I produce you; the king rewards you; and that is the only policy I have to do with." "And the only one I will have to do with either," said Porthos, holding out his hand to D'Artagnan.
But D'Artagnan knew Porthos' grasp; he knew that once imprisoned within the baron's five fingers, no hand ever left it without being half-crushed.