2) There was no rumor, but Voltaire had several decades to think of something even more schoolboy taunt than "totally gay", to wit "gay but unable to penetrate because of badly treated STD! Totally bottoming!" for the memoirs, whereas in 1752 he was in something of a hurry.
If true, this would mean that Zimmermann got the idea from Voltaire's memoirs and then elaborated on it so as to make his hero EXTREMELY STRAIGHT. Which would be an interesting and unforeseen-by-Voltaire consequence of his rumor. :D
not only was there a rumor but it was based on some factual stuff
How much of it do you think is plausible? Serious question. On balance, I do think Fritz exchanged fluids at least a few times in his youth, and, as they say, it only takes once. Also, wait, I'd forgotten--didn't Münchow fils say he was treated for something in the field in the 1740s that confirmed he was still sexually active? Oh, right, Münchow was taking issue with Zimmermann's claim.
Well, the one thing Münchow and Zimmermann have in common is that they both think Fritz was treated for an STD, they just differ on which decade it happened in, and whether Fritz continued to be sexually active after 1740.
So yeah, maybe he had an STD. (Though what we have is 3 extremely unreliable sources.)
I also seem to recall (maybe wrongly?) he mentioned Algarotti having some problems in this regard to someone else?
Nope, you remember correctly! In this fandom, you either have an STD or you're accused of having one. What was Lehndorff's source on Kaphengst, anyway? :P
Re: The STD thread
If true, this would mean that Zimmermann got the idea from Voltaire's memoirs and then elaborated on it so as to make his hero EXTREMELY STRAIGHT. Which would be an interesting and unforeseen-by-Voltaire consequence of his rumor. :D
not only was there a rumor but it was based on some factual stuff
How much of it do you think is plausible? Serious question. On balance, I do think Fritz exchanged fluids at least a few times in his youth, and, as they say, it only takes once. Also, wait, I'd forgotten--didn't Münchow fils say he was treated for something in the field in the 1740s that confirmed he was still sexually active? Oh, right, Münchow was taking issue with Zimmermann's claim.
Well, the one thing Münchow and Zimmermann have in common is that they both think Fritz was treated for an STD, they just differ on which decade it happened in, and whether Fritz continued to be sexually active after 1740.
So yeah, maybe he had an STD. (Though what we have is 3 extremely unreliable sources.)
I also seem to recall (maybe wrongly?) he mentioned Algarotti having some problems in this regard to someone else?
Nope, you remember correctly! In this fandom, you either have an STD or you're accused of having one. What was Lehndorff's source on Kaphengst, anyway? :P