The section on 1750-1753, while wonderful about dates and the whole reason I got this book (chronology updates when I'm in a position to make them), is remarkably bland and especially light on Fritz/Voltaire commentary, possibly because that would involve ADMITTING ÉMILIE WAS RIGHT.
Davidson on the Prussian years:
1750: Voltaire is in the wrong during the whole swindle involving the banker.
1751: Things are calm and quiet and he gets a lot of work done.
1752, part the first: Maupertuis is an idiot and the Academy is filled with his stooges. Maupertuis threatens our hero with violence! (Mildred: Is this the duel challenge?)
1752, part the second: Fritz's decision to go up against Voltaire when satire is on the line get involved in the pamphlet war is a tactical error. And then the whole pamphlet-burning shows that Voltaire was wrong to think of him as an enlightened monarch. Time to get out of here!
1753: In Frankfurt, Freytag does some bad stuff and disobeys Fritz's orders. If you want to know what's in that book of poems Fritz wants back or why he wants it, or whether Fritz is authorized to put Voltaire under house arrest there, or whether Voltaire was more than mildly annoyed, you'll have to find out from another source. This is the most boring account of the Frankfurt episode you'll ever read, especially considering how lively my writing has been up until 1750. The only exciting part is where Mme Denis almost gets raped. :/
Post-1753: Likewise, just as Émilie's death turned out to be great for his career, the departure from Prussia all worked out for the best, because the happiest time of Voltaire's life was during his involuntary exile.
Seriously a letdown as far as capturing the drama.
Noteworthy parts from these two chapters:
* Berlin is the first time Voltaire realizes the French Enlightenment is happening and that he's part of it. Until then, he was just an isolated figure doing his own thing and ignoring his contemporaries.
* Voltaire gave Bentinck advice on how best to present her case to Fritz (Mildred: I'm trying to figure out if he's the most or least qualified person to do this); actual quote from a letter from Fritz chiding Voltaire for involving himself in her affairs which were none of his business. Oh, and this lovely quote from Fritz: "I must warn you, that if you have a passion for intrigues and cabals, you have come to the wrong place." (Mildred: Pull the other one, Fritz, it's got bells on.)
* If Davidson's correct, and it does sound plausible, the Academy vote was unanimous because the dissenters abstained. He goes for the "knowing which side their bread was buttered on" explanation:
Since Maupertuis had total power over all aspects of the Academy, notably the salaries of the members, most of them meekly did what he wanted, and on 13 April 1752 they found Kœnig guilty; those who disagreed simply stayed away.
Author of the Maupertuis bio, of course, just says it was unanimous.
* After 1753, Voltaire wanted to get back at Fritz, so he got back all the letters he wrote to Mme Denis from this period and doctored them to make Fritz look worse. This means they're all suspect, including the "dirty laundry" and "orange peel" anecdotes.
It was not until late in the twentieth century that scholars finally realised that these letters had been cooked by Voltaire and that they cannot be taken literally.
Re: Voltaire and Fritz
Davidson on the Prussian years:
1750: Voltaire is in the wrong during the whole swindle involving the banker.
1751: Things are calm and quiet and he gets a lot of work done.
1752, part the first: Maupertuis is an idiot and the Academy is filled with his stooges. Maupertuis threatens our hero with violence! (Mildred: Is this the duel challenge?)
1752, part the second: Fritz's decision to
go up against Voltaire when satire is on the lineget involved in the pamphlet war is a tactical error. And then the whole pamphlet-burning shows that Voltaire was wrong to think of him as an enlightened monarch. Time to get out of here!1753: In Frankfurt, Freytag does some bad stuff and disobeys Fritz's orders. If you want to know what's in that book of poems Fritz wants back or why he wants it, or whether Fritz is authorized to put Voltaire under house arrest there, or whether Voltaire was more than mildly annoyed, you'll have to find out from another source. This is the most boring account of the Frankfurt episode you'll ever read, especially considering how lively my writing has been up until 1750. The only exciting part is where Mme Denis almost gets raped. :/
Post-1753: Likewise, just as Émilie's death turned out to be great for his career, the departure from Prussia all worked out for the best, because the happiest time of Voltaire's life was during his involuntary exile.
Seriously a letdown as far as capturing the drama.
Noteworthy parts from these two chapters:
* Berlin is the first time Voltaire realizes the French Enlightenment is happening and that he's part of it. Until then, he was just an isolated figure doing his own thing and ignoring his contemporaries.
* Voltaire gave Bentinck advice on how best to present her case to Fritz (Mildred: I'm trying to figure out if he's the most or least qualified person to do this); actual quote from a letter from Fritz chiding Voltaire for involving himself in her affairs which were none of his business. Oh, and this lovely quote from Fritz: "I must warn you, that if you have a passion for intrigues and cabals, you have come to the wrong place." (Mildred: Pull the other one, Fritz, it's got bells on.)
* If Davidson's correct, and it does sound plausible, the Academy vote was unanimous because the dissenters abstained. He goes for the "knowing which side their bread was buttered on" explanation:
Since Maupertuis had total power over all aspects of the Academy, notably the salaries of the members, most of them meekly did what he wanted, and on 13 April 1752 they found Kœnig guilty; those who disagreed simply stayed away.
Author of the Maupertuis bio, of course, just says it was unanimous.
* After 1753, Voltaire wanted to get back at Fritz, so he got back all the letters he wrote to Mme Denis from this period and doctored them to make Fritz look worse. This means they're all suspect, including the "dirty laundry" and "orange peel" anecdotes.
It was not until late in the twentieth century that scholars finally realised that these letters had been cooked by Voltaire and that they cannot be taken literally.
Is this true? Does Pleschinski say this at all?