Frederick the Great, discussion post 6

[cahn]

...I think we need another one (seriously, you guys, this is THE BEST) and I'd better make it now before I disappear into the wilds of music performance.

(also, as of this week there are two Frederician fics in the yuletide archive and eeeeeeeeeee)
(huh, only one of them is actually tagged with Frederick the Great even though two with Maria Theresia and Wilhelmine, eeeeeee this is awesome I CAN'T WAIT)

Frederick the Great masterpost

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Re: Fritz and Voltaire

[mildred_of_midgard]

I have found two Fritz/Voltaire quotes of possible interest. One is for real, and the other is one of those things where I tracked down the citation and it didn't say that, nay, not even in the French. However, the text gives a different citation that seems more likely to be real, only good luck tracking it down. Anyway. Here we go!

This is Fritz writing to Algarotti in 1749, when he's trying to lure Voltaire into a permanent position at his court:

It is a great pity that such a cowardly soul should be joined to such a great genius. He has all the lovableness and maliciousness of a monkey … I am not going to make a fuss because I need him for the study of French elocution. You may learn pretty things from a scoundrel. I want to know his French: how important is the moral issue? This man has found the means to combine opposites. You admire his mind at the same time as despising his character.

So, on the one hand, Fritz knew. He knew what he was getting himself in for. On the other hand, his protestation that he's only doing it for the French lessons...dude, your French and your poetry are bad enough that there are a number of other people you can get lessons from. You don't get this emotionally invested in a French teacher. You are Head. Over. Heels.

And then there's this quote, which is supposedly from a letter from Voltaire to his niece (Madame Denis' sister) which got translated into the memoirs. Now, I have the memoirs, both in English and in French, and neither of them has this passage. But the original letter may. Anyway. Voltaire has just accepted the position and arrived at Fritz's court. He writes:

I have been formally granted, my dear child, to the king of Prussia. My marriage has been celebrated; will it be a happy one? I have no idea. I could not stop myself from saying yes. The marriage would have happened anyway, after flirting for so many years. My heart beat nervously at the altar.

THEY WRITE THEMSELVES.

(I really need to see the original, though. If I could afford it, I'd love a subscription to E-Enlightenment, which supposedly has his full correspondence as well as that of a lot of other Enlightenment figures, such as Lady Mary, but...it's $40/mo, and even if I could download everything I needed in one month...not until I'm working again. Of course, then I'll have much less time for fandom, but, tradeoffs.)