The biography itself is very drily written, but it contains valuable info re: the Berlin Academy, how it was set up, where they met, how it worked, the inner feuds, alliances and power plays, so it's a valuable research tool if one wants, say, write about Algarotti and/or Peter Keith having academic interactions.
In short:
Maupertuis: is born the son of an ennobled son of a privateer (= licensed by law pirate) in Saint-Malo, Brittany. He'll use the corsair association and imagery to make a splash at first, and it will even be used in his obituary. Parisian Voltaire (not born to an ennobled father but adding the "de" to his name just because he can) uses Maupertuis being from Brittany later when bickeringly corresponding with Fritz, if you'll recall. (Parisian rat Voltaire vs Breton mastiff Maupertuis. Fritz, of course, is a lion.)
His career goes very well the larger art of his life, his books are well liked; some of which are anonymously published, too, btw. And like Algarotti and the book Algarotti modelled his Newton for Ladies on which the dissertation names and I forgot, Maupertuis writes a "explaining science to a sexy lady" book. He did explain maths to Émilie early on, and Terrel quotes lettes of hers from that first period of aquaintance where she seems into him both mathematically and personally, so Maupertuis, at least, did practice the pedagogic eros in rl as well; Terrel points out that this was when a lot of writers discovered that lo and behold, female readers are a market, and not just for novels and poetry.
Speaking of, Voltaire at first was into Maupertuis as well, and claimed him as a Newtonian before Maupertuis had actually fully joined the Newtonian side of the force. (Terrel says that contrary to earlier assumptions, he wasn't yet a Newtonian when he visited England.) There's no sign of mixed feelings on Voltaire's part until Maupertuis has that military misadventure of getting captured when with Fritz at Mollwitz and Voltaire can't resist making fun of him back home in Paris, see earlier comment. Maupertuis is less than thrilled about this, but on the surface relations remain sociable and harmonius until they're both in Berlin at the same time, though a mutual acquaintance already said when the news came that Voltaire had finally given in and was on his way to Potsdam that this might not be such a good idea, because of the two egos (of Voltaire and Maupertuis, not Voltaire and Fritz). Back in the Cirey days, though, all seemed reasonably well, and I'm amused that when Maupertuis is preparing his big expedition and invites Algarotti along, our otherwise dry author observes that she can't think of what Algarotti was supposed to contribute to the expedition, "except for his company", since he wasn't a geometer, a surveyor or a man of action who couldn't have helped with the hardcore travel parts. Ms Terrell, hot stuff Algarotti was clearly part of the intendended entertainment for the Lappland nights!
The Lappland expedition - to prove the Earth flattens on top - is a big success and makes Maupertuis into an international celebrity who is much sought after in Europe from this point onwards. He does get into the Academie in France, so it's not like Fritz was the without alternatives, but then they didn't offer to make him head of the Academie which is what Fritz offered for the Berlin Academie, plus everyone wrote glowingly about the new philosopher king, so off to Prussia Maupertuis went, and got bored, see Mildred's tale about how all the intellectuals were widdling their thumbs while Fritz was off conquering Silesia. Maupertuis was the only one who made the mistake of following him into the field and getting captured. Then, as detailed in the earlier comment, after a few days he was identified by Count Neipperg and got ever courtesy, including a round trip to Vienna and then back to Berlin. By which time Voltaire from France and Fritz from nearer by cracked jokes and Maupertuis just about had it and left Prussia again. (I have to say, his story about his reception at Vienna, which is partly in the main text and partly in a footnote, would have deserved some authorial scepticism from Terrel. I can buy FS gave him a golden watch to compensate him from the one stolen from him in the scuffle of him getting taken prisoner, but the supposed dialogue with MT about who's the most beautiful Queen of them all really defies belief.)
Maupertuis does eventually return and takes his place as head of the Academy, and that's when valuable research stuff happens in this biography.
Fritz: I want the Academy to be a true republic of intellectuals. I'm just one of its citizens here, and I want you to treat my contributions as you do any other. Also, forget about the old place where the Academy, such as it was, met in my father's day, used to me and about the places where you met while I was off making war, I'm telling you where I want you to meet, of course.
Maupertuis: ...Okay. Academy members, we will model this Academy and its interactions on the new modern state of Prussia. I'm Fritz, of course. You're everyone else.
