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

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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!

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From:

mildred_of_midgard

Fritz says no and then says Heinrich hasn't talked to him in six months despite living in the same palace, and NOW he wants stuff, and also, "if this is love it must be metaphysical" and that Heinrich should just own they both "share the same coldness".

Ah, okay, you're right. Then yes, I suspect Koser was buying the argument! I mean, I still remember the 19th century historian arguing, "Well, Fritz liked Winterfeldt, so obviously he was the most competent general of their age after Fritz, and anyone who didn't like Winterfeldt (AW, Heinrich) was just jealous."

From:

selenak

Going back to my first write up of the Fritz-Heinrich-correspondance, I thought the actual quotes are worth repeating, because they are so... Fritz:

We have nothing to reproach each other with, we have the same coldness towards each other; and since you want it so, I'm happy. It is only my intercession for your love affairs which sometimes softens you towards me, when you need it. Besides, the little friendship that you show me on all occasions does not excite me to make new efforts of tenderness in favor of a brother who has so little return for me. This is all I have to say to you this time, assuring you that I am, my dear brother, etc.

And because this is the year for thick, thick sarcasm, the next letter offers more of same:

If you love me, your friendship must be metaphysical, for I have never seen people like that loved, without looking at them, without speaking to them, without giving them the slightest sign of affection. Happy are the people you love, I want to believe it. If you put me in that number, I can assure you that I live in a deep ignorance of the feelings you have for me. I only know your distance, your lukewarmness, and the most perfect indifference that ever was.

Culminating in the next salvo:

Surely I did not expect to receive a letter from you; but for six whole months that you find it appropriate to sulk with me, that you live in the same house without seeing me and talking to me that unless propriety absolutely prevents you from dispensing with it, nothing should surprise me more. I was even less prepared for the project you are forming.

Oh, and going back to that old entry also reminded me of this lolsob worthy gem right at the start, demonstrating already Fritz in full roleplay mode:

Always continue to apply yourself to reason correctly and to do your duty well. and

It is with sorrow that I have just learned that you are starting to go idle, preferring entertainment to studies. If you want to please me, you will apply yourself more diligently to the business of reading, which will be infinitely more useful to you than anything else.

Note I'm not saying "in FW roleplay mode". At this point, I think he's also channelling Wilhelmine and the way she got him to read books. And of course he does succeed - certainly the education and knowledge Lafayette admired would not have happened otherwise - but he also sets a theme.

Of course, now I imagine Koser reading this and being filled with compassion for the poor Einziger, having to deal with a heartless brat...

From:

mildred_of_midgard

Coldness, distance, lukewarmness, indifference...yeah, I could see Koser drawing conclusions after reading that and doing the write-up of Heinrich's personality that he did. I mean, it's not like Fritz would *deserve* this kind of behavior!

From:

cahn

Ahahaha, when I read your above comment I was all "ooh, remind me about that metaphysical love quote, because that sounds awesomely Fritz" and you have anticipated me! If you love me, your friendship must be metaphysical -- FRITZ.

But yeah, I can imagine Koser being horrified at Heinrich there!

From:

selenak

Meanwhile, Ferdinand always showed Fritz friendship. :) (That also will never be not hilarious.) Somehow, however, this estimation from the Einzigen König or rather from his early 1750s last will didn't make it into Koser's description of the siblings.

From:

mildred_of_midgard

I can't imagine why not. :P

From:

selenak

re: Koser, I seem to recall the remark about Heinrich's coldness is in a context where he says that Wilhelmine and Heinrich were the people closest to Fritz during the 7 Years War (until her death, obviously) and that Heinrich was dutiful, if made of "coarser" material than the other two and in his cold automaton way not able to have passionate sibling feelings. This irresistably reminds me of Fritz working himself into a frenzy of anxiety before Wilhelmine's death and pleading to Heinrich to give him good news about her because no one is as close as siblings who grew up with each other and he needs to hear she's fine... which is all very touching until you recall Heinrich gets that letter a few months after AW's death and the "take it like a stoic" consolation letter from Fritz on the subject.

Aaanyway. Frederician fandom really is like any other fandom, where only the emotions of your character(s) of choice are real.

From:

mildred_of_midgard

Let's not forgot when Voltaire was devastated over Émilie's death, and Fritz wrote that he was being so over-the-top that he must be exaggerating. Fast forward almost ten years, and it's all, "All Europe must grieve Wilhelmine with me!"