A very singular adventure has happened here. The old valet Abt, ill in agony, surrounded by priests, doctors, and all the paraphernalia with which the living dress those who want to leave this world, thought he was dying, and persuaded his spectators so well that, after his last sigh, they laid him down on the mattress [in a coffin I suspect]. Three hours after his death, people heard a great noise; a general rumor arose in the house. But who was the most surprised was the wife to see the deceased full of life and very unhappy to see himself at the edge of the tomb, having great appetite and no desire to leave yet. People cry out a miracle, the neighborhood rushes in, the priests arrive, with them the Faculty of surgeons and doctors; in short, it took more than a hundred people to persuade Madame that Monsieur was not dead, and that he should be looked at as full of life. Even better, that the patient approaches convalescence more than death, and that Madame does not appear otherwise edified. I found the singularity of this story worthy of being related to my very dear mother. I wish I could entertain her with something better, but still it is a lot when Potsdam provides such a tale.
:-D
... I actually briefly googled this a couple of days ago and the only thing I discovered was that Johann Friedrich Abt was FW's oldest valet, already with him when FW was still crown prince. And then just now I decided to search Trier, not expecting anything - and there it was! Thank you, Fritz!
Re: He's just a soul whose intentions were good: Morgenstern on FW - A
Another score! Go you for tracking down Abt the twice dying, that's most impressive, she says in her most sinister Vader voice. BTW,this cross confirmation heightens my confidence that Morgenstern's later life FW factoids are in fact correct. Since he's writing his FW biography in the late 1760s at the earliest and in 1782 at the latest, he also must have a great memory to recall the name of the valets at the time of FW's death, and what subsequently became of them.
Re: He's just a soul whose intentions were good: Morgenstern on FW - A
Yeah, it's always nice to get confirmation like this. On the other hand, I guess a story like this would have been told and re-told for years - which is probably the reason Morgenstern doesn't elaborate in the first place, assuming that people during his time have heard it and therefore using it as a shorthand to identify Abt.
Re: He's just a soul whose intentions were good: Morgenstern on FW - A
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Re: He's just a soul whose intentions were good: Morgenstern on FW - A
Letter from Fritz to SD, February 22nd, 1745:
A very singular adventure has happened here. The old valet Abt, ill in agony, surrounded by priests, doctors, and all the paraphernalia with which the living dress those who want to leave this world, thought he was dying, and persuaded his spectators so well that, after his last sigh, they laid him down on the mattress [in a coffin I suspect]. Three hours after his death, people heard a great noise; a general rumor arose in the house. But who was the most surprised was the wife to see the deceased full of life and very unhappy to see himself at the edge of the tomb, having great appetite and no desire to leave yet. People cry out a miracle, the neighborhood rushes in, the priests arrive, with them the Faculty of surgeons and doctors; in short, it took more than a hundred people to persuade Madame that Monsieur was not dead, and that he should be looked at as full of life. Even better, that the patient approaches convalescence more than death, and that Madame does not appear otherwise edified. I found the singularity of this story worthy of being related to my very dear mother. I wish I could entertain her with something better, but still it is a lot when Potsdam provides such a tale.
:-D
... I actually briefly googled this a couple of days ago and the only thing I discovered was that Johann Friedrich Abt was FW's oldest valet, already with him when FW was still crown prince. And then just now I decided to search Trier, not expecting anything - and there it was! Thank you, Fritz!
Re: He's just a soul whose intentions were good: Morgenstern on FW - A
Re: He's just a soul whose intentions were good: Morgenstern on FW - A
Re: He's just a soul whose intentions were good: Morgenstern on FW - A
Re: He's just a soul whose intentions were good: Morgenstern on FW - A