18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 36

[cahn]

Starting a couple of comments earlier than usual to mention there are a couple of new salon fics! These probably both need canon knowledge.

felis ficlets on siblings!

Siblings (541 words) by felisnocturna
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: 18th Century CE RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Friedrich II von Preußen | Frederick the Great, Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf, August Wilhelm von Preußen | Augustus William of Prussia (1722-1758), Wilhelmine von Preußen | Wilhelmine of Prussia (1709-1758)
Summary:

Three Fills for the 2022 Three Sentence Ficathon.

Chapter One: Protective Action / Babysitting at Rheinsberg (Frederick/Fredersdorf, William+Henry+Ferdinand)
Chapter Two: Here Be Lions (Wilhelmine)

Unsent Letters fic by me:

Letters for a Dead King (1981 words) by raspberryhunter
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 18th Century CE RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Friedrich II von Preußen | Frederick the Great & Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von Preußen (1726-1802)
Characters: Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von Preußen | Henry of Prussia (1726-1802)
Additional Tags: Epistolary, Love/Hate, Talking To Dead People, Canonical Character Death, Dysfunctional Family
Summary:

Just because one's king and brother is dead doesn't mean one has to stop writing to him.

Comments

Re: Letters and Journals of Mrs Calderwood

[luzula]

Oh, he's that James Steuart! I see his name in her letters a lot.
Oh, cool! Glad to fill in some blank spaces for you.

Does she mention the name of the inn?
Yes, here's more info about the inn: 'We lodged in the inn called the Morning Star, the best in the town. There was a convention of all nations, and it was quite full.'

For those who may not know or have forgotten, the Memoirs of the House of Brandenburg were written by Fritz in the 1740s.
Hee, the book told me that in a footnote! : D

If you're asking me, I always want!
Well, here you go...I told you she was opinionated! This follows on from the bit about the cats.

The King of Prussia says, on the other hand that the Queen made a defensive alliance with France, and that she was getting herself ready for next year, and, in the meantime, was sowing suspicions privately from court to court, so that they might come to his ears, and give him the alarm, that he might be the first aggressor, and then France was obliged to join her : and that the Queen of Poland and the Empress, being both great bigots, had contrived to fall upon him and destroy him ; that then the Saxons being under a popish king, and no protestant power able to defend them, the protestant religion would be suppressed, not only there, but in the whole empire.

My oppinion of this story is, that the Queen, though a great bigot, had other motives than religion to attack the King of Prussia ; that she certainly intended to fall upon him as soon as she was ready, and that the King of Poland was to assist her ; and that Prussia, by being first ready, has prevented her ; and that he has cried out religion, as folks do fire when they want assistance; and that this has not been a sudden impulse of his, but that he has laid his scheme some time before, to make religion a handle to exequte what he intends. Some say, it is that a protestant emperor should be chosen time about with a popish ; but I think this is too distant a prospect for him, who is no younger than the present Emperor, and it must be [necessary], in the first place, to make himself able to effect such a law being made. Whatever he intends to effect by it, it appears to me to be no new scheme, for, when did we see kings make such a work about their faith, when nobody was asking them any questions about it ? It is several! years since our newspapers were full of the King of Prussia's confession of faith; in this point he was Calvinist, in that he was Lutheran, in another he agreed with neither. He tolerated all religions, and built a fine chapell for the papaists, ordered all his soldiers to go to their respective churches, when, at the same time, I suspect he was much of Coully Kan's mind, who made first the Alcoran, and then the New Testament be read to him, and, after hearing both, declared he would make a religion better than any of them.

I hear he is adored in Scotland for being the head of the protestant religion, but I wish he may not be like many an honest man's head which has led his body a gray gate ; not but his intentions are good, but who can depend upon executing their projects ? The world is not as it was long ago, when one man could raise his fortune, and pursue and execute his schemes in a few years. The states of Europe are now so fixed, that it takes more than the life that any single person can promise, to plan and execute anything out of the common road ; and, if he should arm the protestants, and bring them over to his party, his death, or the failling of any scheme, will leave them in a very bad state. We will not find it in Britain, but it will be found most surely elsewhere.

Many towns in Germany are half and half, who live very peaceably together at present, but if set by the ears, must fall heavy on the protestants, who are the weakest party. I wish the protestants very well, and therefore beg the King of Prussia (unless he can promise upon at least thirty years' life, success to all his undertakings, and that his heir shall follow his plans exactly) not to meddle with them, at least those who are subjects of another prince, and whom he has no hopes of becoming master of.

Now, I will tell you what I think he might exequte : the Saxons are protestants, and have a popish king who is otherways provided for ; he has shown he is not able to protect them, so that, if the King of Prussia could make them beleive he has abdicated the crown, they may call a convention of the states, and call a king of their own religion, and let him be head of his own protestant subjects, but not of any body else's.

Re: Letters and Journals of Mrs Calderwood

[cahn]

This is fabulous :D

My oppinion of this story is, that the Queen, though a great bigot, had other motives than religion to attack the King of Prussia ; that she certainly intended to fall upon him as soon as she was ready, and that the King of Poland was to assist her ; and that Prussia, by being first ready, has prevented her ; and that he has cried out religion, as folks do fire when they want assistance; and that this has not been a sudden impulse of his, but that he has laid his scheme some time before, to make religion a handle to exequte what he intends.

My opinion is that Mrs Calderwood is pretty sharp :D