German academy members: We feel discriminated against anyway because of Fritz and his French hangup. I mean, we're not even allowed to hand in papers in our own language or Latin without also adding a translation into French at our own expense. And now we're getting bossed around not just by the King but this French guy who doesn't talk German at all? Grrr. Argh.
Maupertuis: Wolff, want to come?
Wolff: No way. I'm staying in Halle. Teaching in German.
Maupertuis: I'm getting a sense of some German hostility here. Also, all Germans are foodies. Direct quote: “Experience teaches me that there is nothing so prejudicial to the progress ofthe sciences in Germany as giving them too much to eat and drink. There is no one who will not abandon Homer when he hears the dinner bell. " Clearly, some more calling for discipline on my part is the way to proceed. After all, I'm the Fritz here.
Maupertuis: on the bright side, becomes bff with Euler and makes a friend in Kästner who is his eyes and ears in the camp of the enemy, aka Halle, where Wolff resides.
Maupertuis: Also gets married to Fräulein von Borck, scion of one of the old Brandenburg families
Mary Terrel: shame we don't know anything about her other than she did her best for her husband's work and memory to florish after his death, so she must have been devoted to him.
Mary Terrel: clearly hasn't read Lehndorff's journals, where Madame Maupertuis shows up a couple of times, notably when Amalie gives her some jewelry so she can make the journey to her dying husband in the middle of the war.
Early Academy feuding not starring either Maupertuis or Voltaire: *happens*
Maupertuis: *staying above it all* Remember, members: Dignity! Always dignity!
Émilie: *dies*
Mary Terrel: And then Voltaire showed up. "Friedrich had tried to woo him with flattering letters and with lavish gifts for years."
Voltaire: Lavish what? He haggled about my travel expenses!
König: Earlier, the Academy had done a competition like the one in Paris, I made an entry, and I lost. This endeared Maupertuis to me enormously.
Gottsched (remember him?) and other German intellectuals: We think the Academy is a bunch of foreign elitist snobs and their cowed German lackeys. If it's supposed to make local culture florish, where's the local culture in it? And how's the President ever supposed to get a clue about if he still doesn't speak German?
Maupertuis: *writes treatise and the principle of least action*
König: *writes attack on the treatise, complete with Leipniiz quote and accusation that Maupertuis isn't just wrong on the larger point, he also uses stuff Leipniz already said*
Maupertuis: How dare he! Of course I, as President, can't reply to this outrage in person. Faithful subjects, I mean, academy members, pray deal with König.
Quote: The generally hostile treatment of the management of the Berlin Academy in the German press had primed Maupertuis to respond forcefully to König, a more accessible and more vulnerable target than Gottsched or anonymous journalists. Seeing his scientific accomplishments and his personal integrity called into question, Maupertuis took steps to demonstrate his power to silence " scoundrels" . (...) Maupertuis made a strategic decision to focus on the authenticity of the letter, suspecting König's vulnerability on this point. As he explained later to d'Alémbert, “ instead of disputing with him , I limited myself to pressing him to produce the original, regarding it anyway as quite a mark of approval to want to attribute the basis [ofmy principle ] to the great Leibniz.” If all went well, the disciplining of König might be turned into positive publicity for the principle of least action . The Academy formally demanded that König produce the letter which turned out to be a copy, and then initiated a search for the original in Hermann's papers in Switzerland. Maupertuis used his prerogative to make the dispute a matter of honor for his institution and for the king. (...) Publicly, Maupertuis limited his concern to the existence and authenticity of the letter ; privately , he hoped to expose his accuser as a charlatan ,“ to bury König in the mud as he deserves." (...) Euler bent to the task with a will,no doubtharboring his own hostility to the Wolffian professor who had defended monads to the Academy a few years before:When König could not produce the letter,Euler submiitted a report, concluding "that (König's ] cause is completely 'untenable and that this fragment was forged, either to wrong M.de Maupertuis; or to exaggerate bý a pious fraud the praises of the great Leibniz ." 86 The evidence for forgery was circumstantial, bur König had muddied his claims with so many improbable and unsubstantiated explanations that Euler stated his condemnation in the strongest possible terms. In April 1752, the Academy voted unanimously to approve Euler's report, although there was some private grumbling about the president's righthold on power, and bitterness about the impossibility of dissent. A footnote here provides the direct quote from a German academy member: Weil Maupertuis alle Gewaltin Händen hat,und man nicht sehr laut gegen ihn reden darf , so ist die Verbitterung im Geheim desto stärker, und dises thut der Academie grossen Schaden " (Sulzer to Künzli, April 1752, quoted in Harnack , Geschichte, 1 (1 ): 338 , n.2 ).
