Leafing through these reports, I keep thinking "OMG Mildred has to see this", so have a few impressions. First of all, this envoy is distinctly lower on the hacking order than all the previous envoys, unsuprisingly, since Braunschweig/Brunswick is another principality in the HRE, not a completely sovereign nation like Denmark or England. Even Saxony is different, due to being also the Kingdom of Poland at the time. So S. is either ultra cautious or really not so much in loop as the others, thought I at first (until getting to Katte's execution). There's no report on any friction between Fritz and FW until January 1730, and then it's very cryptic and only identifiable by footnote with the editor saying this is probably a hint of that. S. is the envoy equivalent of the kind of (old fashioned, not today's) conservative tabloid that writes cute family stories about the Royals and would never, or hardly ever, report anything nasty. So we hear what little Heinrich, age 4, gave SD as a birthday present (a china tea pot - I take it this was selected for him by someone else), or how the wetnurse for baby Ferdinand was selected (which I did find interesting), but nothing at all about FW shouting at his son (and oldest daughter), let alone manhandling or publically humiliating him. As late as August 18th, S. only knows Katte was arrested "for corresponding with a person of high rank".
Then, after Fritz' arrest is really really public, he keeps reporting rumors that he's about to be forgiven by Dad just the next few days, in September that Katte managed to clear himself almost totally and is facing just a few years of arrest, max. Wilhelmine is consistently reported sick for the remainder of 1730, that's the explanation S. keeps giving for why no one is allowed to see her anymore. She's in a bad state of health. Home arrest, what home arrest? On October 14th, he's noticed the messengers being sent from Wusterhausen to Köpenick (where the war tribunal was held) and back and optimistically concludes FW wants to reopen the palace at Köpenick as Fritz' new residence and forgiveness is really really imminent now. He also has heard that the tribunal wanted to deliver an ultra strict sentence on Katte, but FW, being the merciful King he is, has intervened and provided mercy and will soon declare Katte's pardon.
Just when I was ready to conclude he just doesn't have luck with his spies and paid informants, I check out the November entries, and lo, not only does S. provide a pretty accurate report of the execution, complete with dialogue between Fritz and Katte, but he also, near the end of November (25th) in another entry, has read the three letters Katte wrote (to the King, to his father and to his grandfather) in copies. (He still insists on lightside FW, saying that the King read Katte's letter only two days ago but bitterly regrets it and swears he'd totally have pardoned Katte if he had read it first.) (He also says Hans Heinrich has offered his resignation, and so has Katte's superior Natzmer, but that FW refused to accept it and on the contrary that the Katte family is in for some favors.) And then in December we get back to rumors of Fritz' imminent return to parental favor and neighbourhood, i.e. evidently false intelligence. So how come his intel on the execution is suddenly dead on? S., you are a man of mystery. Here's what he writes, and you know the scene so well that I give you Rokoko German:
Berlin, den 11. November 1730. Nach dem jüngst gemeldetermaßen, der Lieut. v. Katte gestern vor 8 Tagen, unter einer Escorte von 30 Mann Gens d'Armes in Begleitung des Ritt-Meisters v. Aßeburg und des Gens d'Armerie Feld Predigers nach der 10 Meil von hier entlegenen Veste Cüstrin gebracht und daselbst den 3. Tag darauf, am vergangenen Sonntage, abgeliefert worden; hat der, auf Königl. Befehl, dahin voraus gegangene Geh. Rath pp. Gerbet, in Gegenwart des gleichfalls aldar schon an gelangt gewesenen Obristen v. Derschau und anderer dazu bestimmter Officiern, demselben abermahls das Todesurtheil vorlesen und auf den folgenden Tag, dessen die Execution ankündigen müßen. Der Feld Prediger hat demnach die Devotion mit ihm continuiret, da andern Morgens der Condemnatus bald nach 7 Uhr im Schloße sich auf einen daselbst angefahrenen Sand-Haufen, gleich gegen des Cron-Prinzen Fenster über, eingefunden und wie Se. Königl. Hoheit ihn darauf angeredet. Mons. Katte! ich bitte euch vergebet mir, wann Ich euch zu leyde gethan und Ursache an euern Tode bin; und er sich dagegen hinwieder ganz constant in Antwort vernehmen laßen: Ihro Hoheit haben nicht Ursache um Vergebung zu bitten, weil Sie mir nichts zu wieder gethan und ich selbst meines Todes Ursache bin. Er darauf mit Gebet sich zu Gott gewandt, so folglich sich selbst die Augen verbunden und also in gleicher Constance des Henckers Schwerd Schlag abgewartet, der dann auch so glücklich gelungen, daß mit einem Hieb der Kopf vom Cörper abgesondert worden; welchem necht man dem Leichnam mit dem ausgebreiteten schwarzen Tuch bedecket und also bis 2 Uhr Nachmittags zum Schau liegen laßen; da man selben in einen Sarg geleget und die bestellte 12 Bürger des Orts selbigen so folglich zur Beerdigung auf den Kirchhof getragen; mit welcher Tragedie dann in so weit dieser Actus geendet, und wird gesagt: daß, wann der König dieses decollierten Lieutnants Verbrechen nach der rigoeur hätte bestrafen lassen wollen und nicht consideration für die viele vornehme Verwandten Se. Maj. selben mit einerweit eclatanteren Todes-Strafe belegen können.
