The King had a very good memory, a very eloquent tongue, saw reasonably well things that were near him but needed glasses for anything further away. For reading or writing, he did not need glasses. The flute, he played masterfully as a King; he had knowledge about general basso and composition, and has composed some arias, some concerts and over a hundred solos; he also could play the piano a bit. He performed a superb adagio. The only ones allowed at his concerts were the musicians involved and now and then a few musical connaisseurs. His concerts were simple, but pleasant. The flute was accompagnied by two violins, a viola, a cello, a fagot and the fortepiano. After the King wasn't able to play music anymore, he didn't want to listen to it, either, and only rarely attended concerts.
I remember the "Fritz and Music" author arguing with this statement, and using as evidence the various Berlin newspapers reporting Fritz' regular attendance to various opera performances and concerts in the 1780s (these are the years Schöning is talking about, since Fritz lost the ability to play the flute with the majority of his teeth in the Bavarian war). My speculation: it's a matter of perspective. Compared with the huge number of daily performances, see my previous translated excerpt, Schöning can say Fritz only attended rarely concerts anymore. To normal people, two or three times a week is often.
The King's behaviour towards his servants was very strict; especially if he noticed they were consorting with the other sex. He punished them with harsh words, beatings with his stick or with his fists, arrests or dismissals ,and sometimes he put them in the army.
Footnote from the editor here, in a rare spirit of criticism saying Fritz was wrong to do so, because if you treat the army as a deposit for people you want to punish, you're not making it look attractive and honorable, and maybe that's why Prussia lost against Napoleon. Again, reminder that Schöning himself was among the servants who married.
In his last years, his behavior towards them grew gentler, and he began to make little presents to those who were around him after he had endured illnesses, or at Christmas. Those who had managed to make themselves indispensible received larger presents in those last years, and those he favoured larger ones still.
Insert obvious comment about son of FW repeating patterns of abuse here. Meanwhile, guests who weren't servants:
The King's companions at the table and the scholars who kept him company in the evening were treated very graciously by him and hardly noticed their host was wearing a crown; though he mocked everyone leaving themselves open to it relentlessly. He had a stock collection of anecdotes regarding emperors, kings, and other worthies; these, he told often and kept repeating them, especially when strangers had joined the company who weren't familiar with them yet; meanwhile, the people who were around him for many years couldn't enjoy the repetitions and the often heard tales.
This is pretty much the same which Lucchessini notes down in his diary; that Fritz, like many old people, kept retelling the same stories.
The King's physical exercise consisted of the many slow and fast ridings as well as walks through the garden; even while playing the flute, he was unable to sit still, but kept moving from one room in the next. He often rode from Potsdam to Berlin without using his carriage which followed him. On marches, he always rode; if it was too cold, he went on foot.
Fritz and religion: He used to say "Post mortem nihil est, and that proves that he thought that he didn't believe in the immortality of the soul. He also used to say : Ex nihilo nihil est. So there has to be someone who created the world and everything in it; (...) so he recognized a single God as the creator and beginning of all things. Whether he also regarded him as the ruler of everything, or whether he believed the world had been left to run itself; whether not everything that happened happened by accident; that I can't say for sure. (...) Ever since he's been left to his own devices, one hasn't seen him showing an outward sign of serving God. What he's done during his father's life time, has been force and pretense, and if he afterwards visited churches a few times, he did so either for political reasons or to listen to the beautiful music.
And now we get data supporting a previous theory as to why Fritz didn't want an autopsy; it really was for Mom's reason, for:
Regarding chastity and honesty, the King showed a great deal of shame about his person; he didn't even allow his own servants to see him in the nude, and he never satisfied natural urges in their presence.
(Sidenote: in case this isn't clear, Schöning means he didn't piss or shit in their presence. Now today that's a given, but not so much in the 18th century, or earlier. One of the important offices among the courtiers of Henry VIII., for example, was the gentleman of the stool, who, yes, had to wipe the royal bottom.)
Verbally, on the other hand, he was an utter libertine, especially when sitting at the table with people, when he completely cut loose and named everything by its name.