And only at this point, according to Terrel, Voltaire enters the struggle.
Voltaire: I actuallly have no idea whether Maupertuis is correct about the principle of least action without Émiilie explaining it to me, but I do know a bully when I see one, and also, I could think of a better president of the Academy, namely, me. Be that as it may: have a satiric pamphlet. Or several.
Maupertuis: But...? Academy members: OMG! Europe: *Popcorn*
Terrel: and from this point onwards, no one cared about the principle of least action, or Leipniz. Voltaire had turned it into a literary quarrel, and then Fritz intervened, and at this point König and Maupertuis could do little more than watch along with the rest.
Maupertuis: Surely, with the King himself defending me, I don't have to respond to these outrages. Everyone will see right is on my, that is, our side!
Everyone: No idea who's right, but Voltaire is funnier. Also, did Fritz just burn a book? Mr. Enlightened Monach? OMG!
Maupertuis: *can't even enjoy the Frankfurt drama, because now he's in bad health*
Maupertuis: Okay, two more years in Prussia, but in late 1755 I'm off to go to France before the benefit of my health. Can I have paid leave, your majesty? I promise to comeback.
Fritz: That' what Algarotti said. But okay, you've been through a lot.
Maupertuis: *meets Voltaire's sworn enemy Fréron, a journalist*
Maupertuis: *writes to Fritz* Sire, until now I've kept a dignified silence, but now I've met this Fréron guy who says he can bury Voltaire, and I'm just thinking, how about I give him a tell-all to show how noble you've behaved in all this, defending me, and how dastardly Voltaire?
Fritz: I don't think that's a good idea.
Maupertuis: Sorry, Fréron, you can't be my revenge ghost writer, but I can tell you some stuff about Voltaire THAT UNSPEAKABLE BASTARD which you can use in some other pamphlets.
1756: Arrives. With the Diplomatic Revolution.
Fréron: So, dear readers, my personal conclusion is that Maupertuis and Voltaire are both dirty traitors to France who should never allowed Fritz to lure them away from la patrie anyway. Wasn't France good enough for them anymore? Stay tuned for me attacking Voltaire on the Mademoiselle Corneille front soon.
Maupertuis: OMG. Fritz and France at war? What is my duty here? If I go back to Berlin now, I'm definitely a traitor. But Fritz has been good to me, that making fun of my Austrian captivity post Mollwitz bit aside.
Some French friends: You could resign from your office as President of the Academy at least.
Maupertuis: No. That's part of my income. Also it's a nice honor. And Fritz would take it personal as hell. What if he wins this war and I can't go back to Prussia? My wife is there! This was just supposed to be some months back home in Brittany to recover my health!
Euler: Dear M, don't worry, I'm running the Academy for you. Take as much time as you need. The war will be over soon, surely.
Maupertuis: *tries to be diplomatic, congratulating Fritz on his military successes and asking for save routes from France to Berlin, but never actually going*
Maupertuis: *dies*
French Academy of Science: Traitor. Academy Francaise: No, a man of lettres and esprit! Have some favourite works! And his style! He paints with so much warmth , with so much liveliness , thathe transports us to the very places he describes. One scales with him the summits ofHorrilakero; one follows him on the frozen waters of Tornea; one flies at his sideon the fragile sleds of the Laplander."
Academy in Berlin: Total hero: Saint Malo is a kind of republic of Argonauts ; M.de Maupertuis's compatriots ... bring back to their fatherland (patrie) çiçhes which they have often devoted to the defense and health of that same country in the most glorious manner.M.de Maupertuis was the Jason of a different class of Argonauts . The treasures, he sought in the world's extremities are themost precious of all that enrich the mind, and he shared them not only with his country (patrie ),but with the whole human race.
Euler: He was the best. But seeing as he's dead now, and I've been running the Academy de facto since he left, how about making me the next President, Sire?
