Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 39

[cahn]

Last post, along with the usual 18th-century suspects, included the Ottonians; changing ideas of conception and women's sexual pleasure; Isabella of Parma (the one who fell in love, and vice versa, with her husband's sister); Henry IV and Bertha (and Henry's second wife divorcing him for "unspeakable sexual acts"). (Okay, Isabella of Parma was 18th century.)

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Andrew Mitchell

[selenak]

For more on Scottish Andrew Mitchell, British envoy to Prussia during the 7 Years War, see here my original write up of his papers, and here some additional information about him from a book I read later. That in his younger years, he had a fling with Algarotti isn't speculation, btw; we have it from the horse's mouth, as a letter survives in which Algarotti, writing from Hamburg suggests after his return to England dinner 'where you will certainly be the tastiest dish for me (le meilleur plat pour moi] ... If the wind continues as it is, I hope to embrace you in 4 or 5 days. Farewell, my dear friend ; love me and believe until death , F.A.'.