Each banquet guest had to gift him one book for his library, and said library was really large by the end
Heh, I like this idea (well, if I had a lot more room for bookshelves than I actually do)
and thus it happened that since she was fond of wine herself that she once in the middle of enthusiastic poetry reciting fell under the table crowned with laurels but completely drunk and passed out. He had put coffins in the next room for all drunks as if for dead people. She, too, was put in one of them with her laurels, and forgotten there, so that in the next morning people first thought a thief had broken into the house when she awoke and completed her triumph with a cat's howling over her headache.
Ha, okay, that's a funny story.
His tauntings of the law of the country sometimes got him arrested. He was tireless in tormenting the royal civil servants. So he had once an argument over hunting. In order to annoy the hunters, he invited them into his banqueting room, where there were a lot of mice and rats, and between them shot with his gun after the little vermin. (...) He had some favourites among the farmers, whom he often made drunk in many ways in order to have sex with their wives undisturbed. He gave then poetical names to the children like Galathée whereas the farmer named her Theke.
And this, mes amies, is why Caroline during these last years of her husband's life didn't live in Zernikow with her husband, much as she loved the estate otherwise, but in Berlin with her daughter and only returned to Zernikow after he had died. :(
Oh noooo :( Yeah, this guy sounds like maybe he could be a lot of fun in the short term but seriously bad news in the long term.
Alas yes. Now Caroline had divorced husband No.2 after only three months, which in her short "my life" text is explained by "weil ich mich gezwungen sah, mich wegen schlechter Begegnung im März 1759 wieder scheiden zu lassen" - "bad encounter" literally, might mean anything between "bad interaction" or that he married her in bad faith. And she was the one with the money. If you want to know my suspicion as to why she didn't divorce Labes, it's that by the time he showed his true colors, they had children. (Achim's mother was born on May 13th 1761, and her son on January 1st 1763, i.e. both still during the 7 Years War.) And then she might have loved him and taken a while to fall out of love. What she does write is:
Despite this marriage being happier than the previous one, it certainly wasn't so completely, least of all was it comparable to the one with my dear Fredersdorf. Despite many sad hours and harsh trials, I did try to live with this last husband for sixteen years, during which time he took his constant residence in Zernikow for the last nine, while I with both children took mine in Berlin in the Dorotheenstadt (quarter) in the Quaree close to the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden, and lived in the impressive house there I still own, though I did visit him once or twice a year with the children for several weeks in order to preserve (parental) unity as much as it was possible to do.
Unter den Linden is the famous alley running to and through the Brandenburg Gate. Today, most of the embassies are there, and one of the most legendary hotels. That was a top notch address Caroline had for her town residence, which she didn't yet have while Mrs. Fredersdorf - they lived in Potsdam then, remember, which is also where Lehndorff visits Fredersdorf a few months before Fredersdorf's death. In a way, Caroline proves you could go wrong marrying for love in the 18th century just as much as if your marriage was arranged, but then again - she treasured her first marriage, and the children she got from the third, and had more independence than most spouses at that time. What I begrudge is that Labes the louse got to live in Zernikow for nine years just because he pissed Fritz off (if Achim tells the truth) and thus couldn't be the one to stay in town!
Next question: does Labes sound as if he could have been a drinking buddy of Kaphengst (living nearby in Meseberg at exactly the same time) or what?
In a way, Caroline proves you could go wrong marrying for love in the 18th century just as much as if your marriage was arranged
Indeed, but I note that her first marriage went really well, and that she was engaged again only 7 months later. In other words, Fredersdorf may have led her to believe that marriage for love was awesome and going to work out really well, and then no one else lived up to his standards.
What I begrudge is that Labes the louse got to live in Zernikow for nine years just because he pissed Fritz off (if Achim tells the truth) and thus couldn't be the one to stay in town!
I begrudge this too!
least of all was it comparable to the one with my dear Fredersdorf.
<333 I'm so glad we have her own words now.
Next question: does Labes sound as if he could have been a drinking buddy of Kaphengst (living nearby in Meseberg at exactly the same time) or what?
YES. And if Kaphengst is known for riding the countryside stirring up the leaves while hunting for local women (and men?) to have sex with, and Labes is getting men drunk so he can have sex with their wives, I'm going with these two as fellow fratboys.
That was a top notch address Caroline had for her town residence, which she didn't yet have while Mrs. Fredersdorf - they lived in Potsdam then, remember
Interesting and indeed re: Unter den Linden. This is the place, bought 1760 according to Wiki - impressive is right. I know that Fredersdorf had a Berlin house at the Jägerbrücke at least in 1755, because the Adresskalender has his nephew living there that year, but he himself isn't mentioned in the Kalender - which is too bad, because I still really really want to know where he and Caroline lived in Potsdam and where Fritz stood underneath his window in 1754...
least of all was it comparable to the one with my dear Fredersdorf.