Fritz: ...You're German.
Euler: Fuck you. I'm off to St. Petersburg as soon as the war is over.
Maupertuis
In short:
Maupertuis: is born the son of an ennobled son of a privateer (= licensed by law pirate) in Saint-Malo, Brittany. He'll use the corsair association and imagery to make a splash at first, and it will even be used in his obituary. Parisian Voltaire (not born to an ennobled father but adding the "de" to his name just because he can) uses Maupertuis being from Brittany later when bickeringly corresponding with Fritz, if you'll recall. (Parisian rat Voltaire vs Breton mastiff Maupertuis. Fritz, of course, is a lion.)
His career goes very well the larger art of his life, his books are well liked; some of which are anonymously published, too, btw. And like Algarotti and the book Algarotti modelled his Newton for Ladies on which the dissertation names and I forgot, Maupertuis writes a "explaining science to a sexy lady" book. He did explain maths to Émilie early on, and Terrel quotes lettes of hers from that first period of aquaintance where she seems into him both mathematically and personally, so Maupertuis, at least, did practice the pedagogic eros in rl as well; Terrel points out that this was when a lot of writers discovered that lo and behold, female readers are a market, and not just for novels and poetry.
Speaking of, Voltaire at first was into Maupertuis as well, and claimed him as a Newtonian before Maupertuis had actually fully joined the Newtonian side of the force. (Terrel says that contrary to earlier assumptions, he wasn't yet a Newtonian when he visited England.) There's no sign of mixed feelings on Voltaire's part until Maupertuis has that military misadventure of getting captured when with Fritz at Mollwitz and Voltaire can't resist making fun of him back home in Paris, see earlier comment. Maupertuis is less than thrilled about this, but on the surface relations remain sociable and harmonius until they're both in Berlin at the same time, though a mutual acquaintance already said when the news came that Voltaire had finally given in and was on his way to Potsdam that this might not be such a good idea, because of the two egos (of Voltaire and Maupertuis, not Voltaire and Fritz). Back in the Cirey days, though, all seemed reasonably well, and I'm amused that when Maupertuis is preparing his big expedition and invites Algarotti along, our otherwise dry author observes that she can't think of what Algarotti was supposed to contribute to the expedition, "except for his company", since he wasn't a geometer, a surveyor or a man of action who couldn't have helped with the hardcore travel parts. Ms Terrell, hot stuff Algarotti was clearly part of the intendended entertainment for the Lappland nights!
The Lappland expedition - to prove the Earth flattens on top - is a big success and makes Maupertuis into an international celebrity who is much sought after in Europe from this point onwards. He does get into the Academie in France, so it's not like Fritz was the without alternatives, but then they didn't offer to make him head of the Academie which is what Fritz offered for the Berlin Academie, plus everyone wrote glowingly about the new philosopher king, so off to Prussia Maupertuis went, and got bored, see Mildred's tale about how all the intellectuals were widdling their thumbs while Fritz was off conquering Silesia. Maupertuis was the only one who made the mistake of following him into the field and getting captured. Then, as detailed in the earlier comment, after a few days he was identified by Count Neipperg and got ever courtesy, including a round trip to Vienna and then back to Berlin. By which time Voltaire from France and Fritz from nearer by cracked jokes and Maupertuis just about had it and left Prussia again. (I have to say, his story about his reception at Vienna, which is partly in the main text and partly in a footnote, would have deserved some authorial scepticism from Terrel. I can buy FS gave him a golden watch to compensate him from the one stolen from him in the scuffle of him getting taken prisoner, but the supposed dialogue with MT about who's the most beautiful Queen of them all really defies belief.)
Maupertuis does eventually return and takes his place as head of the Academy, and that's when valuable research stuff happens in this biography.
Fritz: I want the Academy to be a true republic of intellectuals. I'm just one of its citizens here, and I want you to treat my contributions as you do any other. Also, forget about the old place where the Academy, such as it was, met in my father's day, used to me and about the places where you met while I was off making war, I'm telling you where I want you to meet, of course.
Maupertuis: ...Okay. Academy members, we will model this Academy and its interactions on the new modern state of Prussia. I'm Fritz, of course. You're everyone else.
