In Dumas’s historical biography “Henry IV,” we are shown the childhood, adolescence, maturity, and death of the great French king. This is not official chronicles of battles and state affairs, but the memories of those who were near the king and knew him not only as a monarch, but as a person. Before us passes the whole life of Henry IV—from birth to his death—an unusual, vivid life full of events and meetings, individual episodes of which entered legend. For example, they say he was born laughing, not crying—and that determined his cheerful temperament and love of life…