Footnote from 19th century editor: Yes, that was one of Fritz' darker sides. OMG, if only he had lived in our times where people have learned not to talks so indecently!
Fritz: a good patient? The more pain he felt during his illnesses, the kinder and more graciously he behaved towards those who were nursing him. It was always a certain sign of his impending recovery when he started to be rude to the people he'd been content with while he was suffering.
Good grief.
Now let's talk budget for the kitchen:
The budget for the kitchen had been fixed on 12000 Reichstaler per annum by the King, and he didn't want to change this throughout his life. From this, the following had to be financed: daily eight plates for his table, eight plates for the marshal's table, three plates at noon and in the evening for ten to twelve servants, and cold foot for three to four dogs. If he was visited by noble strangers or by his family, and twelve, twenty or even thirty plates daily were necessary, he did pay for them as an extra expense, as he did for the table food during the masks and revues.
Salary for servants:
It's true that his personal servants received a very low salary. The primary ones received in addition to food and free lodging eight to ten Reichstaler per month; the rest only 8, 7 or 4.
Whereas the dogs:
The King's love for his dogs was extensive. Three or four were always around his person, and of these one was the favourite, and the others were this favourite's companions. The former was always lying next to the King on a chair with cushions and slept in her master's bed at night. The others had to leave the room in the evening, but returned early in the morning when the King was woken up. During the walkings or at the table, they were constantly following the King, who was particularly concerned about the grooming and about the health of his favourite dog. The King's pain when his favourites died was intense. They were buried at Sanssouci at a certain spot in a coffin, and received a tombstone inscribed with their names. In addition to the dogs which were always around his person, he also owned a pack at the palace of Potsdam and in the Jägerhof which consisted of forty to fifty whippets, and were cared for by two hunters, one of whom was also supposed to be an expert in curing dogs. The favourite dog and her companions had a chamber footman as their personal servants, who had to feed them and take them on walks. For their meals, they received different types of roastings, cake, buttery bread rolls, milk and water as much as they enjoyed. Whoever had the misfortune of kicking a dog did not escape without a scolding.
But no, Schöning doesn't tell us what became of them after Fritz' death, either. Women: like I said, Schöning says Fritz regarded them as a necessary evil and with a few exceptions towards whom he behaved "very gallantly and decently", disliked their company, both out of general dislike for females and because he had to dress up and show manners for them. Fritz and languages: Nothing new. I.e. loved French ,hated German, pretended to know Latin but actually didn't except for some learned phrases, read on the classics in French translations, knew a bit Italian due to music.
Time for some comic relief, which also answers one of Mildred's questions. Fritz tries fasting, but not out of respect for the Austrians:
In his younger years, he wanted to find out by a self experiment whether the Roman-Catholics deserved credit for their fasting. However, he decided that it wasn't much effort if you were allowed to eat fish, eggs, butter, cheese and milk; though he did try to live for forty days without the earlier mentioned food, but found it hard, and in order to make it through that time resorted to chocolate.
This isn't fasting, Fritz, but you do you. And finally, we got to something depressing: Regarding the fourth commandment - "Honor your parents", in case anyone forgot - THe King has to be a rare model for humanity. As much as he pondered about the human race, as much did he venerate the memory of his father; and if on rare occasions he did talk about the later's rages, about his lashing out temper or other flaws, he always tempered this with moderation and concern. That's how he talked about his mother, too, and his siblings, and this love for his parents and siblings does his ashes much credit. Only about his grandfather did he talk very differently. He described him as prince full of pride, puffed up and completely driven by vanity, and often stated angrily that (F1) could have saved Prussia from the Plague if he'd used 100 000 Reichtaler on it. Moreover, he called him an upstart King and a Louis XIV wannabe.
Grandpa F1, who treated his wife and kid gently, loved culture and never hit anyone in his life: stunned.
Voltaire: Well, I liked him and told Fritz so.
MT: I know someone who is a Louis XIV wannabe, and it wasn't the grandfather of the current Margrave of Brandenburg who wouldn't have a royal title if not for said grandfather.