Given S. earlier reports all those imminent pardons, the turnaround to "FW totally could have made it worse!" (i.e. FW's own argument) is especially startling. And the fact that it all checks out - the dialogue exchange, the sandheap, Katte binding his own eyes.
In the same November 25th entry where S. mentions the three letters and having read copies, he also provides us with this priceless anecdote about, wait for it, young AW confronting FW with Katte:
Sonsten wird pargiret: daß der zweyte Königl. Prinz jüngster Tagen beim Exercieren, da ein Officier ihm die Handgriffe bey bringen sollen, ganz ermüdet worden und nicht mehr damit fortfahren wollen; wie nun des Königs Majt. zu Ihm gelaget, wenn Du nicht exerciren willst, so sollst Du auch kein port d'epée mehr tragen; worauf der Prinz geantwortet: mein lieber Papa! das will ich wohl gleich wieder geben; wie der König darauf repliciret: Wilhelm! so kanst Du auch kein Officier sein; hätte der Prinz erwidert; da frage ich nichts nach, mein lieber Papa läßet ja einen Officiers die Köpfe abhauen. Was nun hiermit weiter vorgefallen, übergehet man billig mit Stillschweigen; inzwischen habe der König geargwohnet: daß gegen den Prinzen jemand dergleichen Reden geführet haben müßte; weswegen Er etwas hart angelaßen, solches zu bekennen; Er hat aber keinen genannt; indessen soll der Kriegs Rath Lindener als Informator, deswegen ein scharfes Bad haben ausstehen müßen.
English translation, because I need you to understand this if google doesn't deliver: It's also told that the second royal prince the other day during drilling grew exhausted when an officer was supposed to teach him all the right grips, and hadn't wanted to continue; then the King came to him, he told him, if you don't want to drill anymore, you'll have to return your sword, to which the Prince replied: Dear Papa! I want to return it at once! and the King answered: Wilhelm! Then you can't be an officer! To which the Prince supposedly returned, I don't care for it, my dear Papa orders his officers' heads to be cut off. What then happened should rather be covered with silence; by now the King suspects someone has been talking in front of the Prince with such speeches, and he's approached him somewhat harshly to confess to this; but (AW) did not provide anyone's name; but still, the Councillor Lindener as the likely informant has been in hot waters because of this.
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The Braunschweig Perspective : First Impressions
Date: 2020-09-30 03:42 pm (UTC)Then, after Fritz' arrest is really really public, he keeps reporting rumors that he's about to be forgiven by Dad just the next few days, in September that Katte managed to clear himself almost totally and is facing just a few years of arrest, max. Wilhelmine is consistently reported sick for the remainder of 1730, that's the explanation S. keeps giving for why no one is allowed to see her anymore. She's in a bad state of health. Home arrest, what home arrest? On October 14th, he's noticed the messengers being sent from Wusterhausen to Köpenick (where the war tribunal was held) and back and optimistically concludes FW wants to reopen the palace at Köpenick as Fritz' new residence and forgiveness is really really imminent now. He also has heard that the tribunal wanted to deliver an ultra strict sentence on Katte, but FW, being the merciful King he is, has intervened and provided mercy and will soon declare Katte's pardon.
Just when I was ready to conclude he just doesn't have luck with his spies and paid informants, I check out the November entries, and lo, not only does S. provide a pretty accurate report of the execution, complete with dialogue between Fritz and Katte, but he also, near the end of November (25th) in another entry, has read the three letters Katte wrote (to the King, to his father and to his grandfather) in copies. (He still insists on lightside FW, saying that the King read Katte's letter only two days ago but bitterly regrets it and swears he'd totally have pardoned Katte if he had read it first.) (He also says Hans Heinrich has offered his resignation, and so has Katte's superior Natzmer, but that FW refused to accept it and on the contrary that the Katte family is in for some favors.) And then in December we get back to rumors of Fritz' imminent return to parental favor and neighbourhood, i.e. evidently false intelligence. So how come his intel on the execution is suddenly dead on? S., you are a man of mystery. Here's what he writes, and you know the scene so well that I give you Rokoko German:
Berlin, den 11. November 1730.
