Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 19

[cahn]

Yuletide nominations:

18th Century CE Federician RPF
Maria Theresia | Maria Theresa of Austria
Voltaire
Friedrich II von Preußen | Frederick the Great
Ernst Ahasverus von Lehndorff
Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von Preußen | Henry of Prussia (1726-1802)
Wilhelmine von Preußen | Wilhelmine of Prussia (1709-1758)
Anna Amalie von Preußen | Anna Amalia of Prussia (1723-1787)
Catherine II of Russia
Hans Hermann von Katte
Peter Karl Christoph von Keith
Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf
August Wilhelm von Preußen | Augustus William of Prussia (1722-1758)

Circle of Voltaire RPF
Emilie du Chatelet
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson (Madame de Pompadour)
John Hervey (1696-1743)
Marie Louise Mignot Denis
Lady Mary Wortley-Montagu
Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis
Armand de Vignerot du Plessis de Richelieu (1696-1788)
Francesco Algarotti

Comments

Re: Lehndorff readalong

[selenak]

Fräulein v. Katt - no idea, but as Hans Herrmann's sisters were all married at that point, she must have hailed from another branch of the family.

1751, May 20: Lehndorff says his brother is under Arrest.

Um, do we know why?

No, and since it doesn't appear to have been serious - his brother is fine the other times he's mentioned, until he dies - , I see two likely possiblities, both typical for young noblemen:

a) he did the same thing Heinrich did a year earlier, i.e. stole away from his regiment to spend the night in Berlin, and got the same punishment, i.e. twelve hours arrest. Or something like that. Heinrich wasn't unique in this regard, and it was a bigger deal with him because he was suppposed to be in charge, and also of course because he was Fritz' brother.

b) somewhat more serious, he fought a duel. If so, then without a lethal ending for the other party, or Lehndorff would have mentioned it, but even though, duelling was technically forbidden, though simultanously regarded as a matter of honor, hence only the slap on the wrist type of arrests as punishments.


Now, *my* sources (which I forget what, if any, are primary) say that this rumor was going around, and Fritz was very upset, and he researched it, and found that it was all slander made up by his enemies, who don't want to believe anyone could be an atheist on their deathbed. Fritz was very relieved to find it wasn't true.

Your sources are Voltaire in his trashy tell all memoir: La Mettrie died from having eaten a pasty stuffed with truffles, after a very hearty dinner at the table of Lord Tyrconnel, Envoy from France. It was pretended he had been confessed before his death. The King was exceedingly vexed by this, and took care to be exactly informed concerning the truth of the assertion; they assured him it was an atrocious calumny, for La Mettrie had died as he had lived, abjuring God and physicians. His Majesty was convinced, an dimmeditely composed his funeral oration, which was read, in his name, at a public sitting of the Academy, by Darget his secretary.

Now this is Voltaire, and he might have made the part up where Fritz was reassured, but honestly, in the context of the trashy tell all he has nothing to gain by doing so.

Meseberg: nope, this is the same place which Heinrich will later buy for Kaphengst.

Benebelt: tipsy, though "dazed" is probably a better translation, because the implication isn't that they were giddily drunk but that they were already transitioning to the hangover state.

Travel jokes! LOL. BTW, without looking it up, I seem to recall the passage where Lehndorff writes about Reisewitz' first financial misadventures and Heinrich's reaction was censored in the original volume but shows up in Volume 2, Lehndorff Unplugged.

Maurice de Saxe: I see his English wiki entry mentions he corresponded with his half sister Orzelska, which reminds me Lady Mary met her when she first arrived in Italy on her Algarotti quest. They socialized. It was a small Rokoko world!

Maurice de Saxe, funnily enough, first became known to me not in a Fritzian context but because he was the ancestor of George Sand.

Heinrich the shephard quote: aw, yes. BTW, I don't know what google makes of it, but it's obvious who P.H. and H. are, right?

If you're looking for some of the most fervent 1752 quotes, they were originally censored and thus ended up in volume 2, but what is in volume 1 is already devoted enough.

Re: Lehndorff readalong

[mildred_of_midgard]

Duel: Makes sense, thank you!

Now this is Voltaire, and he might have made the part up where Fritz was reassured, but honestly, in the context of the trashy tell all he has nothing to gain by doing so.

Meh, I was hoping there was a better source, but I'm not finding it in Trier. Well, I agree, Voltaire probably would have been more likely to report that Mettrie did recant (and to mock him for it) if he did, than the reverse. Also, lol at "God and physicians." Voltaire reeeeally has a way with words.

Benebelt: tipsy, though "dazed" is probably a better translation, because the implication isn't that they were giddily drunk but that they were already transitioning to the hangover state.

I was so close! Thank you for adding the missing piece of nuance.

If you're looking for some of the most fervent 1752 quotes, they were originally censored and thus ended up in volume 2, but what is in volume 1 is already devoted enough.

I knoooow, this is why Lehndorff 2 is on my list, but I can't quite handle the font yet, and I'll be surprised if Google can handle it well enough that I'll be able to give cahn a translation. :(

Re: Lehndorff readalong

[cahn]

It's OK -- I would love to read it if there were a good font, but if not I will just be happy with you reading it :)