Schöning: Old Fritz: Not Your Dream Boss (Unless You're Dog)
The flute, he played masterfully as a King; he had knowledge about general basso and composition, and has composed some arias, some concerts and over a hundred solos; he also could play the piano a bit. He performed a superb adagio. The only ones allowed at his concerts were the musicians involved and now and then a few musical connaisseurs. His concerts were simple, but pleasant. The flute was accompagnied by two violins, a viola, a cello, a fagot and the fortepiano. After the King wasn't able to play music anymore, he didn't want to listen to it, either, and only rarely attended concerts.
I remember the "Fritz and Music" author arguing with this statement, and using as evidence the various Berlin newspapers reporting Fritz' regular attendance to various opera performances and concerts in the 1780s (these are the years Schöning is talking about, since Fritz lost the ability to play the flute with the majority of his teeth in the Bavarian war). My speculation: it's a matter of perspective. Compared with the huge number of daily performances, see my previous translated excerpt, Schöning can say Fritz only attended rarely concerts anymore. To normal people, two or three times a week is often.
The King's behaviour towards his servants was very strict; especially if he noticed they were consorting with the other sex. He punished them with harsh words, beatings with his stick or with his fists, arrests or dismissals ,and sometimes he put them in the army.
Footnote from the editor here, in a rare spirit of criticism saying Fritz was wrong to do so, because if you treat the army as a deposit for people you want to punish, you're not making it look attractive and honorable, and maybe that's why Prussia lost against Napoleon. Again, reminder that Schöning himself was among the servants who married.
In his last years, his behavior towards them grew gentler, and he began to make little presents to those who were around him after he had endured illnesses, or at Christmas. Those who had managed to make themselves indispensible received larger presents in those last years, and those he favoured larger ones still.
Insert obvious comment about son of FW repeating patterns of abuse here. Meanwhile, guests who weren't servants:
The King's companions at the table and the scholars who kept him company in the evening were treated very graciously by him and hardly noticed their host was wearing a crown; though he mocked everyone leaving themselves open to it relentlessly. He had a stock collection of anecdotes regarding emperors, kings, and other worthies; these, he told often and kept repeating them, especially when strangers had joined the company who weren't familiar with them yet; meanwhile, the people who were around him for many years couldn't enjoy the repetitions and the often heard tales.
This is pretty much the same which Lucchessini notes down in his diary; that Fritz, like many old people, kept retelling the same stories.
The King's physical exercise consisted of the many slow and fast ridings as well as walks through the garden; even while playing the flute, he was unable to sit still, but kept moving from one room in the next. He often rode from Potsdam to Berlin without using his carriage which followed him. On marches, he always rode; if it was too cold, he went on foot.
Fritz and religion: He used to say "Post mortem nihil est, and that proves that he thought that he didn't believe in the immortality of the soul. He also used to say : Ex nihilo nihil est. So there has to be someone who created the world and everything in it; (...) so he recognized a single God as the creator and beginning of all things. Whether he also regarded him as the ruler of everything, or whether he believed the world had been left to run itself; whether not everything that happened happened by accident; that I can't say for sure. (...) Ever since he's been left to his own devices, one hasn't seen him showing an outward sign of serving God. What he's done during his father's life time, has been force and pretense, and if he afterwards visited churches a few times, he did so either for political reasons or to listen to the beautiful music.
And now we get data supporting a previous theory as to why Fritz didn't want an autopsy; it really was for Mom's reason, for:
Regarding chastity and honesty, the King showed a great deal of shame about his person; he didn't even allow his own servants to see him in the nude, and he never satisfied natural urges in their presence.
(Sidenote: in case this isn't clear, Schöning means he didn't piss or shit in their presence. Now today that's a given, but not so much in the 18th century, or earlier. One of the important offices among the courtiers of Henry VIII., for example, was the gentleman of the stool, who, yes, had to wipe the royal bottom.)
Verbally, on the other hand, he was an utter libertine, especially when sitting at the table with people, when he completely cut loose and named everything by its name.
