Thanks to Mildred unearthing Leineweber's disseratation about Samuel Jakob Morgenstern's FW book so quickly, and it being pretty short, I can now deliver the biographer's biography in short points. As Mildred said, Leineweber doesn't know who wrote the preface to Morgenstern's book, either, nor who had the idea of publishing it to begin with, several years after his death. Most of the biographical claims in the preface are wrong, though. As for when Morgenstern wrote the book, probably over the years because there are references to events and people from 1780 - to 1782 in it, which would put it really late in Morgenstern's life, but then again there are references to the 7 Years War as recent and to someone who died in 1766 as having died "recently" which could indicate he at least started writing around 1770ish. Or, Leineweber allows, he might have done as old people can do and telescoped the decades when writing in the early 1780s.
So, Morgenstern: born a Saxon in 1706. studied in Leipzig where he achieved Magister, started to lecture there, not many people showed up, so he went to Halle. He wasn't much more successful there; student attendence to his lectures was low. In order to win the students around, he started a newspaper reading and explaining seminar twice a week, which was a bit more of a success, not least because it was combined with smoking, and debates got so loud that a neighbor complained. These newspaper readings prodcued Morgenstern's first original work, according to Nicolai an imperfect attempt at gathering statistics. Leineweber can't judge it because he couldn't track it down, but he's not impressed with Morgenstern's next publication, which is a total copy-and-paste job on Russia (i.e. it plagiarizes a lot of articles printed at the time) combined with lots of flattery of the Czarina (Anna Ivanova). This was because not just Morgenstern but other German scholars hoped to get jobs in Russia because of Anna employing Germans and German being basically the court language due to her lover. It worked in that Morgenstern got 100 Rubel and an offer to teach history in a Moscow school. He set off but when he came to Potsdam, the guards didn't understand the title "Magister legens" and so he ended up interrogated by Captain Nettelhorst, who was impressed by his cheeky replies and told FW about this fellow. FW, as we saw in Stratemann's report, had had a hard time replacing Gundling, with several candidates choosing flight over humiliation. He pounced. Morgenstern got a job offer from him of 500 Reichstaler per annum and free lodgings as well as the title of Hofrat. Probably figuring that this sounded better than teaching kids in Moscow, Morgenstern accepted.
While Morgenstern had enough bite to diss the members of the tobacco college back when they dissed him, he still didn't escape the FW brand of humiliation entirely. Notoriously on that occasion when FW had him lecture and debate in November 1737 on "Scholars are fools" at the university of Frankfurt an der Oder. Said lecture got published later and is Leineweber's exhibit a) for his theory that Morgenstern's FW biography employs Antony's rethorical funeral speech technique from "Julius Caesar" because it shows him capable of subsersivness. Now, the intention on FW's part had been another scholar humiliation. Morgenstern had to wear a parody of the usual university professor get up, blue velvet with read threads and a red waistcoat, a gigantic periwig that went across his entire backside, and instead of the sword which professors then still carried, he wore a fox tail at his side. On royal order, all local professors had to attend. Now, as I said, Morgenstern later, that very same year, published the lecture. It starts with a big whopper, that "Narr" - fool" - hails from the Latin word "narrare", storyteling, and you can feel all the listening professors cringe. The basic theses of the lecture is that every man has his share of wrong opinions leading him to foolish behavior. The world is full of fools, from the simple shephard to priests. Morgenstern goes on about particular exhibits of foolery in all kinds of positions and tries to divide them by national characteristics. ("The foolishness of the British people consists of their longing for innovation beyond any measure or goal, simply because it is new, and thus they are able to betray their king and make themselves footstools to rebels and slaves.") Morgenstern has a go at the princes of this world as well, especially at those ruling small principalities, "who see their country, which can be viewed in its entirety when standing on an ants' hill, as a one big game park and want to do nothing but hunting". Leineweber says this is an obvious diss of FW's pal the Old Dessauer. Kings, too, are fools for "imagining the weight of their subjects' sins lay on their shoulders by the tons, and are pushing them into the abyss". Leineweber sees this as meaning FW. Only then in the last part of the lecture does he address what FW had ordered to be his subject, i.e. scholars as fools. Here Morgenstern has a go at the pietists for not understanding philosophers (allusion to Wolff) and at the theologians only studying in the hope of a rich income. And finally, he justifies his own fool get up and says that he who has been put by life in this position resembles "the first Roman mayor" Brutus, playing the fool when the Tarquinian Kings were still reigning. "As little as sensible clothing can make a fool wise, foolish clothing can confuse a sensible man."
This lecture was a big success with the students who cheered a lot, and with FW, too. Leineweber doubts he made Morgenstern vice chancellor of the university, but thinks he did give him a job there.
