Hmmmm. How much older Voltaire are we talking about here? But okay, since he was talking Fritz out of suicide by 1757/1758, I think his feelings, whatever they were,had settled. Orieux thinks the Frankfurt events were traumatic and decisive on a scale only rivaled by the beating (and non-reaction by his noble friends) young Voltaire had gotten from Rohan, and worse because of the Madame Denis factor. I.e. the first one demonstrated to young Voltaire that no matter how much the nobility might flatter him as a wit and poet, he was, when it came down to it, nothing but a court jester with no rights whatsoever if it pleased a prince of the blood to have his servants beat him up. And the later was not only publically humiliating but existentially frightening because it made it clear that no matter the legal status of Frankfurt,if Fritz had wanted he could have had Voltaire locked up for life in Magdeburg, tortured or killed, and ditto for Marie-Louise Denis for no other reason than her being Voltaire's niece. So Orieux would undoubtedly vote that older Voltaire advises younger Voltaire to stay the hell away from Prussia and just keep corresponding.
Which, of course, just ensures that younger Voltaire goes to Prussia.
I, personally, think older Voltaire might say something like: when you go to Prussia, don't take the godawful poetry with you once you leave again. Because he would want to keep the dysfunctional yet emotionally and intellectually incredibly intense marriage experience, just without the Frankfurt trauma afterwards, and being Voltaire, would believe he can have his cake and eat it. Naturally, younger Voltaire would not listen to this advice, either.
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Re: Me, Myself and I: The Time Travel Edition
Date: 2020-04-22 05:58 am (UTC)in Magdeburg, tortured or killed, and ditto for Marie-Louise Denis for no other reason than her being Voltaire's niece. So Orieux would undoubtedly vote that older Voltaire advises younger Voltaire to stay the hell away from Prussia and just keep corresponding.Which, of course, just ensures that younger Voltaire goes to Prussia.
I, personally, think older Voltaire might say something like: when you go to Prussia, don't take the godawful poetry with you once you leave again. Because he would want to keep the dysfunctional yet emotionally and intellectually incredibly intense marriage experience, just without the Frankfurt trauma afterwards, and being Voltaire, would believe he can have his cake and eat it. Naturally, younger Voltaire would not listen to this advice, either.