Fréderic Wartensleben me raconte des particularités de Potsdam. Der König ist gesund, sagt er, wünscht zu sterben und hernach wieder auf zustehen, um die Veränderung mit anzuſehen Alexandre veut parier sa tête, que Junior n'a pas donné commission à Lichtenstein, de m'éloigner d'ici. Der Kronprinz hält mich vor unconversabel.
"Friedrich Wartensleben told me of the Potsdam oddities. The King is healthy, he says, wishes to die and to resurrect, in order to get to watch the changes. Alexander wants to bet his head, which Junior did not commissioned Lichtenstein to walk away from here. (? Help me out here, mes amies?) The crown prince doesn't consider me worthy of conversation."
Wow, that is special. My guess: Alexandre (Wartensleben, probably Friedrich's brother and Katte's first cousin on his mother's side) is willing to bet his head (stake his life) that Junior didn't commission Lichtenstein to get me (Seckendorff or Friedrich?) sent away from here (probably court). What my weak French can't be sure of is whether that "que" means he's willing to bet that Fritz *didn't* commission Lichtenstein to get rid of the speaker, which would be my first reading of "que", and presupposes that someone has accused Fritz of doing it, or if it could possibly means the opposite, that he's willing to bet his head that Fritz did. In which case in English I'd expect "if", not "that", but who knows about French.
In the passage immediately before the Alcibiades/Socrates one, I noticed that Fritz disliked someone named Derschau intensely and was hoping Derschau would get a commission to a regiment so he would be sent away by the king and replaced by Alexandre Wartensleben, whom Fritz must like more.
Lichtenstein is Joseph Wenzel, Prince of Lichtenstein, current owner of the Antinous statue, as you informed us, and according to Wikipedia, Imperial envoy to Berlin 1735-1736.
Orondates = original Seckendorff? Suhm?
I'm skeptical it's Suhm, because I have no evidence that Suhm was ever a general, much less respected as one. Who *was* a general--yes, Seckendorff--but also Lichtenstein. Per Wikipedia, "Joseph was primarily a general and was a very successful campaigner. In 1745, he was made Generalissimo in Italy and was victorious the following year at the Battle of Piacenza. In 1753 he was made General Chief Commander in Hungary. In one of the greatest achievements of his career, he reorganised the Habsburg artillery, partially financed out of his own pocket."
And he left Berlin in 1736, if you trust Wikipedia. I don't know the dates of your passage where the writer is glad he's gone, but the timing might line up. Also, all that bit about "suspicions" and "enjoyed stirring up trouble" just doesn't give me a Seckendorff vibe, although god knows what one courtier will accuse another of. I'm still leaning toward Lichtenstein as Orondates.
Okay, now I'm searching for "Orondate" through the text.
Oh, look at that! The first line on the next page after your passage where FW says Orondates is a capable general reads, "car Gotter ne dit pas, que le roi n'avoit pu souffrir Lichtenstein."
So Orondates = Lichtenstein! Detective Mildred is on the case. :D
Oh, and of course, the first use of the name Orondates (p. 56, May 22) is actually footnoted by the editor as the Prince of Lichtenstein. Well, yes, editor, I had figured that out!
June 13th: Voit from Bayreuth gets an audience with the King. - "Should I congratulate or send my condolences? My daughter has to let herself be f... better."
: The news question can't have been the birth of his granddaughter, since that girl was already born in August 1732
Weird, I remember that quote from MacDonogh, but he says it was on the occasion of the birth of the granddaughter. Which makes sense out of context, but you're right, the timing is weird. The old margrave died just one month before, so maybe he's referring to the fact that the new margrave doesn't have a male heir of his body.
The King is afraid that Junior might become too good an Imperial if he leaves him too long with the (imperial) army. (No danger there, FW.)
Ha! Not for lack of trying. MacDonogh reports, on the other side, "Eugene himself had set some store by the meeting. He wanted to eliminate Frederick’s gallic leanings and bring him round to the imperial cause. In the end, however, he found that the French 'poison' had gone too deep."