As to Agent Morgenstern's various secret missions:
1). England. According to Leineweber, happened neither in 1739 as the preface writer claims nor in 1737 as Morgenstern claims in his books, but in 1738. How do we know this? Because there's a cabinet order from Feburary 4th 1738 in which Morgenstern is ordered to go there, observe everything (but NOT do scholarly stuff), country and people, and then report to FW about his impressions. Under no circumstances was he to say that he was in Prussian service; he was supposed to travel under an alias and keep a diary noting down all he sees and hears. While Leineweber grants this proves Morgenstern had gained a measure of FW's trust and respect, he doubts thrifty FW financed Morgenstern a trip to Britain just to get a travelogue from him, and speculates that it might have been because in 1738, the eternal Jülich-Berg question came up again as the current title holder was suspected of kicking the bucket any time soon and FW might have wanted to find out what the mood in Britain was re: Prussia. His reason to suspect this is that the Prussian representative in London had similar orders, i.e. he was supposed to tell people that in the interest of the Protestant cause, Britain/Hannover should support FW's claim on Jülich and Berg.
2.) Christian Wolff. This, I covered in my Manteuffel write up. It's pretty well documented because of Wolff himself describing the encounter in letters to Manteuffel and Haude after they sent their "WTF? Do not accept!" letters. It does show Morgenstern could be pretty persuasive. Which is presumably why the next thing happened.
3.) Breslau. This is the most fascinating by far. Because it's after FW's death. Morgenstern knew of course that there was no chance Fritz would keep him on the pay roll as a fool/scholar. So he must have offered to work as a secret agent, and the amazing thing is, Fritz accepted and sent him to Breslau. Now, Breslau while Silesia belonged to MT had enjoyed huge privileges. On January 2nd 1741, victorious invader Fritz concluded a neutrality treaty with the city of Breslau, promising not to block any trade, to respect the city privileges and not to put any troops into Breslau. In exchange, he wanted to buy food for his troops at market price and be granted room for troop storage in the suburbs.
However, the lreading city councillor, Gutzmar, was a Habsburg loyalist and anti Prussian, and kept sending loyalty messages to MT, declaring that she was the true ruler of Silesia and always would be etc. This would not do. So Morgenstern was sent into the city of Breslau under the alias of Dr. Freyer, with the double mission of turning the mood around. He hit the coffee houses and spread anti-Habsburg, pro-Prussia propaganda. On May 17th, he sent a report to Fritz on the city situation where he strongly advises arresting Gutzmar. That Fritz actually listened to Morgenstern over Podewils, who argued against an arrest of Gutzmar, is fascinating.
Morgenstern's activities didn't go unnoticed; a few months after his arrival the city council complained about the "demogogery" of a Prussian agent colling himself Dr. Freyer but really being called Morgenstern. This had happened: on June 13, the citizens of Breslau were asked to give 500 000 Reichstaler to Fritz' war effort. The citizens protested, in a protest written by the city council but signed by a lot of important Breslau citizens, pointing to the neutrality treaty. On July 10th, the sum was lessened to 106 000 Gulden. Citiy of Breslau: But neutrality treaty! Morgenstern: Guys, this is just the punishment from Fritz for your city council's anti-Prussia rethoric. However, I can help you. If you withdraw your signatures from the protest, Fritz won't want any money from you AT ALL, and only your Habsburg loyal city council will have to pay. Win! Breslau citiizens: *withdraw signatures* Fritz: Well, since clearly there are some pro-Prussia citizens in this city, who are in incredibly danger from evil Habsburg loyalists, I must reward their touching faith in me by annexing Breslau to protect them.
Fritz: *annexes Breslau on August 10th, and orders the city of Breslau to pay Morgenstern a life long pension of 500 Reichstaler per annum*
Morgenstern remained in Breslau and made the most of his new reputation as someone who has the ear of their new Prussian Overlord. He also threw his weight around; for example, when an Abbot of one of the largest monasteries died, he told the monks he'd get them all sent to Spandau if they didn't vote for a new pro-Prussia abbot. And then, he got greedy. The years passed, and he wanted more and more money for doing Breslau favours with Fritz, until at last the game was up, courtesy of Chancellor Cocceji (Barbarina's father-in-law). Morgenstern was ordered to leave Breslau and Silesia and return to Potsdam and settle down there. Which he did, and where he lived for the rest of his long life. Why Potsdam? Leineweber wonders whether Fritz wanted to keep an eye on him (well, let others keep an eye on him), due to all Morgenstern knew, at least about the taking of the Silesian capital. (Lest we forget, the official story was that the glorious conqueror was greeted with enthusiasm and joy by all the grateful Silesians, especially the Protestant ones, for saving them from Habsburg tyranny.)
