selenak: (Wilhelmine und Folichon)

Re: He's just a soul whose intentions were good: Morgenstern on FW - A

[personal profile] selenak 2021-03-14 08:38 am (UTC)(link)
Wow. And I mean, also poor SD, who the entire tobacco parliament now knows smells bad??

Yep. Mind you, joking about the Queen in this way would be kind of suicidal both in the FW era and in the Fritz era (I do think Fritz' tolerance for free speech would end at the first joke about his mother's vagina smells), whereas I susppose noblewoman X is a free shot. Still: men.

So Morgenstern is saying it wasn't a fistfight but a swordfight? Still humiliating to have reached your adult height and lose to someone who's notoriously short and just about to hit puberty!

No kidding. Mind you, Leineweber is a bit sceptical that it was a sword fight and not a fist fight, but if it was, it would additionally explain G2's eagerness for a rematch. (Because let's not forget, he doesn't want just their troops having a go at each other, he wants that personal duel!)


I had encountered this more than once, but didn't know the source! Was this one of the F1 criticisms that Leineweber says Morgenstern got from Fritz?


He doesn't single it out as Fritz derived, no, but it might have been. Sooner or later, one of us will have to read Fritz' "History of the House of Brandenburg", mes amies.

FW learning to paint: OMG, of course FW beat up his teacher for his own mistakes.

Of course he did. That's another job I would not have liked to have had. Note that FW presumably did not ask the official court painter to teach him. I guess even he knew Pesne would have left post haste the first time he did that, as he was famous enough to get other good jobs at other courts.

I suppose at this point I should bring up again one of the authors I read, either Klosterhuis or the Wust historian, I think, who bring up the porphyria theory and at any rate the fact FW was near constantly ill from the later 1720s onwards as an argument that lessens his responsibility for his utter lack of impulse control. However, he was as healthy as he would ever be as a young King (of 25) when hiring Gundling and becoming increasingly abusive towards him,but then, none of the "FW wasn't that bad, Fritz couldn't lose anyway, and Wilhelmine is exaggarating" authors ever mentions him (or Doris Ritter, or the anonymous Jew whom FW was after with his stick when yelling "you should love me, not fear me!".

Double burn!

Indeed. I giggled. This is what gave me the impression Morgenstern really didn't care for Hänsgen.


German comedy used to be very bawdy in those days, and so he thought it was too dangerous for the youngsters.

Oh, funny, I feel like we ran into SD forbidding her daughters to attend for this reason?


Stratemann mentions it in his dispatches. And speaking of Stratemann, he also contradicts Morgenstern's claim the kids, including his favourites, didn't get anything but friendly looks, kisses and check stroking from FW. (Though of course FW may have become even more thrifty in his last four years, which was when Morgenstern knew him.) As a reminder, Stratemann reports: fireworks for kid AW (and miniature canons) in 1729, and let's not forget Christmas 1730 (did something happen?), when our Braunschweig envoy writes this: The court jeweller has created presents in gold and silver in the worth of 12/m Reichstaler, of which the Queen had golden pieces for her cabinet, the princes and princesses had silver lates. Princess Charlotte, our Prince of Bevern's bride, received an expensive jewel, some silver kitchen supply, shovels and pliers, and a few pretty things to dress herself up. His Highness her groom shall receive a set of laces, next to a golden set Point d'Espange and other treats sent to him on the occasion of Holy Christ's feast. Now the Princess Ulrike had asked for a while to receive the King's portrait as a Christmas present, and it was among her gifts; when the third prince (i.e. Heinrich) noticed, he asked for a portrait as well, and did receive one, about which this princess showed herself somewhat disgusted. The King went on Christmas Eve in his own person with an entourage to the local Christmas Market and bought entertaining pleasantries for the little princes and princesses. (...) At the first day of Christmas, the widowed Madam General v. Dörfling had had carried a good bowl of cooked Sauerkraut with a roasted fat goose to the palace, as his Majestly loves to eat this dish, and on the holiday a bowl with beautiful apples, which has been received very graciously.

Later, we have, in the summer of 1731: (S)ince the oldest Princess has submitted herself completely to the King's will, she's been gifted with much rich clothing, a purse and other precious triflings; and thus there can be no doubt (as to the reconciliation). Princess Ulrike, who since a year has been the King's greatest favourite and had been preferred to her older sister Sophie, has now been degraded due to a minor mistake. Despite her being only eleven years of Age, she still possess a great mind and thus a noble spirit; and thus she's very touchy about this and torments herself: at the King's demand, the Queen has taken the diamond earrings which the Queen of Sweden had given (Ulrike) some years ago away, and then she had to sit at the table with her youngest sister Princess (Amalie) despite having been allowed to sit for a year at the King's table.

Policinello: thank you for the data. I wonder whether the youngest prince means literally the youngest prince, i.e. Ferdinand, which would put this event in 1736 or 1737, or the youngest prince at the time it happened, in which case it could have been Heinrich or even AW. Now if it was Ferdinand, Morgenstern could have witnessed it himself, but what makes me hesitate is that this would be rather late in life for FW to object ot French comedy. Incidentally, if Policinello is traditionally depicted with a humpback, I can think of another reason why FW finds it objectionable for one of his sons to play the role - his father, F1, who had a humpback and hence the nickname "der schiefe Fritz".

Btw, that this happened per se, I do believe, because children after watching a play calling each other with the names of the characters and playing them is definitely a thing, especially this bunch of kids, most of whom in various degrees are into performing later.

FW admitting it's not to everyone's taste doesn't mean FW won't make everyone watch it! Just that in Morgenstern's hearing he's been known to say, yeah, okay, I like it but I get that not everyone does.





mildred_of_midgard: (Default)

Re: He's just a soul whose intentions were good: Morgenstern on FW - A

[personal profile] mildred_of_midgard 2021-03-14 01:35 pm (UTC)(link)
However, he was as healthy as he would ever be as a young King (of 25) when hiring Gundling and becoming increasingly abusive towards him,

I've seen the bad health argument, and while I'm sure the flare-ups didn't help, and I *know* the alcohol consumption didn't help, let's not remember that the Tiny Terror years were equally out of control! Between swallowing shoelaces/shoe fasteners, standing on the ledge of a window and threatening to jump to get his way, throwing his chamberlain out the window, beating up G2, beating up the Prince of Courland...his track record is pretty damn consistent throughout his life.

I wonder whether the youngest prince means literally the youngest prince, i.e. Ferdinand, which would put this event in 1736 or 1737, or the youngest prince at the time it happened, in which case it could have been Heinrich or even AW.

I was wondering the exact same thing.

FW admitting it's not to everyone's taste doesn't mean FW won't make everyone watch it!

Fair!