German academy members: We feel discriminated against anyway because of Fritz and his French hangup. I mean, we're not even allowed to hand in papers in our own language or Latin without also adding a translation into French at our own expense. And now we're getting bossed around not just by the King but this French guy who doesn't talk German at all? Grrr. Argh.
Maupertuis: Wolff, want to come?
Wolff: No way. I'm staying in Halle. Teaching in German.
Maupertuis: I'm getting a sense of some German hostility here. Also, all Germans are foodies. Direct quote: “Experience teaches me that there is nothing so prejudicial to the progress ofthe sciences in Germany as giving them too much to eat and drink. There is no one who will not abandon Homer when he hears the dinner bell. " Clearly, some more calling for discipline on my part is the way to proceed. After all, I'm the Fritz here.
Maupertuis: on the bright side, becomes bff with Euler and makes a friend in Kästner who is his eyes and ears in the camp of the enemy, aka Halle, where Wolff resides.
Maupertuis: Also gets married to Fräulein von Borck, scion of one of the old Brandenburg families
Mary Terrel: shame we don't know anything about her other than she did her best for her husband's work and memory to florish after his death, so she must have been devoted to him.
Mary Terrel: clearly hasn't read Lehndorff's journals, where Madame Maupertuis shows up a couple of times, notably when Amalie gives her some jewelry so she can make the journey to her dying husband in the middle of the war.
Early Academy feuding not starring either Maupertuis or Voltaire: *happens*
Maupertuis: *staying above it all* Remember, members: Dignity! Always dignity!
Émilie: *dies*
Mary Terrel: And then Voltaire showed up. "Friedrich had tried to woo him with flattering letters and with lavish gifts for years."
Voltaire: Lavish what? He haggled about my travel expenses!
König: Earlier, the Academy had done a competition like the one in Paris, I made an entry, and I lost. This endeared Maupertuis to me enormously.
Gottsched (remember him?) and other German intellectuals: We think the Academy is a bunch of foreign elitist snobs and their cowed German lackeys. If it's supposed to make local culture florish, where's the local culture in it? And how's the President ever supposed to get a clue about if he still doesn't speak German?
Maupertuis: *writes treatise and the principle of least action*
König: *writes attack on the treatise, complete with Leipniiz quote and accusation that Maupertuis isn't just wrong on the larger point, he also uses stuff Leipniz already said*
Maupertuis: How dare he! Of course I, as President, can't reply to this outrage in person. Faithful subjects, I mean, academy members, pray deal with König.
Quote: The generally hostile treatment of the management of the Berlin Academy in the German press had primed Maupertuis to respond forcefully to König, a more accessible and more vulnerable target than Gottsched or anonymous journalists. Seeing his scientific accomplishments and his personal integrity called into question, Maupertuis took steps to
demonstrate his power to silence " scoundrels" . (...)
Maupertuis made a strategic decision to focus on the authenticity of the letter, suspecting König's vulnerability on this point. As he explained later to d'Alémbert, “ instead of disputing with him , I limited myself to pressing him to produce
the original, regarding it anyway as quite a mark of approval to want to attribute the basis [ofmy principle ] to the great Leibniz.” If all went well, the disciplining of König might be turned into positive publicity for the principle of least action . The Academy formally demanded that König produce the letter which turned out to be a copy, and then initiated a search for the original in Hermann's papers in Switzerland. Maupertuis used his prerogative to make the dispute a matter of honor for his institution and for the king. (...) Publicly, Maupertuis limited his concern to the existence and authenticity of the letter ; privately , he hoped to expose his accuser as a charlatan ,“ to bury König in the mud as he deserves." (...)
Euler bent to the task with a will,no doubtharboring his own hostility to the Wolffian professor who had defended monads to the Academy a few years before:When König could not produce the letter,Euler submiitted a report, concluding "that (König's ] cause is completely 'untenable and that this fragment was forged, either to wrong M.de Maupertuis; or to exaggerate bý a pious fraud the praises of the great Leibniz ." 86 The evidence for forgery was circumstantial, bur König had muddied his claims with so many improbable and unsubstantiated explanations that Euler stated his condemnation in the strongest possible terms. In April 1752, the Academy voted unanimously to approve Euler's report, although there was some private grumbling about the president's righthold on power, and bitterness about the impossibility of dissent. A footnote here provides the direct quote from a German academy member: Weil Maupertuis alle Gewaltin Händen hat,und man nicht sehr laut gegen ihn reden darf , so ist die Verbitterung im Geheim desto stärker, und dises thut der Academie grossen Schaden "
(Sulzer to Künzli, April 1752, quoted in Harnack , Geschichte, 1 (1 ): 338 , n.2 ).
