On that note! So, the Lehndorff second volume, aka volume 1 of the Appendices, provides, among many other things, the whole, uncut, Marwitz affair entry. Still without a first name for the guy, but there is definitely more to the story. I translate the entire entry, because context is everything.
"Morning with the King. All are delighted to see our sovereign, and one would adore him if only this great man were a bit more gracious to those who want to adore him. But nothing is more humiliating than having to stand around and to wait for hours to at last see someone who doesn't grace us with a look. The fear which princes inspire only signifies their power. Awe is inspired by their dignity; their true glory springs from the estimation and personal respect one has for them. Friedrich does enjoy this precious advantage, and he would be loved, too, if only he numbered kindness among his qualities. I renew my acquaitance with a man I had not seen since the year 1749. It is a young Marwitz, who started his career as page with the King, and who became a favourite with him as well as with Prince Heinrich. This affection went so far that the two royal brothers turned incredibly furious on each other for his sake. The young page was sent away, but due to urgent pleadings on Prince Heinrich's side, he got a commission in the guard. Some time later, the Prince accused him of falsehood and bad manners, and banished him completely from his company. Since then, the King has occasionally favoured him with his grace, but in the next moment sends him to guard duty and treats him like a criminal. This man now resurfaces on the horizon; the Prince tells me that he is quite amiable, that he invites him to his parties again, and the King has made him his batman. He posseses wit and is somewhat strongly fantastical; I consider him malicious. In the evening, the whole royal family dines with the Queen Mother."
Well! I dare say! What are we to make of this? And not a single biography has mentioned Marwitz the (former) page had a comeback. Or several. With both brothers. Also of course the whole anecdote coming after a complaint that Fritz doesn't take notice of Lehndorff is incredibly telling. .
There are many other goodies in what I've read through so far. Among other things, I wronged Lehndorff, who does write about his wife to be - she's the "little one" in Magdeburg - with affection, instead of just bitching about his mother-in-law, Editor just cut it. (Along with a great many family related entries; since Lehndorff's family hails from the east of Prussia, he's incredibly worried for his mother and siblings during the war, for example.) After his marriage, we get this entry showing that people (just not EC) already walked in and out of Sanssouci at this point (1758) for tourist reasons, and it's yet another mention of a certain portrait, which is the other anecdote I'm sharing for now, more at some future point because I rather have to sort what not to include as Lehndorff Unplugged has even more on the "Heinrich and Me: A Rokoko Queer" as Folk AU front (Editor, I sympathize - there is SO MUCH, it must have been very hard to choose):
"I show my wife the entire palace and Sanssouci, which is very worth viewing. On this occasion, I have a strange amusment. On my way, I picked up a tailor who had left his parents' home for the fist time in his life, and wanted to travel from Brandenburg to Berlin. The naive and stupid replies he gave had endeared him to me, and thus I had included him among my servants, who told him all kind of nonsense. When he saw the Potsdam palace, his amazement was without limits, and I thought all that gold would make him sink to his knees. His biggest surprise, though, came when he saw in one of the King's rooms the portrait of the Empress-Queen; he was stunned by the beautiful face of Her Imperial Majesty and assured me that he'd always been told she was evil and had long ears. Thus are the simple folk people, and thus we, too, would think if education had not formed our mind and would have taught us better! In the evening, I arrive at my house in Berlin and am amazed to find myself in a household with a wife and a great staff. Divine destiny, you have led me this far, you will not leave me now!
Linguistic footnote: as loyal Prussian, Lehndorff uses "The Queen of Hungary" for MT in 90% of the cases, so it's interesting he here uses "the Empress-Queen" instead.
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Re: Lehndorff: The Bitter Years - It's Marwitz Time!
Date: 2019-12-11 06:23 am (UTC)"Morning with the King. All are delighted to see our sovereign, and one would adore him if only this great man were a bit more gracious to those who want to adore him. But nothing is more humiliating than having to stand around and to wait for hours to at last see someone who doesn't grace us with a look. The fear which princes inspire only signifies their power. Awe is inspired by their dignity; their true glory springs from the estimation and personal respect one has for them. Friedrich does enjoy this precious advantage, and he would be loved, too, if only he numbered kindness among his qualities.
I renew my acquaitance with a man I had not seen since the year 1749. It is a young Marwitz, who started his career as page with the King, and who became a favourite with him as well as with Prince Heinrich. This affection went so far that the two royal brothers turned incredibly furious on each other for his sake. The young page was sent away, but due to urgent pleadings on Prince Heinrich's side, he got a commission in the guard. Some time later, the Prince accused him of falsehood and bad manners, and banished him completely from his company. Since then, the King has occasionally favoured him with his grace, but in the next moment sends him to guard duty and treats him like a criminal. This man now resurfaces on the horizon; the Prince tells me that he is quite amiable, that he invites him to his parties again, and the King has made him his batman. He posseses wit and is somewhat strongly fantastical; I consider him malicious.
In the evening, the whole royal family dines with the Queen Mother."
Well! I dare say! What are we to make of this? And not a single biography has mentioned Marwitz the (former) page had a comeback. Or several. With both brothers. Also of course the whole anecdote coming after a complaint that Fritz doesn't take notice of Lehndorff is incredibly telling. .
There are many other goodies in what I've read through so far. Among other things, I wronged Lehndorff, who does write about his wife to be - she's the "little one" in Magdeburg - with affection, instead of just bitching about his mother-in-law, Editor just cut it. (Along with a great many family related entries; since Lehndorff's family hails from the east of Prussia, he's incredibly worried for his mother and siblings during the war, for example.) After his marriage, we get this entry showing that people (just not EC) already walked in and out of Sanssouci at this point (1758) for tourist reasons, and it's yet another mention of a certain portrait, which is the other anecdote I'm sharing for now, more at some future point because I rather have to sort what not to include as Lehndorff Unplugged has even more on the "Heinrich and Me: A Rokoko Queer" as Folk AU front (Editor, I sympathize - there is SO MUCH, it must have been very hard to choose):
"I show my wife the entire palace and Sanssouci, which is very worth viewing. On this occasion, I have a strange amusment. On my way, I picked up a tailor who had left his parents' home for the fist time in his life, and wanted to travel from Brandenburg to Berlin. The naive and stupid replies he gave had endeared him to me, and thus I had included him among my servants, who told him all kind of nonsense. When he saw the Potsdam palace, his amazement was without limits, and I thought all that gold would make him sink to his knees. His biggest surprise, though, came when he saw in one of the King's rooms the portrait of the Empress-Queen; he was stunned by the beautiful face of Her Imperial Majesty and assured me that he'd always been told she was evil and had long ears. Thus are the simple folk people, and thus we, too, would think if education had not formed our mind and would have taught us better! In the evening, I arrive at my house in Berlin and am amazed to find myself in a household with a wife and a great staff. Divine destiny, you have led me this far, you will not leave me now!
Linguistic footnote: as loyal Prussian, Lehndorff uses "The Queen of Hungary" for MT in 90% of the cases, so it's interesting he here uses "the Empress-Queen" instead.