18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 33

[cahn]

And, I mean, it doesn't have to be just 18th century characters, either!

(also, waiting for Yuletide!)

Comments

Re: Diderot, Catherine, and Fritz

[selenak]

LOL.


Author: "Given Catherine’s close personal and diplomatic ties to Frederick of Prussia, Diderot's vow of candor bordered on the suicidal."

Mildred: Well, I don't think she was *that* close personally as in a huge fangirl, but yeah, they were kind of allied, which is what the French are trying to change.]

Hang on, if it's 1773, hadn't they just partitioned Poland together, and wasn't it time for Heinrich's second trip to Russia where he plays Yenta to about-to-get-widowed Grand Duke Paul, and finds out out future FW2's wife can't stand him? And hangs out with Lehndorff at Königsberg on his return? This is really not good timing for an attempt to make Catherine break up with Prussia. Though if you want to talk with someone about how Fritz is the worst, Heinrich isn't a bad candidate, I guess. (Though possibly not when he's representing Prussia on a diplomatic mission.)

[Author: "While Catherine knew this claim was dubious—after all, didn't her good friend Voltaire, despite his difficult moments with the Prussian ruler, still praise Frederick?—she allowed Diderot to continue."

Mildred: Well, I can't blame Diderot for being confused by Fritz/Voltaire! Everyone was confused!]

No kidding. :) Which is how Fritz and Voltaire liked it, no doubt. :) Somewhat closer at home, Diderot's pal D'Alembert was at least pro-Fritz enough to correspond with him and visit a few times, and of course there's the Marquis D'Argens - would Diderot have counted him as a philosophe?

Re: Diderot, Catherine, and Fritz

[mildred_of_midgard]

Hang on, if it's 1773, hadn't they just partitioned Poland together, and wasn't it time for Heinrich's second trip to Russia where he plays Yenta to about-to-get-widowed Grand Duke Paul, and finds out out future FW2's wife can't stand him?

They had indeed just partitioned Poland, but the second trip to Russia was 1776, when Natalia died horribly in childbirth. In 1773, Paul was just getting married for the first time. (Wiki tells me Paul married in September, and Diderot arrived in October and stayed for 5 months. Heinrich arrived in Russia for the second time in April 1776, per Ziebura.)

Though if you want to talk with someone about how Fritz is the worst, Heinrich isn't a bad candidate, I guess. (Though possibly not when he's representing Prussia on a diplomatic mission.)

True on both counts!

Diderot's pal D'Alembert was at least pro-Fritz enough to correspond with him and visit a few times, and of course there's the Marquis D'Argens - would Diderot have counted him as a philosophe?

Somehow I get the impression Diderot may not have been thinking what he said through on this occasion...