This is so my ship :D
What I begrudge is that Labes the louse got to live in Zernikow for nine years just because he pissed Fritz off (if Achim tells the truth) and thus couldn't be the one to stay in town!
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Third Husband
Date: 2021-07-25 01:09 am (UTC)Heh, I like this idea (well, if I had a lot more room for bookshelves than I actually do)
and thus it happened that since she was fond of wine herself that she once in the middle of enthusiastic poetry reciting fell under the table crowned with laurels but completely drunk and passed out. He had put coffins in the next room for all drunks as if for dead people. She, too, was put in one of them with her laurels, and forgotten there, so that in the next morning people first thought a thief had broken into the house when she awoke and completed her triumph with a cat's howling over her headache.
Ha, okay, that's a funny story.
His tauntings of the law of the country sometimes got him arrested. He was tireless in tormenting the royal civil servants. So he had once an argument over hunting. In order to annoy the hunters, he invited them into his banqueting room, where there were a lot of mice and rats, and between them shot with his gun after the little vermin. (...) He had some favourites among the farmers, whom he often made drunk in many ways in order to have sex with their wives undisturbed. He gave then poetical names to the children like Galathée whereas the farmer named her Theke.
And this, mes amies, is why Caroline during these last years of her husband's life didn't live in Zernikow with her husband, much as she loved the estate otherwise, but in Berlin with her daughter and only returned to Zernikow after he had died. :(
Oh noooo :( Yeah, this guy sounds like maybe he could be a lot of fun in the short term but seriously bad news in the long term.
Re: The Third Husband
Date: 2021-07-25 06:30 am (UTC)Despite this marriage being happier than the previous one, it certainly wasn't so completely, least of all was it comparable to the one with my dear Fredersdorf. Despite many sad hours and harsh trials, I did try to live with this last husband for sixteen years, during which time he took his constant residence in Zernikow for the last nine, while I with both children took mine in Berlin in the Dorotheenstadt (quarter) in the Quaree close to the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden, and lived in the impressive house there I still own, though I did visit him once or twice a year with the children for several weeks in order to preserve (parental) unity as much as it was possible to do.
Unter den Linden is the famous alley running to and through the Brandenburg Gate. Today, most of the embassies are there, and one of the most legendary hotels. That was a top notch address Caroline had for her town residence, which she didn't yet have while Mrs. Fredersdorf - they lived in Potsdam then, remember, which is also where Lehndorff visits Fredersdorf a few months before Fredersdorf's death. In a way, Caroline proves you could go wrong marrying for love in the 18th century just as much as if your marriage was arranged, but then again - she treasured her first marriage, and the children she got from the third, and had more independence than most spouses at that time. What I begrudge is that Labes the louse got to live in Zernikow for nine years just because he pissed Fritz off (if Achim tells the truth) and thus couldn't be the one to stay in town!
Next question: does Labes sound as if he could have been a drinking buddy of Kaphengst (living nearby in Meseberg at exactly the same time) or what?
Re: The Third Husband
Date: 2021-07-25 01:50 pm (UTC)Indeed, but I note that her first marriage went really well, and that she was engaged again only 7 months later. In other words, Fredersdorf may have led her to believe that marriage for love was awesome and going to work out really well, and then no one else lived up to his standards.
What I begrudge is that Labes the louse got to live in Zernikow for nine years just because he pissed Fritz off (if Achim tells the truth) and thus couldn't be the one to stay in town!
I begrudge this too!
least of all was it comparable to the one with my dear Fredersdorf.
<333 I'm so glad we have her own words now.
Next question: does Labes sound as if he could have been a drinking buddy of Kaphengst (living nearby in Meseberg at exactly the same time) or what?
YES. And if Kaphengst is known for riding the countryside stirring up the leaves while hunting for local women (and men?) to have sex with, and Labes is getting men drunk so he can have sex with their wives, I'm going with these two as fellow fratboys.
Re: The Third Husband
Date: 2021-07-25 02:58 pm (UTC)Interesting and indeed re: Unter den Linden. This is the place, bought 1760 according to Wiki - impressive is right. I know that Fredersdorf had a Berlin house at the Jägerbrücke at least in 1755, because the Adresskalender has his nephew living there that year, but he himself isn't mentioned in the Kalender - which is too bad, because I still really really want to know where he and Caroline lived in Potsdam and where Fritz stood underneath his window in 1754...
Re: The Third Husband
Date: 2021-07-27 05:13 am (UTC)This is so my ship :D
What I begrudge is that Labes the louse got to live in Zernikow for nine years just because he pissed Fritz off (if Achim tells the truth) and thus couldn't be the one to stay in town!
Yeah >: