Allow me to explain the Ruspanti. They are "Pensioners of the Grand Duke," which is a euphemism the likes of which won't be seen again until Peter Keith has to leave his post at Wesel "due to circumstances."
LOL. Briefly browsing through the volumes, I can see Pöllnitz' general tendency when writing about the courts he visited is to do so with a policy of "I want to be invited there again and not piss off the ruling monarch". I mean, if you write that "all of Saxony" applauded A3 appointing Sulkowski & Brühl, you're clearly not going for Watergate type of reporting. Though some of his compliments can be, if one squints interpreted as maaaaaybe tongue in cheek, as when he says SD inherited all of her father G1's wonderful qualities that made him so universally beloved. Ahem.
This said, he might have been censored by his British translator and/or editor, given the prefaces which do a bit of moralizing, as in: "es, it can't be denied Pöllnitz was a Catholic when writing these volumes! But he wasn't as stupid and evil and superstitious and intriguing as Catholics generally are, he's since seen the light as FW offered him a job, and now is a proper enlightened Protestant!" Or, where Pöllnitz sounds sympathetic about Countess Cosel being currently locked up with nothing else to do but to ponder the change of her fortunes, the waspish editor/translator adds a footnote saying she only has herself to blame for her fate, it was self defense on August's part! Also "we have received news" that she was released. (Fake news, clearly.)
Of interest to us: Pöllnitz writes admiringly about the Countess Orzelska that he only saw her in "Amazonian" wardrobe, i.e. dressed as a man, and that she makes an extremely dashing, handsome guy. I was wondering where all the "Orzelska loved dressing up in male wardrobe" from more novelistic treatments of Fritz' youth hails from.
Also described as quite the looker: recently retired Manteuffel, PRIVATE citizen: He is pretty tall, well set, has a grand Air, and is one of the handsomest Men that I have seen . His Behaviour is noble and easy , he has a good Fund of Learning, an extraordinary Memory , and such a Happiness of expressing himself that when he talks he never fails to give Pleasure.
And Pöllnitz finally tells me how the Hoym who is Manteuffel's arch nemesis is related to the Hoym who was married to Cosel before August's eye fell on her - they were brothers. No time to read more for now, alas, But I'm glad, Mildred, you read and summarized the Gian Gastone encounter and pointed us towards the volumes!
Re: Pöllnitz and Gian Gastone
LOL. Briefly browsing through the volumes, I can see Pöllnitz' general tendency when writing about the courts he visited is to do so with a policy of "I want to be invited there again and not piss off the ruling monarch". I mean, if you write that "all of Saxony" applauded A3 appointing Sulkowski & Brühl, you're clearly not going for Watergate type of reporting. Though some of his compliments can be, if one squints interpreted as maaaaaybe tongue in cheek, as when he says SD inherited all of her father G1's wonderful qualities that made him so universally beloved. Ahem.
This said, he might have been censored by his British translator and/or editor, given the prefaces which do a bit of moralizing, as in: "es, it can't be denied Pöllnitz was a Catholic when writing these volumes! But he wasn't as stupid and evil and superstitious and intriguing as Catholics generally are, he's since seen the light as FW offered him a job, and now is a proper enlightened Protestant!" Or, where Pöllnitz sounds sympathetic about Countess Cosel being currently locked up with nothing else to do but to ponder the change of her fortunes, the waspish editor/translator adds a footnote saying she only has herself to blame for her fate, it was self defense on August's part! Also "we have received news" that she was released. (Fake news, clearly.)
Of interest to us: Pöllnitz writes admiringly about the Countess Orzelska that he only saw her in "Amazonian" wardrobe, i.e. dressed as a man, and that she makes an extremely dashing, handsome guy. I was wondering where all the "Orzelska loved dressing up in male wardrobe" from more novelistic treatments of Fritz' youth hails from.
Also described as quite the looker: recently retired Manteuffel, PRIVATE citizen: He is pretty tall, well set, has a grand Air, and is one of the handsomest Men that I have seen .
His Behaviour is noble and easy , he has a good Fund of Learning, an extraordinary Memory , and
such a Happiness of expressing himself that when he talks he never fails to give Pleasure.
And Pöllnitz finally tells me how the Hoym who is Manteuffel's arch nemesis is related to the Hoym who was married to Cosel before August's eye fell on her - they were brothers. No time to read more for now, alas, But I'm glad, Mildred, you read and summarized the Gian Gastone encounter and pointed us towards the volumes!