Frederick the Great discussion post 12

[cahn]

Every time I am amazed and enchanted that this is still going on! Truly DW is the Earthly Paradise!

All the good stuff continues to be archived at rheinsberg :)

Comments

Re: Peter-Michael Hahn

[selenak]

What are his sources, btw?

Valory for noticing in 1740 that Fritz might be short sighted, the Prince de Ligne for Fritz mistaking one Austrian noble for another when Joseph's entourage is being presented to him during the Neisse meeting, letters from Fritz from 1780 saying "my eyes have become stupid", and the receipts for the glasses from the royal household papers starting with 1747. Also those spectacles and for that matter spyglasses still existing, which is presumably how they could be investigated for their varying strengths.

Catt: I only have wiki as a source, too, re: his own eyesight.


You mean because he knew the text almost by heart and only needed a bit of prompting?

That, and when you're in a tent in the later afternoon, evening or night - i.e. the times when Catt usually was called for - in an era where electricity isn't a thing, gas light isn't yet, either, and you're stuck with candles and oil lamps for illuniation, then the light situation isn't too well. Even if your eyesight is reasonably good, it would be natural to hold any book or letter close to read it.

Re: Peter-Michael Hahn

[mildred_of_midgard]

Thank you for the sources!

Catt: I only have wiki as a source, too, re: his own eyesight.

Yeah, what I'm thinking is that if he went totally blind, it might have been cataracts or glaucoma or something, and it might have started very late in life, and he might have had perfectly fine vision before that, i.e. when he started writing his memoirs. (Though as you point out, he might have been prevented from editing in those final years.) But seeing as we have no dates for either, this is all speculation.

Even if your eyesight is reasonably good, it would be natural to hold any book or letter close to read it.

That is an excellent point and just highlights how spoiled a denizen of the modern age I am. ;)