Nach dem jüngst gemeldetermaßen, der Lieut. v. Katte gestern vor 8 Tagen, unter einer Escorte von 30 Mann Gens d'Armes in Begleitung des Ritt-Meisters v. Aßeburg und des Gens d'Armerie Feld Predigers nach der 10 Meil von hier entlegenen Veste Cüstrin gebracht und daselbst den 3. Tag darauf, am vergangenen Sonntage, abgeliefert worden; hat der, auf Königl. Befehl, dahin voraus gegangene Geh. Rath pp. Gerbet, in Gegenwart des gleichfalls aldar schon an gelangt gewesenen Obristen v. Derschau und anderer dazu bestimmter Officiern, demselben abermahls das Todesurtheil vorlesen und auf den folgenden Tag, dessen die Execution ankündigen müßen. Der Feld Prediger hat demnach die Devotion mit ihm continuiret, da andern Morgens der Condemnatus bald nach 7 Uhr im Schloße sich auf einen daselbst angefahrenen Sand-Haufen, gleich gegen des Cron-Prinzen Fenster über, eingefunden und wie Se. Königl. Hoheit ihn darauf angeredet. Mons. Katte! ich bitte euch vergebet mir, wann Ich euch zu leyde gethan und Ursache an euern Tode bin; und er sich dagegen hinwieder ganz constant in Antwort vernehmen laßen: Ihro Hoheit haben nicht Ursache um Vergebung zu bitten, weil Sie mir nichts zu wieder gethan und ich selbst meines Todes Ursache bin.
Er darauf mit Gebet sich zu Gott gewandt, so folglich sich selbst die Augen verbunden und also in gleicher Constance des Henckers Schwerd Schlag abgewartet, der dann auch so glücklich gelungen, daß mit einem Hieb der Kopf vom Cörper abgesondert worden; welchem necht man dem Leichnam mit dem ausgebreiteten schwarzen Tuch bedecket und also bis 2 Uhr Nachmittags zum Schau liegen laßen; da man selben in einen Sarg geleget und die bestellte 12 Bürger des Orts selbigen so folglich zur Beerdigung auf den Kirchhof getragen; mit welcher Tragedie dann in so weit dieser Actus geendet, und wird gesagt: daß, wann der König dieses decollierten Lieutnants Verbrechen nach der rigoeur hätte bestrafen lassen wollen und nicht consideration für die viele vornehme Verwandten Se. Maj. selben mit einerweit eclatanteren Todes-Strafe belegen können.
Given S. earlier reports all those imminent pardons, the turnaround to "FW totally could have made it worse!" (i.e. FW's own argument) is especially startling. And the fact that it all checks out - the dialogue exchange, the sandheap, Katte binding his own eyes.
In the same November 25th entry where S. mentions the three letters and having read copies, he also provides us with this priceless anecdote about, wait for it, young AW confronting FW with Katte:
Sonsten wird pargiret: daß der zweyte Königl. Prinz jüngster Tagen beim Exercieren, da ein Officier ihm die Handgriffe bey bringen sollen, ganz ermüdet worden und nicht mehr damit fortfahren wollen; wie nun des Königs Majt. zu Ihm gelaget, wenn Du nicht exerciren
willst, so sollst Du auch kein port d'epée mehr tragen; worauf der Prinz geantwortet: mein lieber Papa! das will ich wohl gleich wieder geben; wie der König darauf repliciret: Wilhelm! so kanst Du auch kein Officier sein; hätte der Prinz erwidert; da frage ich nichts nach, mein lieber Papa läßet ja einen Officiers die Köpfe abhauen.
Was nun hiermit weiter vorgefallen, übergehet man billig mit Stillschweigen; inzwischen habe der König geargwohnet: daß gegen den Prinzen jemand dergleichen Reden geführet haben müßte; weswegen Er etwas hart angelaßen, solches zu bekennen; Er hat aber keinen genannt; indessen soll der Kriegs Rath Lindener als Informator, deswegen ein scharfes Bad haben ausstehen müßen.
English translation, because I need you to understand this if google doesn't deliver: It's also told that the second royal prince the other day during drilling grew exhausted when an officer was supposed to teach him all the right grips, and hadn't wanted to continue; then the King came to him, he told him, if you don't want to drill anymore, you'll have to return your sword, to which the Prince replied: Dear Papa! I want to return it at once! and the King answered: Wilhelm! Then you can't be an officer! To which the Prince supposedly returned, I don't care for it, my dear Papa orders his officers' heads to be cut off.
What then happened should rather be covered with silence; by now the King suspects someone has been talking in front of the Prince with such speeches, and he's approached him somewhat harshly to confess to this; but (AW) did not provide anyone's name; but still, the Councillor Lindener as the likely informant has been in hot waters because of this.