And only at this point, according to Terrel, Voltaire enters the struggle.
Voltaire: I actuallly have no idea whether Maupertuis is correct about the principle of least action without Émiilie explaining it to me, but I do know a bully when I see one, and also, I could think of a better president of the Academy, namely, me. Be that as it may: have a satiric pamphlet. Or several.
Maupertuis: But...?
Academy members: OMG!
Europe: *Popcorn*
Terrel: and from this point onwards, no one cared about the principle of least action, or Leipniz. Voltaire had turned it into a literary quarrel, and then Fritz intervened, and at this point König and Maupertuis could do little more than watch along with the rest.
Maupertuis: Surely, with the King himself defending me, I don't have to respond to these outrages. Everyone will see right is on my, that is, our side!
Everyone: No idea who's right, but Voltaire is funnier. Also, did Fritz just burn a book? Mr. Enlightened Monach? OMG!
Maupertuis: *can't even enjoy the Frankfurt drama, because now he's in bad health*
Maupertuis: Okay, two more years in Prussia, but in late 1755 I'm off to go to France before the benefit of my health. Can I have paid leave, your majesty? I promise to comeback.
Fritz: That' what Algarotti said. But okay, you've been through a lot.
Maupertuis: *meets Voltaire's sworn enemy Fréron, a journalist*
Maupertuis: *writes to Fritz* Sire, until now I've kept a dignified silence, but now I've met this Fréron guy who says he can bury Voltaire, and I'm just thinking, how about I give him a tell-all to show how noble you've behaved in all this, defending me, and how dastardly Voltaire?
Fritz: I don't think that's a good idea.
Maupertuis: Sorry, Fréron, you can't be my revenge ghost writer, but I can tell you some stuff about Voltaire THAT UNSPEAKABLE BASTARD which you can use in some other pamphlets.
1756: Arrives. With the Diplomatic Revolution.
Fréron: So, dear readers, my personal conclusion is that Maupertuis and Voltaire are both dirty traitors to France who should never allowed Fritz to lure them away from la patrie anyway. Wasn't France good enough for them anymore? Stay tuned for me attacking Voltaire on the Mademoiselle Corneille front soon.
Maupertuis: OMG. Fritz and France at war? What is my duty here? If I go back to Berlin now, I'm definitely a traitor. But Fritz has been good to me, that making fun of my Austrian captivity post Mollwitz bit aside.
Some French friends: You could resign from your office as President of the Academy at least.
Maupertuis: No. That's part of my income. Also it's a nice honor. And Fritz would take it personal as hell. What if he wins this war and I can't go back to Prussia? My wife is there! This was just supposed to be some months back home in Brittany to recover my health!
Euler: Dear M, don't worry, I'm running the Academy for you. Take as much time as you need. The war will be over soon, surely.
Maupertuis: *tries to be diplomatic, congratulating Fritz on his military successes and asking for save routes from France to Berlin, but never actually going*
Maupertuis: *dies*
French Academy of Science: Traitor.
Academy Francaise: No, a man of lettres and esprit! Have some favourite works! And his style! He paints with so much warmth , with so much liveliness , thathe transports us to the very places he describes. One scales with him the summits ofHorrilakero; one follows him on the frozen waters of Tornea; one flies at his sideon the fragile sleds of the Laplander."
Academy in Berlin: Total hero: Saint Malo is a kind of republic of Argonauts ; M.de Maupertuis's compatriots ... bring back to their fatherland (patrie) çiçhes which they have often devoted to the defense and health of that same country in the most glorious manner.M.de Maupertuis was the Jason of a different class of Argonauts . The treasures, he sought in the world's extremities are themost precious of all that enrich the mind, and he shared them not only with his country (patrie ),but with the whole human race.
Euler: He was the best. But seeing as he's dead now, and I've been running the Academy de facto since he left, how about making me the next President, Sire?
Fritz: ...You're German.
Euler: Fuck you. I'm off to St. Petersburg as soon as the war is over.