Why the heck was everyone so obsessed with Fritz's penis, anyway? [Not words I ever thought I'd say.
See, other Kings don't have that effect! You hear about the occasional possible royal penis operation (Louis XVI) as an explanation for fertilty after years of non fertility, but you don't get signed testimonies!
Mind you, while Nicolai entirely blames Voltaire, it did occured to me that we've found out a few months back that not the "botched STD treatment/penis operation = impotence" story, but the youthful STD = impotence" theory predates both Zimmermann and Voltaire by decades, because my guy Boswell hears about it on September 2nd, 1764: He said the King of Prussia had been sadly debauched in his youth: for he used to go to the common bawdy houses as well as to divert himself with the Ladies of the Court. He is now (said Blancho) quite impotent.
So even non-Voltaire readers could possibly have heard rumors that made them look.
Re: Nicolai vs Zimmermann and Zimmermann
See, other Kings don't have that effect! You hear about the occasional possible royal penis operation (Louis XVI) as an explanation for fertilty after years of non fertility, but you don't get signed testimonies!
Mind you, while Nicolai entirely blames Voltaire, it did occured to me that we've found out a few months back that not the "botched STD treatment/penis operation = impotence" story, but the youthful STD = impotence" theory predates both Zimmermann and Voltaire by decades, because my guy Boswell hears about it on September 2nd, 1764: He said the King of Prussia had been sadly debauched in his youth: for he used to go to the common bawdy houses as well as to divert himself with the Ladies of the Court. He is now (said Blancho) quite impotent.
So even non-Voltaire readers could possibly have heard rumors that made them look.