Morgenstern's later years must have been pretty lonely; supposedly, he didn't even clean up the spiders in his room because he liked their company. When Niicolai visited him in 1779, ever hunting for stories, he thought Morgenstern came across as a smart man, if excentric. He went out now and then to play chess, but that was it, and otherwise he lived in his rooms with his books, and wrote the FW manuscript.
The Life and Times of Samuel Jakob Morgenstern
So, Morgenstern: born a Saxon in 1706. studied in Leipzig where he achieved Magister, started to lecture there, not many people showed up, so he went to Halle. He wasn't much more successful there; student attendence to his lectures was low. In order to win the students around, he started a newspaper reading and explaining seminar twice a week, which was a bit more of a success, not least because it was combined with smoking, and debates got so loud that a neighbor complained. These newspaper readings prodcued Morgenstern's first original work, according to Nicolai an imperfect attempt at gathering statistics. Leineweber can't judge it because he couldn't track it down, but he's not impressed with Morgenstern's next publication, which is a total copy-and-paste job on Russia (i.e. it plagiarizes a lot of articles printed at the time) combined with lots of flattery of the Czarina (Anna Ivanova). This was because not just Morgenstern but other German scholars hoped to get jobs in Russia because of Anna employing Germans and German being basically the court language due to her lover. It worked in that Morgenstern got 100 Rubel and an offer to teach history in a Moscow school. He set off but when he came to Potsdam, the guards didn't understand the title "Magister legens" and so he ended up interrogated by Captain Nettelhorst, who was impressed by his cheeky replies and told FW about this fellow. FW, as we saw in Stratemann's report, had had a hard time replacing Gundling, with several candidates choosing flight over humiliation. He pounced. Morgenstern got a job offer from him of 500 Reichstaler per annum and free lodgings as well as the title of Hofrat. Probably figuring that this sounded better than teaching kids in Moscow, Morgenstern accepted.
While Morgenstern had enough bite to diss the members of the tobacco college back when they dissed him, he still didn't escape the FW brand of humiliation entirely. Notoriously on that occasion when FW had him lecture and debate in November 1737 on "Scholars are fools" at the university of Frankfurt an der Oder. Said lecture got published later and is Leineweber's exhibit a) for his theory that Morgenstern's FW biography employs Antony's rethorical funeral speech technique from "Julius Caesar" because it shows him capable of subsersivness. Now, the intention on FW's part had been another scholar humiliation. Morgenstern had to wear a parody of the usual university professor get up, blue velvet with read threads and a red waistcoat, a gigantic periwig that went across his entire backside, and instead of the sword which professors then still carried, he wore a fox tail at his side. On royal order, all local professors had to attend. Now, as I said, Morgenstern later, that very same year, published the lecture. It starts with a big whopper, that "Narr" - fool" - hails from the Latin word "narrare", storyteling, and you can feel all the listening professors cringe. The basic theses of the lecture is that every man has his share of wrong opinions leading him to foolish behavior. The world is full of fools, from the simple shephard to priests. Morgenstern goes on about particular exhibits of foolery in all kinds of positions and tries to divide them by national characteristics. ("The foolishness of the British people consists of their longing for innovation beyond any measure or goal, simply because it is new, and thus they are able to betray their king and make themselves footstools to rebels and slaves.") Morgenstern has a go at the princes of this world as well, especially at those ruling small principalities, "who see their country, which can be viewed in its entirety when standing on an ants' hill, as a one big game park and want to do nothing but hunting". Leineweber says this is an obvious diss of FW's pal the Old Dessauer. Kings, too, are fools for "imagining the weight of their subjects' sins lay on their shoulders by the tons, and are pushing them into the abyss". Leineweber sees this as meaning FW. Only then in the last part of the lecture does he address what FW had ordered to be his subject, i.e. scholars as fools. Here Morgenstern has a go at the pietists for not understanding philosophers (allusion to Wolff) and at the theologians only studying in the hope of a rich income. And finally, he justifies his own fool get up and says that he who has been put by life in this position resembles "the first Roman mayor" Brutus, playing the fool when the Tarquinian Kings were still reigning. "As little as sensible clothing can make a fool wise, foolish clothing can confuse a sensible man."
This lecture was a big success with the students who cheered a lot, and with FW, too. Leineweber doubts he made Morgenstern vice chancellor of the university, but thinks he did give him a job there.
