The demon does sound like FW, but it might also just be a metaphor, especially if it's not FW but a love/proposed marriage affair which is been keeping Keyserlingk away.
Yeah, having looked at the poem, I can read it either way. Fritz and Suhm were definitely capable of doing the "you know who I mean" thing when dissing FW, but it also sounds like a very Fritzian metaphor. I'm not sure.
Incidentally, Algarotti discussing the pros and cons of marrying a rich heiress with Keyserlingk reminds me that it's interesting Algarotti never took this way out of his job problems. Now granted, given people like Hervey, Hervey's wife and Lady Mary were ready to sponsor him without marriage, he probably saw more cons than pros - he'd have had to support a wife, after all, once her dowry was used up, and possibly children, whereas if he remained single his lovers would always be the ones supporting him - but it's still a road not taken.
Yeah, especially since, as I recall from the dissertation, older brother Bonomo was constantly trying to pressure him into marrying for the family's sake. Algarotti held out against the pressure his whole life.
But in general, I suspect that like many a monarch or powerful person, Fritz was aware that flattery was the default but needed to believe he could discern real from faked compliments and valued truth tellers, when what he really valued were people able to make him believe both that they really cared and able to make himself feel good about himself.
Yep, agreed. Also see FW needing to believe he could read minds when he really, really couldn't.
Trying to think of friends who did critisize him (that we know of) and remained friends
There was *one* time Suhm did a veeeery diplomatic and carefully couched "That was stupidly indiscreet, Fritz," and Fritz went, "You're right, my bad!" without a hint of defensiveness. But it does not seem to have been the norm, to say the least. :P
But yeah, positive reinforcement, reassurance, and downright flattery were the way to make headway with him. Thanks, FW!
Re: Keyserlingk, sensational gossip, and Royal Reader request
Indeed! :D
The demon does sound like FW, but it might also just be a metaphor, especially if it's not FW but a love/proposed marriage affair which is been keeping Keyserlingk away.
Yeah, having looked at the poem, I can read it either way. Fritz and Suhm were definitely capable of doing the "you know who I mean" thing when dissing FW, but it also sounds like a very Fritzian metaphor. I'm not sure.
Incidentally, Algarotti discussing the pros and cons of marrying a rich heiress with Keyserlingk reminds me that it's interesting Algarotti never took this way out of his job problems. Now granted, given people like Hervey, Hervey's wife and Lady Mary were ready to sponsor him without marriage, he probably saw more cons than pros - he'd have had to support a wife, after all, once her dowry was used up, and possibly children, whereas if he remained single his lovers would always be the ones supporting him - but it's still a road not taken.
Yeah, especially since, as I recall from the dissertation, older brother Bonomo was constantly trying to pressure him into marrying for the family's sake. Algarotti held out against the pressure his whole life.
But in general, I suspect that like many a monarch or powerful person, Fritz was aware that flattery was the default but needed to believe he could discern real from faked compliments and valued truth tellers, when what he really valued were people able to make him believe both that they really cared and able to make himself feel good about himself.
Yep, agreed. Also see FW needing to believe he could read minds when he really, really couldn't.
Trying to think of friends who did critisize him (that we know of) and remained friends
There was *one* time Suhm did a veeeery diplomatic and carefully couched "That was stupidly indiscreet, Fritz," and Fritz went, "You're right, my bad!" without a hint of defensiveness. But it does not seem to have been the norm, to say the least. :P
But yeah, positive reinforcement, reassurance, and downright flattery were the way to make headway with him. Thanks, FW!
(Also, "thanks, Fritz!" on behalf of FW2.)