18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 35

[cahn]

In the previous post Charles II found AITA:

Look, I, m, believe in live and let live. (And in not going on my travels again. Had enough of that to last a life time.) Why can't everyone else around me be more chill? Instead, my wife refuses to employ my girlfriend, my girlfriend won't budge and accept another office, my brother is set on a course to piss off everyone (he WILL go on his travels again), and my oldest kid shows signs of wanting my job which is just not on, sorry to say. And don't get me started about Mom (thank God she's living abroad). What am I doing wrong? AITA?

Comments

Re: Louis XIV gossip

[selenak]

Thirding "awww"!

Unfortunately stories where same-sex partners are disregarded or treated badly by the biological family of their beloved are still so common that a story set several centuries earlier in a country what was far from progressive in general where the family member in question behaved very differently, with respect and kindness, is definitely worthy an aww and then some.

(Incidentally, the Chevalier turning down the continued pension and just wanting to keep his living quarters is the first time I‘ve read of him NOT taking offered money. I wonder whether he had a feeling he would not survive Monsieur for long, and/or whether it was plain old depression and grief. After all, spouses who have spent decades together dying shortly after another isn‘t exactly unheard of.)

If I recall the editor of the Minette/Charles correspondence correctly, it was mentioned there, too that was finally pushed Louis into action were Monsieur demanding the benefices in combination with the Chevalier reacting badly (and publically so) when not getting them, but also that Charles did try to help his sister re: the Chevalier before, though diplomatically rather than by direct demands - for example, he offered the Chevalier an honored place at his own court if only he‘d leave the Orleans household. (Can‘t blame the Chevalier for not going for that. After all, how was he to know Charles would keep his word beyond maybe a few months? Then he‘d be stranded at a place where he didn‘t speak the language of and where he had no influence and would have to start again, and Monsieur would feel he‘d been sold out and would not take him back.)

Re: Louis XIV gossip

[cahn]

I mean, even for different-sex partners, if they weren't married except for all of Emilie's lovers, because she was just that cool I got the impression they often got sloughed off back then? Though I guess in that case they were usually women. Oh! I guess Elizaveta's lover turned out OK :)

Also, even if the Chevalier wasn't a super nice guy, I also feel a little "aww" about him not surviving Monsieur for long.