As to Agent Morgenstern's various secret missions:
1). England. According to Leineweber, happened neither in 1739 as the preface writer claims nor in 1737 as Morgenstern claims in his books, but in 1738. How do we know this? Because there's a cabinet order from Feburary 4th 1738 in which Morgenstern is ordered to go there, observe everything (but NOT do scholarly stuff), country and people, and then report to FW about his impressions. Under no circumstances was he to say that he was in Prussian service; he was supposed to travel under an alias and keep a diary noting down all he sees and hears. While Leineweber grants this proves Morgenstern had gained a measure of FW's trust and respect, he doubts thrifty FW financed Morgenstern a trip to Britain just to get a travelogue from him, and speculates that it might have been because in 1738, the eternal Jülich-Berg question came up again as the current title holder was suspected of kicking the bucket any time soon and FW might have wanted to find out what the mood in Britain was re: Prussia. His reason to suspect this is that the Prussian representative in London had similar orders, i.e. he was supposed to tell people that in the interest of the Protestant cause, Britain/Hannover should support FW's claim on Jülich and Berg.
2.) Christian Wolff. This, I covered in my Manteuffel write up. It's pretty well documented because of Wolff himself describing the encounter in letters to Manteuffel and Haude after they sent their "WTF? Do not accept!" letters. It does show Morgenstern could be pretty persuasive. Which is presumably why the next thing happened.
3.) Breslau. This is the most fascinating by far. Because it's after FW's death. Morgenstern knew of course that there was no chance Fritz would keep him on the pay roll as a fool/scholar. So he must have offered to work as a secret agent, and the amazing thing is, Fritz accepted and sent him to Breslau. Now, Breslau while Silesia belonged to MT had enjoyed huge privileges. On January 2nd 1741, victorious invader Fritz concluded a neutrality treaty with the city of Breslau, promising not to block any trade, to respect the city privileges and not to put any troops into Breslau. In exchange, he wanted to buy food for his troops at market price and be granted room for troop storage in the suburbs.
However, the lreading city councillor, Gutzmar, was a Habsburg loyalist and anti Prussian, and kept sending loyalty messages to MT, declaring that she was the true ruler of Silesia and always would be etc. This would not do. So Morgenstern was sent into the city of Breslau under the alias of Dr. Freyer, with the double mission of turning the mood around. He hit the coffee houses and spread anti-Habsburg, pro-Prussia propaganda. On May 17th, he sent a report to Fritz on the city situation where he strongly advises arresting Gutzmar. That Fritz actually listened to Morgenstern over Podewils, who argued against an arrest of Gutzmar, is fascinating.
Morgenstern's activities didn't go unnoticed; a few months after his arrival the city council complained about the "demogogery" of a Prussian agent colling himself Dr. Freyer but really being called Morgenstern. This had happened: on June 13, the citizens of Breslau were asked to give 500 000 Reichstaler to Fritz' war effort. The citizens protested, in a protest written by the city council but signed by a lot of important Breslau citizens, pointing to the neutrality treaty. On July 10th, the sum was lessened to 106 000 Gulden.
Citiy of Breslau: But neutrality treaty!
Morgenstern: Guys, this is just the punishment from Fritz for your city council's anti-Prussia rethoric. However, I can help you. If you withdraw your signatures from the protest, Fritz won't want any money from you AT ALL, and only your Habsburg loyal city council will have to pay. Win!
Breslau citiizens: *withdraw signatures*
Fritz: Well, since clearly there are some pro-Prussia citizens in this city, who are in incredibly danger from evil Habsburg loyalists, I must reward their touching faith in me by annexing Breslau to protect them.
Fritz: *annexes Breslau on August 10th, and orders the city of Breslau to pay Morgenstern a life long pension of 500 Reichstaler per annum*
Morgenstern remained in Breslau and made the most of his new reputation as someone who has the ear of their new Prussian Overlord. He also threw his weight around; for example, when an Abbot of one of the largest monasteries died, he told the monks he'd get them all sent to Spandau if they didn't vote for a new pro-Prussia abbot. And then, he got greedy. The years passed, and he wanted more and more money for doing Breslau favours with Fritz, until at last the game was up, courtesy of Chancellor Cocceji (Barbarina's father-in-law). Morgenstern was ordered to leave Breslau and Silesia and return to Potsdam and settle down there. Which he did, and where he lived for the rest of his long life. Why Potsdam? Leineweber wonders whether Fritz wanted to keep an eye on him (well, let others keep an eye on him), due to all Morgenstern knew, at least about the taking of the Silesian capital. (Lest we forget, the official story was that the glorious conqueror was greeted with enthusiasm and joy by all the grateful Silesians, especially the Protestant ones, for saving them from Habsburg tyranny.)
Morgenstern's later years must have been pretty lonely; supposedly, he didn't even clean up the spiders in his room because he liked their company. When Niicolai visited him in 1779, ever hunting for stories, he thought Morgenstern came across as a smart man, if excentric. He went out now and then to play chess, but that was it, and otherwise he lived in his rooms with his books, and wrote the FW manuscript.