Otoh: there's actually a Fritz letter to Wilhelmine from Küstrin saying "if they tell you your marriage would make things better for me, don't believe it", so if Fritz in Küstrin refutes that, he must have heard about it (from Wilhelmine?), or must have correctly worked out how his Dad's mind works.
Oh, I'd forgotten that! Is that the poem that wasn't in Trier?
There's also the fact Fritz was produced at Wilhelmine's wedding, if rather late into same. To me this looks like FW assuaging his conscience, because he now can tell himself he didn't lie to his daughter, he kept his promise, literally; Fritz was released at her wedding. (He hadn't promised Fritz wouldn't have to go back.)
That's *exactly* where I went with "Heaven":
their father said he would let Friedrich out if she did. Then he played word games and pretended he'd only meant he'd let the Prince attend the wedding, then go right back to Küstrin.
(Otoh I can see Wilhelmine in the spring of 1731 thinking he's being noble and that's why he denies it would make things better.)
</3 </3 </3 :-(
Especially since I think in both cases - Fritz and SD - this is about punishing Wilhelmine, not for anything they think Sonsine has or hasn't condoned. They knew Wilhelmine loved her.
Oh, yeah. That has to be what it's about. (That's what I assumed when reading it.)
Fake jewelry: You translated correctly. Presumably last year when I read all these books at top speed and then did the write up, I misremembered that it were parts of Ulrike's, not her brother-in-law's jewels that turned out to be fake.
Ahhh, okay. Yeah, I do that. (And I suspect that accounts for some of Blanning's mistakes, not incompetence or dishonesty.) My most egregious case almost made it into a journal, before the outside peer reviewer caught it. So it happens!
Oh, I'd forgotten that! Is that the poem that wasn't in Trier?
No, it's not the letter with the poem. It's letter 4 in the Volz collection: Carissima sorella! The revolting marriage rumors are making the rounds again. At the revue (1), you'll be presented with a young prince. Maybe they'll tell you to accept this so I can get out of here. But never do it for this reason if you don't have a better one. Don't let yourself be intimidated through consideration of my fate, and always follow the commands of your heart; that's the best guide in such cases.
(1) Volz adds: the Berlin military review started on May 28th, so this letter must have been written before that point.
Oooohh. I don't think you had shared that with us!
Wow, I was pretty sure I'd gotten the part in "Heaven" where she hadn't told him why she married from the memoirs, I don't think I would have made that up, but...maybe he told her not to and for a while, she pretended she hadn't? Because certainly in 1732, she could present it as a marriage for love.
Also, judging from that letter, Fritz *isn't* saying "don't believe it." He's saying, "Don't do it, no matter what."
Now, maybe he doesn't believe it'll help because he knows FW or at least believes the worst of him, but you'd think Fritz would use the argument that it wasn't going to work if he believed that was the case? It sounds like he thinks it might actually help and is telling her not to do it anyway, because he *is* being noble and can't deal with the guilt of her being condemned to a life of misery. I mean, from the guy who steadfastly did try to offer himself in Katte's place, and at least on November 6 wasn't bluffing...
UGH. Scapegoater when in power, loyal to the death when not. :(
It's been a while till I read the marriage-relevant part of the memoirs, I honestly don't recall whether she says she told or she hadn't.
Also, judging from that letter, Fritz *isn't* saying "don't believe it." He's saying, "Don't do it, no matter what."
This is true, and when I looked it up again for you to translate, I saw it, too. Incidentally, whoever smuggled that letter must have been brave, because that's definitely not the kind of thing FW would want Fritz communicate to Wilhelmine! Volz can't date it more than "spring 1731, before the Berlin revue". So two or maybe three more months until August and the big submission on the one hand, Grumbkow's "Boundaries!" advice on the other...
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timeasmymeasure
Re: AW readthrough: The in-laws
Date: 2020-09-04 01:59 am (UTC)Oh, I'd forgotten that! Is that the poem that wasn't in Trier?
There's also the fact Fritz was produced at Wilhelmine's wedding, if rather late into same. To me this looks like FW assuaging his conscience, because he now can tell himself he didn't lie to his daughter, he kept his promise, literally; Fritz was released at her wedding. (He hadn't promised Fritz wouldn't have to go back.)
That's *exactly* where I went with "Heaven":
their father said he would let Friedrich out if she did. Then he played word games and pretended he'd only meant he'd let the Prince attend the wedding, then go right back to Küstrin.
(Otoh I can see Wilhelmine in the spring of 1731 thinking he's being noble and that's why he denies it would make things better.)
</3 </3 </3 :-(
Especially since I think in both cases - Fritz and SD - this is about punishing Wilhelmine, not for anything they think Sonsine has or hasn't condoned. They knew Wilhelmine loved her.
Oh, yeah. That has to be what it's about. (That's what I assumed when reading it.)
Fake jewelry: You translated correctly. Presumably last year when I read all these books at top speed and then did the write up, I misremembered that it were parts of Ulrike's, not her brother-in-law's jewels that turned out to be fake.
Ahhh, okay. Yeah, I do that. (And I suspect that accounts for some of Blanning's mistakes, not incompetence or dishonesty.) My most egregious case almost made it into a journal, before the outside peer reviewer caught it. So it happens!
when I read all these books at top speed
One day, I hope to read German at top speed too!
Re: AW readthrough: The in-laws
Date: 2020-09-04 06:22 am (UTC)No, it's not the letter with the poem. It's letter 4 in the Volz collection: Carissima sorella! The revolting marriage rumors are making the rounds again. At the revue (1), you'll be presented with a young prince. Maybe they'll tell you to accept this so I can get out of here. But never do it for this reason if you don't have a better one. Don't let yourself be intimidated through consideration of my fate, and always follow the commands of your heart; that's the best guide in such cases.
(1) Volz adds: the Berlin military review started on May 28th, so this letter must have been written before that point.
Re: AW readthrough: The in-laws
Date: 2020-09-04 04:00 pm (UTC)Wow, I was pretty sure I'd gotten the part in "Heaven" where she hadn't told him why she married from the memoirs, I don't think I would have made that up, but...maybe he told her not to and for a while, she pretended she hadn't? Because certainly in 1732, she could present it as a marriage for love.
Also, judging from that letter, Fritz *isn't* saying "don't believe it." He's saying, "Don't do it, no matter what."
Now, maybe he doesn't believe it'll help because he knows FW or at least believes the worst of him, but you'd think Fritz would use the argument that it wasn't going to work if he believed that was the case? It sounds like he thinks it might actually help and is telling her not to do it anyway, because he *is* being noble and can't deal with the guilt of her being condemned to a life of misery. I mean, from the guy who steadfastly did try to offer himself in Katte's place, and at least on November 6 wasn't bluffing...
UGH. Scapegoater when in power, loyal to the death when not. :(
Re: AW readthrough: The in-laws
Date: 2020-09-05 01:39 pm (UTC)Also, judging from that letter, Fritz *isn't* saying "don't believe it." He's saying, "Don't do it, no matter what."
This is true, and when I looked it up again for you to translate, I saw it, too. Incidentally, whoever smuggled that letter must have been brave, because that's definitely not the kind of thing FW would want Fritz communicate to Wilhelmine! Volz can't date it more than "spring 1731, before the Berlin revue". So two or maybe three more months until August and the big submission on the one hand, Grumbkow's "Boundaries!" advice on the other...
Re: AW readthrough: The in-laws
Date: 2020-09-07 03:35 am (UTC)