Speaking of the linked SD letters (Aus den Briefen der Königin Sophie-Dorothea, Hohenzollern Jahrbuch again), those were a fascinating read.
This one to FW, also from 1715, made me laugh: I am beginning to believe that Milord Bolinbroke was right when he wrote to Milord Strafford that your Soldiers were your mistresses, because since you saw them again, you no longer think of me. I believe, however, that my thirty thousand rivals could well give me an hour a day, because you will not find in these thirty thousand as much tenderness as you find in that of your faithful Fique. (Fique apparently what she called herself/he called her? And he got nicknamed "Wilke", in case you didn't/needed to know.) The rest of them are much less of a laughing matter, though, what with FW's rudeness and suspicions of infidelity, culminating in him apparently repeatedly mentioning/threatening divorce.
And then there's all the Fritz and sibling related stuff. This one for example broke my heart for him all over again, from 1728, SD to FW: „You can be assured that I will not say anything and will not tell him that you wrote to me; if he knew that you hate him and wish him death, he would be in despair and it would kill him. He is already too ill. God take the thoughts you have against him, and you govern your heart. I believe you wrote to me against him out of malice, to see what I will answer you."
Plus, Droysen collects and reproduces almost every mention of the kids in her letters to FW during their childhood years (up until 1725), mostly Fritz and Wilhelmine, occasionally Friederike, very occasionally Charlotte and little Wilhelm, who died after two years. All of these are only a couple sentences each and a mix of cute, mundane, and heartbreaking, obviously tailored for FW and quite revealing that way. I'd encountered some of the facts before - that Wilhelmine, age five, got beaten for accidentally scratching her little brother for example :( - but reading all of these in row over the years is quite fascinating. See: the repeated mentions of Fritz trying to prove that he totally isn't a coward anymore, starting when he is four whole years old. Sigh.
I am beginning to believe that Milord Bolinbroke was right when he wrote to Milord Strafford that your Soldiers were your mistresses, because since you saw them again, you no longer think of me.
Ha, that made me laugh too!
I believe, however, that my thirty thousand rivals could well give me an hour a day, because you will not find in these thirty thousand as much tenderness as you find in that of your faithful Fique.
That's... rather sweet. And awful too, given what you say about the rest of the letters :( (I feel like "FW's suspicions of infidelity" is one of those things that probably got said repeatedly here and of course sounds like him, but I'd forgotten about that particular bit of awfulness. FW >:( )
You can be assured that I will not say anything and will not tell him that you wrote to me; if he knew that you hate him and wish him death, he would be in despair and it would kill him.
OMG! FW!
See: the repeated mentions of Fritz trying to prove that he totally isn't a coward anymore, starting when he is four whole years old.
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timeasmymeasure
More SD Letters
Date: 2021-02-20 09:30 pm (UTC)This one to FW, also from 1715, made me laugh: I am beginning to believe that Milord Bolinbroke was right when he wrote to Milord Strafford that your Soldiers were your mistresses, because since you saw them again, you no longer think of me. I believe, however, that my thirty thousand rivals could well give me an hour a day, because you will not find in these thirty thousand as much tenderness as you find in that of your faithful Fique. (Fique apparently what she called herself/he called her? And he got nicknamed "Wilke", in case you didn't/needed to know.)
The rest of them are much less of a laughing matter, though, what with FW's rudeness and suspicions of infidelity, culminating in him apparently repeatedly mentioning/threatening divorce.
And then there's all the Fritz and sibling related stuff. This one for example broke my heart for him all over again, from 1728, SD to FW: „You can be assured that I will not say anything and will not tell him that you wrote to me; if he knew that you hate him and wish him death, he would be in despair and it would kill him. He is already too ill. God take the thoughts you have against him, and you govern your heart. I believe you wrote to me against him out of malice, to see what I will answer you."
Plus, Droysen collects and reproduces almost every mention of the kids in her letters to FW during their childhood years (up until 1725), mostly Fritz and Wilhelmine, occasionally Friederike, very occasionally Charlotte and little Wilhelm, who died after two years. All of these are only a couple sentences each and a mix of cute, mundane, and heartbreaking, obviously tailored for FW and quite revealing that way. I'd encountered some of the facts before - that Wilhelmine, age five, got beaten for accidentally scratching her little brother for example :( - but reading all of these in row over the years is quite fascinating. See: the repeated mentions of Fritz trying to prove that he totally isn't a coward anymore, starting when he is four whole years old. Sigh.
Re: More SD Letters
Date: 2021-02-21 12:24 am (UTC)I am beginning to believe that Milord Bolinbroke was right when he wrote to Milord Strafford that your Soldiers were your mistresses, because since you saw them again, you no longer think of me.
Ha, that made me laugh too!
I believe, however, that my thirty thousand rivals could well give me an hour a day, because you will not find in these thirty thousand as much tenderness as you find in that of your faithful Fique.
That's... rather sweet. And awful too, given what you say about the rest of the letters :( (I feel like "FW's suspicions of infidelity" is one of those things that probably got said repeatedly here and of course sounds like him, but I'd forgotten about that particular bit of awfulness. FW >:( )
You can be assured that I will not say anything and will not tell him that you wrote to me; if he knew that you hate him and wish him death, he would be in despair and it would kill him.
OMG! FW!
See: the repeated mentions of Fritz trying to prove that he totally isn't a coward anymore, starting when he is four whole years old.
Wow! Poor Fritz :(((((