Speak of holy grails of gossipy sensationalists. :)
Re: Darget and sensationalist gossip, though, I see Trier archive has this to say about him and the Marquis D‘Argent: D'Argens had a tense relationship with the secretary of the French ambassador, who also worked as a reader from 1749 to 1756 (in this function he followed Lamettrie and was replaced by the Abbé de Prades), secretary and literary agent of Frederick II. Mainvillers reports that Darget in Berlin frequented the house of the Cochois family of actors, which had become a popular meeting place for the theater world, and kept an eye on the third youngest daughter, Marionette (who died of smallpox in 1745). Darget took it into his head to critisize the short-lived magazine L'Observateur Hollandois and Mainvillers Plume sournoise, edited by d'Argens in Berlin. Whereupon D‘Argents responded with a replique in the anonymously published pamphlet Le Galimathias, in which he outed Darget as the author of one of Voltaire's name published Ode To Frederick II. At the same time he worked on Marionette to spoil Darget‘s chances with her. Successfull,y because she then turned to the dancer Novert, who was prettier than Darget and also wanted to marry her. Marionette's brother did his best to end the liaison between his sister and Darget and put Darget out the door. A certain competitive relationship between the two men (Darget and D’Argents) cannot be ruled out.
You think, Trier archive, you think? Also, clearly Voltaire vs Maupertuis was not a the only case of literati feuds at Fritz‘ court, though clearly without Voltaire getting involved, Fritz didn‘t get involved, either. Also, I‘m not clear on whether the implication here is that Darget writing an ode to Fritz and publishing it as supposedly written by Voltaire was a) on Darget‘s own initiative, b) on Fritz‘ orders, or c) because Voltaire was supposed to write it and turned the task over to Darget? (The last I don‘t think is likely because of authorial vanity. Voltaire had too high an opinion of his own talents to allow a ghostwriter to publish verses under his name.).
May I ask what your source is for the story of the French supposedly intending Darget to become a Fritz boytoy and spy on him only to be foiled by either Fritz keeping fondness for good looking men and work apart or Darget being loyal to the King or both? Because it‘s a bit tricky to square it the reason for his hiring as reported by Lehndorff, unless the idea is that Valori and Darget faked the incident in question? Also, what, if anything, DID Fritz think of his pal D‘Argens unmasking his personal reader as the author of an ode to him supposedly written by Voltaire? Isn‘t that, err, a bit embarrassing?
ETA: Also, while Boswell didn‘t manage to get a Fritz audience during his Grand Tour, it looks like he got this on D‘Argens from none other than Lord Marischal, aka Old And Last Surviving Keith: "In the afternoon my Lord was very chatty. He told me that the Marquis d’Argens was a good-natured, amiable man, and much liked by the King of Prussia. He is now old. He has married an actress, whom he keeps in great subjection. He has made her learn Greek, and I don’t know how many things, merely to make her of use to him in studies. He is a miserable being, for he is hypochondriac and terrified for death. He had worn a flannel under-waistcoat four years and durst not take it off for fear of catching cold. The King drove out one fear by another, and told him that if he persisted to wear that waistcoat, his perspiration would be entirely stopped, and he must inevitably die. The marquis agreed to quit his waistcoat. But it had so fixed itself upon him that pieces of his skin came away with it." (Boswell on the Grand Tour: Germany and Switzerland 1764. Edited by Frederick A. Pottle. Melbourne [u.a.]: Heinemann Ltd, S. 15-16)
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Re: Fritz and Wilhelmine Correspondance, Trier Version IV - More Things Between Heaven and Earth...
Date: 2020-01-21 05:03 am (UTC)Speak of holy grails of gossipy sensationalists. :)
Re: Darget and sensationalist gossip, though, I see Trier archive has this to say about him and the Marquis D‘Argent:
D'Argens had a tense relationship with the secretary of the French ambassador, who also worked as a reader from 1749 to 1756 (in this function he followed Lamettrie and was replaced by the Abbé de Prades), secretary and literary agent of Frederick II. Mainvillers reports that Darget in Berlin frequented the house of the Cochois family of actors, which had become a popular meeting place for the theater world, and kept an eye on the third youngest daughter, Marionette (who died of smallpox in 1745). Darget took it into his head to critisize the short-lived magazine L'Observateur Hollandois and Mainvillers Plume sournoise, edited by d'Argens in Berlin. Whereupon D‘Argents responded with a replique in the anonymously published pamphlet Le Galimathias, in which he outed Darget as the author of one of Voltaire's name published Ode To Frederick II. At the same time he worked on Marionette to spoil Darget‘s chances with her. Successfull,y because she then turned to the dancer Novert, who was prettier than Darget and also wanted to marry her. Marionette's brother did his best to end the liaison between his sister and Darget and put Darget out the door. A certain competitive relationship between the two men (Darget and D’Argents) cannot be ruled out.
You think, Trier archive, you think? Also, clearly Voltaire vs Maupertuis was not a the only case of literati feuds at Fritz‘ court, though clearly without Voltaire getting involved, Fritz didn‘t get involved, either. Also, I‘m not clear on whether the implication here is that Darget writing an ode to Fritz and publishing it as supposedly written by Voltaire was a) on Darget‘s own initiative, b) on Fritz‘ orders, or c) because Voltaire was supposed to write it and turned the task over to Darget? (The last I don‘t think is likely because of authorial vanity. Voltaire had too high an opinion of his own talents to allow a ghostwriter to publish verses under his name.).
May I ask what your source is for the story of the French supposedly intending Darget to become a Fritz boytoy and spy on him only to be foiled by either Fritz keeping fondness for good looking men and work apart or Darget being loyal to the King or both? Because it‘s a bit tricky to square it the reason for his hiring as reported by Lehndorff, unless the idea is that Valori and Darget faked the incident in question? Also, what, if anything, DID Fritz think of his pal D‘Argens unmasking his personal reader as the author of an ode to him supposedly written by Voltaire? Isn‘t that, err, a bit embarrassing?
ETA: Also, while Boswell didn‘t manage to get a Fritz audience during his Grand Tour, it looks like he got this on D‘Argens from none other than Lord Marischal, aka Old And Last Surviving Keith: "In the afternoon my Lord was very chatty. He told me that the Marquis d’Argens was a good-natured, amiable man, and much liked by the King of Prussia. He is now old. He has married an actress, whom he keeps in great subjection. He has made her learn Greek, and I don’t know how many things, merely to make her of use to him in studies. He is a miserable being, for he is hypochondriac and terrified for death. He had worn a flannel under-waistcoat four years and durst not take it off for fear of catching cold. The King drove out one fear by another, and told him that if he persisted to wear that waistcoat, his perspiration would be entirely stopped, and he must inevitably die. The marquis agreed to quit his waistcoat. But it had so fixed itself upon him that pieces of his skin came away with it." (Boswell on the Grand Tour: Germany and Switzerland 1764. Edited by Frederick A. Pottle. Melbourne [u.a.]: Heinemann Ltd, S. 15-16)
...these people are all nuts.