Cultural references can be a curse if one isn't totally immersed in the culture. And even then - I know about the Aeneid, but I totally would have missed Fritz comparing himself to a left Dido in his angry 1743 letter to Voltaire if Mildred hadn't recognized the quote! At least usually one gets the gist of what's meant, as when Fritz in the Marwitz letters to Heinrich rattles of a couple of similes to, I take it, then popular epics, plays and novels to taunt younger brother with.
Orange peel: I don't think he invented it, either, just like I totally believe in the laundry quote. For the later, we have people referencing the story long before Voltaire's memoirs are published, including such unlikely sources as my guy Boswell in his 1764 diary (having heard a version of it before meeting Voltaire) and MT in her letter to Joseph during the early stage of the War of the Bavarian Succession. For the former, it fits in spirit with something that Fritz did write - remember, when he haggled abouto Voltaire's travelling expenses back in the 1740 day, he actually write "no court jester was ever so expensive" (which brought me up short when coming across it, because for Fritz to use the jester simile when his father isn't dead for a year (and Gundling for nine years, while his successors are luckily still alive but no thanks to FW) is - well, as cold as the orange peel line sounds if you hear it the first time.
He doesn't say that the dirty laundry story is false! He just, you know, implies and insinuates that it's false
Voltaire: clearly still benefitting from excellent education at Louis le Grand, in this case, having read his Tacitus. (Who employed this technique, named insinuatio, a lot; for example, reading Tacitus, you're totally left with the impression he's saying Tiberius and his mother Livia ordered and/or sponsored the death of Germanicus, but if you check the lines word by word, he's never claiming that they did directly. He's just reporting rumors and, well, insinuating.
-"Coquettes, kings, poets are accustomed to be flattered. Frederic unites these three crowns." LOL FOREVER
It is an absolute gem of a line. It's also the kind of characterisation of their hero that 19th and early 20th century nationalist historians absolutely could not stomach, and for which they called Voltaire a liar as much as for his actual fabrications. Conversely, I don't think many a French admirer would have been cool with Fritz' observation that if Voltaire had had armies at his disposal, he totally would have used them to go after his literary enemies. Which, yes. They did see each other very clearly, these two. And that's why I'm shipping them.
if this were a real letter ...why would he have recited so carefully the entire story, given that she was, in fact, there?!
Wow, yes, an "As you know, Bob" letter to Madame Denis does give the game away somewhat. Though it's interesting that Voltaire when reworking and rewriting the letters didn't simply use another correspondant for this last letter (thus avoiding the inconvenience of telling Marie-Louise Denis something she's been a participant of). Presumably friends and relations not Madame Denis (who would have been totally on board with any revenge project for obvious reasons) would not have handed over the original letters? Which, btw, is good to know, since for the early stage of his Prussian adventure (when he's bringing on all the flirtation/wedding/made for each other stuff), we have a letter saying essentially the same thing to his other niece. (The one Orieux actually liked.)
The dictionary for the use of kings!
Your version for mods was another bit that made me scream in delight, btw.
And it bears repeating - titling this entire endeavour "Pamela" is hilarious by itself, due to Richardson's "young virtuous and naive middle class ingenieu"/"debauched aristocratic bastard" constellation in the original Pamela.
Re: Pamela
Orange peel: I don't think he invented it, either, just like I totally believe in the laundry quote. For the later, we have people referencing the story long before Voltaire's memoirs are published, including such unlikely sources as my guy Boswell in his 1764 diary (having heard a version of it before meeting Voltaire) and MT in her letter to Joseph during the early stage of the War of the Bavarian Succession. For the former, it fits in spirit with something that Fritz did write - remember, when he haggled abouto Voltaire's travelling expenses back in the 1740 day, he actually write "no court jester was ever so expensive" (which brought me up short when coming across it, because for Fritz to use the jester simile when his father isn't dead for a year (and Gundling for nine years, while his successors are luckily still alive but no thanks to FW) is - well, as cold as the orange peel line sounds if you hear it the first time.
He doesn't say that the dirty laundry story is false! He just, you know, implies and insinuates that it's false
Voltaire: clearly still benefitting from excellent education at Louis le Grand, in this case, having read his Tacitus. (Who employed this technique, named insinuatio, a lot; for example, reading Tacitus, you're totally left with the impression he's saying Tiberius and his mother Livia ordered and/or sponsored the death of Germanicus, but if you check the lines word by word, he's never claiming that they did directly. He's just reporting rumors and, well, insinuating.
-"Coquettes, kings, poets are accustomed to be flattered. Frederic unites these three crowns." LOL FOREVER
It is an absolute gem of a line. It's also the kind of characterisation of their hero that 19th and early 20th century nationalist historians absolutely could not stomach, and for which they called Voltaire a liar as much as for his actual fabrications. Conversely, I don't think many a French admirer would have been cool with Fritz' observation that if Voltaire had had armies at his disposal, he totally would have used them to go after his literary enemies. Which, yes. They did see each other very clearly, these two. And that's why I'm shipping them.
if this were a real letter ...why would he have recited so carefully the entire story, given that she was, in fact, there?!
Wow, yes, an "As you know, Bob" letter to Madame Denis does give the game away somewhat. Though it's interesting that Voltaire when reworking and rewriting the letters didn't simply use another correspondant for this last letter (thus avoiding the inconvenience of telling Marie-Louise Denis something she's been a participant of). Presumably friends and relations not Madame Denis (who would have been totally on board with any revenge project for obvious reasons) would not have handed over the original letters? Which, btw, is good to know, since for the early stage of his Prussian adventure (when he's bringing on all the flirtation/wedding/made for each other stuff), we have a letter saying essentially the same thing to his other niece. (The one Orieux actually liked.)
The dictionary for the use of kings!
Your version for mods was another bit that made me scream in delight, btw.
And it bears repeating - titling this entire endeavour "Pamela" is hilarious by itself, due to Richardson's "young virtuous and naive middle class ingenieu"/"debauched aristocratic bastard" constellation in the original Pamela.