(On a less tragic note, the offer of "a surveyor" in trade for Voltaire: oh Fritz. Presumably this was less rethorical than offering "all my new possessions" in 1740, but seriously, the one "Geometer" whom I know Fritz had at his disposal in the year of Émilie's death was Maupertuis, and the idea he offered a trade, presumably without consulting Maupertuis, does crack me up.)
HA. That is hilarious, indeed.
Zinsser thought that Voltaire liked Mme Denis partially because she was so very different from Émilie, and one of her pieces of (weak) evidence was their writing in Italian, the "language of love" rather than the language of intellect. Though that may be going a bit far into speculation, it certainly is plausible, although of course Zinsser has a very strong pro-Émilie and anti-Voltaire bias :)
Orieux, otoh, whenever Fritz is insensitive about Émilie: such a bastard. Orieux: does not even pretend biographical impartiality.)
ahahahaha I have to say I like you, Orieux
And no offense to either gentleman, but I think that was about Émilie, about missing her. Just like he couldn't even pretend indifference to any news about Fritz.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Re: Jean Orieux: The Life of Voltaire - I
HA. That is hilarious, indeed.
Zinsser thought that Voltaire liked Mme Denis partially because she was so very different from Émilie, and one of her pieces of (weak) evidence was their writing in Italian, the "language of love" rather than the language of intellect. Though that may be going a bit far into speculation, it certainly is plausible, although of course Zinsser has a very strong pro-Émilie and anti-Voltaire bias :)
Orieux, otoh, whenever Fritz is insensitive about Émilie: such a bastard. Orieux: does not even pretend biographical impartiality.)
ahahahaha I have to say I like you, Orieux
And no offense to either gentleman, but I think that was about Émilie, about missing her. Just like he couldn't even pretend indifference to any news about Fritz.
<3333