Footnote from 19th century editor: Yes, that was one of Fritz' darker sides. OMG, if only he had lived in our times where people have learned not to talks so indecently!
Fritz: a good patient? The more pain he felt during his illnesses, the kinder and more graciously he behaved towards those who were nursing him. It was always a certain sign of his impending recovery when he started to be rude to the people he'd been content with while he was suffering.
Good grief.
Now let's talk budget for the kitchen:
The budget for the kitchen had been fixed on 12000 Reichstaler per annum by the King, and he didn't want to change this throughout his life. From this, the following had to be financed: daily eight plates for his table, eight plates for the marshal's table, three plates at noon and in the evening for ten to twelve servants, and cold foot for three to four dogs. If he was visited by noble strangers or by his family, and twelve, twenty or even thirty plates daily were necessary, he did pay for them as an extra expense, as he did for the table food during the masks and revues.
Salary for servants:
It's true that his personal servants received a very low salary. The primary ones received in addition to food and free lodging eight to ten Reichstaler per month; the rest only 8, 7 or 4.
Whereas the dogs:
The King's love for his dogs was extensive. Three or four were always around his person, and of these one was the favourite, and the others were this favourite's companions. The former was always lying next to the King on a chair with cushions and slept in her master's bed at night. The others had to leave the room in the evening, but returned early in the morning when the King was woken up. During the walkings or at the table, they were constantly following the King, who was particularly concerned about the grooming and about the health of his favourite dog. The King's pain when his favourites died was intense. They were buried at Sanssouci at a certain spot in a coffin, and received a tombstone inscribed with their names. In addition to the dogs which were always around his person, he also owned a pack at the palace of Potsdam and in the Jägerhof which consisted of forty to fifty whippets, and were cared for by two hunters, one of whom was also supposed to be an expert in curing dogs. The favourite dog and her companions had a chamber footman as their personal servants, who had to feed them and take them on walks. For their meals, they received different types of roastings, cake, buttery bread rolls, milk and water as much as they enjoyed. Whoever had the misfortune of kicking a dog did not escape without a scolding.
But no, Schöning doesn't tell us what became of them after Fritz' death, either.
Women: like I said, Schöning says Fritz regarded them as a necessary evil and with a few exceptions towards whom he behaved "very gallantly and decently", disliked their company, both out of general dislike for females and because he had to dress up and show manners for them.
Fritz and languages: Nothing new. I.e. loved French ,hated German, pretended to know Latin but actually didn't except for some learned phrases, read on the classics in French translations, knew a bit Italian due to music.
Time for some comic relief, which also answers one of Mildred's questions. Fritz tries fasting, but not out of respect for the Austrians:
In his younger years, he wanted to find out by a self experiment whether the Roman-Catholics deserved credit for their fasting. However, he decided that it wasn't much effort if you were allowed to eat fish, eggs, butter, cheese and milk; though he did try to live for forty days without the earlier mentioned food, but found it hard, and in order to make it through that time resorted to chocolate.
This isn't fasting, Fritz, but you do you. And finally, we got to something depressing:
Regarding the fourth commandment - "Honor your parents", in case anyone forgot - THe King has to be a rare model for humanity. As much as he pondered about the human race, as much did he venerate the memory of his father; and if on rare occasions he did talk about the later's rages, about his lashing out temper or other flaws, he always tempered this with moderation and concern. That's how he talked about his mother, too, and his siblings, and this love for his parents and siblings does his ashes much credit. Only about his grandfather did he talk very differently. He described him as prince full of pride, puffed up and completely driven by vanity, and often stated angrily that (F1) could have saved Prussia from the Plague if he'd used 100 000 Reichtaler on it. Moreover, he called him an upstart King and a Louis XIV wannabe.
Grandpa F1, who treated his wife and kid gently, loved culture and never hit anyone in his life: stunned.
Voltaire: Well, I liked him and told Fritz so.
MT: I know someone who is a Louis XIV wannabe, and it wasn't the grandfather of the current Margrave of Brandenburg who wouldn't have a royal title if not for said grandfather.