Don't worry, Eugene, the French aren't going to be too happy with him either! Junior's going to be an equal opportunity offender of nations.
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Re: With Liars among Liars: The Austrian Dossier (Seckendorf II)
Date: 2020-02-02 12:54 am (UTC)"Friedrich Wartensleben told me of the Potsdam oddities. The King is healthy, he says, wishes to die and to resurrect, in order to get to watch the changes. Alexander wants to bet his head, which Junior did not commissioned Lichtenstein to walk away from here. (? Help me out here, mes amies?) The crown prince doesn't consider me worthy of conversation."
Wow, that is special. My guess: Alexandre (Wartensleben, probably Friedrich's brother and Katte's first cousin on his mother's side) is willing to bet his head (stake his life) that Junior didn't commission Lichtenstein to get me (Seckendorff or Friedrich?) sent away from here (probably court). What my weak French can't be sure of is whether that "que" means he's willing to bet that Fritz *didn't* commission Lichtenstein to get rid of the speaker, which would be my first reading of "que", and presupposes that someone has accused Fritz of doing it, or if it could possibly means the opposite, that he's willing to bet his head that Fritz did. In which case in English I'd expect "if", not "that", but who knows about French.
In the passage immediately before the Alcibiades/Socrates one, I noticed that Fritz disliked someone named Derschau intensely and was hoping Derschau would get a commission to a regiment so he would be sent away by the king and replaced by Alexandre Wartensleben, whom Fritz must like more.
Lichtenstein is Joseph Wenzel, Prince of Lichtenstein, current owner of the Antinous statue, as you informed us, and according to Wikipedia, Imperial envoy to Berlin 1735-1736.
Orondates = original Seckendorff? Suhm?
I'm skeptical it's Suhm, because I have no evidence that Suhm was ever a general, much less respected as one. Who *was* a general--yes, Seckendorff--but also Lichtenstein. Per Wikipedia, "Joseph was primarily a general and was a very successful campaigner. In 1745, he was made Generalissimo in Italy and was victorious the following year at the Battle of Piacenza. In 1753 he was made General Chief Commander in Hungary. In one of the greatest achievements of his career, he reorganised the Habsburg artillery, partially financed out of his own pocket."
And he left Berlin in 1736, if you trust Wikipedia. I don't know the dates of your passage where the writer is glad he's gone, but the timing might line up. Also, all that bit about "suspicions" and "enjoyed stirring up trouble" just doesn't give me a Seckendorff vibe, although god knows what one courtier will accuse another of. I'm still leaning toward Lichtenstein as Orondates.
Okay, now I'm searching for "Orondate" through the text.
Oh, look at that! The first line on the next page after your passage where FW says Orondates is a capable general reads, "car Gotter ne dit pas, que le roi n'avoit pu souffrir Lichtenstein."
So Orondates = Lichtenstein! Detective Mildred is on the case. :D
Oh, and of course, the first use of the name Orondates (p. 56, May 22) is actually footnoted by the editor as the Prince of Lichtenstein. Well, yes, editor, I had figured that out!
June 13th: Voit from Bayreuth gets an audience with the King. - "Should I congratulate or send my condolences? My daughter has to let herself be f... better."
: The news question can't have been the birth of his granddaughter, since that girl was already born in August 1732
Weird, I remember that quote from MacDonogh, but he says it was on the occasion of the birth of the granddaughter. Which makes sense out of context, but you're right, the timing is weird. The old margrave died just one month before, so maybe he's referring to the fact that the new margrave doesn't have a male heir of his body.
The King is afraid that Junior might become too good an Imperial if he leaves him too long with the (imperial) army. (No danger there, FW.)
Ha! Not for lack of trying. MacDonogh reports, on the other side, "Eugene himself had set some store by the meeting. He wanted to eliminate Frederick’s gallic leanings and bring him round to the imperial cause. In the end, however, he found that the French 'poison' had gone too deep."
Don't worry, Eugene, the French aren't going to be too happy with him either! Junior's going to be an equal opportunity offender of nations.