s , ▁l ined ▁with ▁red ▁and ▁ed ged ▁with ▁silver ▁emb roid ery . ▁From ▁ 1 6 8 8 , ▁the ▁c ass ock s ▁were ▁replaced ▁by ▁smaller ▁sou bre vest es ▁or ▁sle e vel ess ▁co ats ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁colours . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁dec ades ▁of ▁the ▁corps , ▁the ▁mus k ete ers ▁had ▁worn ▁civil ian ▁dress ▁under ▁their ▁c ass ock s , ▁according ▁to ▁personal ▁taste ▁and ▁means , ▁but ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 7 ▁a ▁scar let ▁uniform ▁was ▁adopted . ▁ ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁rec ruit ment , ▁the ▁Mus k ete ers ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁sought ▁after ▁of ▁the ▁military ▁companies ▁of ▁the ▁An ci en ▁Rég ime . ▁This ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁lower ▁entrance ▁requirements . ▁The ▁senior ▁guard ▁units ▁were ▁in ▁effect ▁closed ▁to ▁all ▁but ▁the ▁most ▁senior ▁and ▁wealth y ▁of ▁French ▁nobles , ▁so ▁for ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁French ▁nobles ▁( many ▁of ▁whom ▁lived ▁in ▁g ente el ▁pover ty ), ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁Mus k ete ers ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁way ▁to ▁join ▁a ▁mounted ▁unit ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁House hold ▁and ▁perhaps ▁catch ▁the ▁King ' s ▁eye . ▁However , ▁en list ment ▁did ▁require ▁both ▁letters ▁of ▁recommendation ▁and ▁evidence ▁that ▁a ▁rec ruit ▁had ▁the ▁family ▁means ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁costs ▁of ▁service . ▁These ▁included ▁the ▁provision ▁of ▁horses , ▁s words , ▁cl othing , ▁a ▁servant ▁and ▁equipment . ▁Only ▁the ▁mus