18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 37

[cahn]

More diaries of our favorite 18th-century Prussian diary-keeper have been unearthed and have been synopsized!

January 18th: Blessed be thou to me! Under your light, my Prince Heinrich was born!

Comments

For the pamphlets tell us so

[mildred_of_midgard]

I discovered where Voltaire is in his non-Fritzian afterlife! With Catherine the Great, according to Anisimov:

For many years, King Henry IV of France, the beau ideal of politician, statesman, and sovereign, became her hero. Many years later she would write to Voltaire that she dreamed of meeting King Henry in the other world, and I believe these two would have had something to talk about: as conversationalists they are really worthy of each other. One could also imagine Montesquieu and Voltaire, two other idols of Catherine's youth, joining their company

(I predict the ensuing pamphlet war between Montesquieu and Voltaire in this scenario is also a sight to behold; they had some choice remarks to make about each other irl, as I recall.)

Re: For the pamphlets tell us so

[selenak]

Catherine/Henry IV would certainly an interesting (and combustible) pairing in any sense. Otoh, I suspect that Voltaire, who was after his Fritz experience smart enough to befriend Catherine from afar and stay away, and who knew something about the dangers of meeting one's idols, would keep a post mortem distance from both Henri and Catherine and stick to texting. Which he would keep doing, not least to keep Fritz jealous.

Otoh, yes, definitely a pamphlet war between Voltaire and Montesquieu! Even if they just talk about Roman history.