I'm very glad salon enjoyed this particular valentine. :) Writing it, btw, reminded me again of the unsolved mystery of what became of the Émilie/Voltaire correspondence, which as they weren't together all the time and were both enthusiastic letter writers must have filled entire book shelves. Theoretically.
Now, David Bodanis, author of "Passionate Minds", aka the romantisized biography of Émilie and Voltaire which is fun to read until Fritz appears on the scene and you realize Bodanis does not know and understand much about 18th Century Prussia, says in a "Where are they now?" footnote that "it's assumed" that Émilie entrusted the letters, which she had bound, to Saint-Lambert, who destroyed them after her death. Otoh, I don't have the volume with me right now, but the magisterial 1960s Voltaire biography, I seem to recall, suspects Madame Denis was the one to destroy the letters after Voltaire's death. (On the assumption that Émilie's husband returned Voltaire's letters to him after her death, and Voltaire himself of course had Émilie's letters. Robyn Arianrhod doesn't have an opinion, but I wouldn't be surprised if Judith Zinnser thinks Voltaire himself destroyed the letters, not least because she has it in for Voltaire.
Now, given that both sides of the correspondence have disappeared completely, I think it's a safe bet that someone destroyed it. Because in other cases, such as Heinrich's letters to Lehndorff which don't seem to exist anymore, we know they did exist pre WWII since Schmidt-Lötzen mentions having seen them in his preface to volume 1 of the diaries. And while either Hervey's son or a vengeful Hervey himself destroyed most of Fritz' of Wales 'letters from the time of their friendship, two do survive, plus several of Hervey's as he made copies of his outgoing letters. And we know that despite the Hannovers doing their best to prevent it and to discredit them, most of the SDC/Königsmarck love letters survived. So if it had simply been a case of, say, whoever had the letters after Émilie's death moving a lot, at least some would have made it, I think.
So, possibilities:
1) During the big crisis, Émilie demanded her letters back, she therefore had both hers and Voltaire's. In that case, I really doubt she gave them to Saint-Lambert; her husband, otoh, is a more likely option. Of course, it's also possible Émilie herself destroyed them in the last year of her life, either because she thought she might die and did not want them to get published - she must have known most of the letters to and from Voltaire would get published sooner or later, and indeed part of the Fritz/Voltaire letters from the Crown Prince years were already publically known at that point - , or because she was angry at Voltaire.
2.) Émilie did not ask for her letters back, but her husband returned Voltaire's letters to him after her death, which means Voltaire had both parts of the correspondence. (Which he also would have had if Émilie had it and, again, the husband handed them over to Voltaire later.) If Voltaire had the letters after Émilie's death, it allows for the possibility of
2a) Voltaire himself destroyed them. Instinctively, I'd say no, because while as we know in one particular case he wasn't above doctoring some letters after the fact, he wasn't, otherwise, a letter destroyer and more of a letter horder. They still haven't published all of the existing letters to and from him we have, centuries later. (Just those of the most important correspondents.) Of course, if you go by Zinsser's black Voltaire image, there's the possbility he might have destroyed them for pure ego reasons - maybe he thought he didn't come across well in the later years or something like that - BUT in such a case I think he'd have kept the early ones, when they were newly in love, because you can bet Émilie must have said any number of flattering things about him back then (and vice versa, of course). As my own image of Voltaire is different from Zinnser's, I also tend to think he'd have kept the letters in Émilie's memory as a testimony to a brilliant, fiery woman.
2b) Madame Denis destroyed them after Voltaire's death. IF the correspondence was in Voltaire's hands after Émilie's death, she had complete access to them (as she had to Voltaire's other papers, including her own correspondence with him). Of course, the mercantile-minded Madame Denis would have been as likely to sell them - after all, there would have been huge interest, and as opposed to the letters to herself, the majority of them would not have compromised her in any way. HOWEVER, I dare say Émilie's son (who had risen through the ranks and was envoy to Britain at one point, really presumably had influence) might have objected to a publication of his mother's letters to Voltaire. And we honestly have no idea how Madame Denis felt about Émilie once Émilie was dead. At least I don't remember a quote. (As opposed to several very clear quotes as to what she thought of Fritz, but there, she had very good reason for a grudge that have nothing to do with jealousy.)
In conclusion: I don't have the slightest idea. I just wish we still had those letters!
Now, David Bodanis, author of "Passionate Minds", aka the romantisized biography of Émilie and Voltaire which is fun to read until Fritz appears on the scene and you realize Bodanis does not know and understand much about 18th Century Prussia, says in a "Where are they now?" footnote that "it's assumed" that Émilie entrusted the letters, which she had bound, to Saint-Lambert, who destroyed them after her death. Otoh, I don't have the volume with me right now, but the magisterial 1960s Voltaire biography, I seem to recall, suspects Madame Denis was the one to destroy the letters after Voltaire's death. (On the assumption that Émilie's husband returned Voltaire's letters to him after her death, and Voltaire himself of course had Émilie's letters. Robyn Arianrhod doesn't have an opinion, but I wouldn't be surprised if Judith Zinnser thinks Voltaire himself destroyed the letters, not least because she has it in for Voltaire.
Heh, I feel like this all says more about the biographer's personal opinion about these people than what actually might have happened. (I remember Orieux really, really did not like Madame Denis!)
Of course, it's also possible Émilie herself destroyed them in the last year of her life, either because she thought she might die and did not want them to get published - she must have known most of the letters to and from Voltaire would get published sooner or later, and indeed part of the Fritz/Voltaire letters from the Crown Prince years were already publically known at that point - , or because she was angry at Voltaire.
:( Maybe!
Voltaire himself destroyed them. Instinctively, I'd say no
I agree. That doesn't fit my image of Voltaire at all. Doctor them? I'd buy that, and as you say it's canon. But destroy, no.
As my own image of Voltaire is different from Zinnser's
The more primary sources we read, the more I feel that Zinnser is just... taking things out of context. :P
I feel like this all says more about the biographer's personal opinion about these people than what actually might have happened.
Oh absolutely. I haven't seen anyone but Bodanis suspect Saint-Lambert, but then Bodanis' Saint-Lambert is a cad who cheated on Émilie practically the moment they got together. (Which, to be fair, was the interpretation of some of Émilie's letters to him until Judith Zinnser suggested a different dating for the letters and pointed out Saint-Lambert did react heartbroken to Émilie's death. And of course Jean Orieux would blame Madame Denis!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Re: Happy V-day, everybody!!!!
Now, David Bodanis, author of "Passionate Minds", aka the romantisized biography of Émilie and Voltaire which is fun to read until Fritz appears on the scene and you realize Bodanis does not know and understand much about 18th Century Prussia, says in a "Where are they now?" footnote that "it's assumed" that Émilie entrusted the letters, which she had bound, to Saint-Lambert, who destroyed them after her death. Otoh, I don't have the volume with me right now, but the magisterial 1960s Voltaire biography, I seem to recall, suspects Madame Denis was the one to destroy the letters after Voltaire's death. (On the assumption that Émilie's husband returned Voltaire's letters to him after her death, and Voltaire himself of course had Émilie's letters. Robyn Arianrhod doesn't have an opinion, but I wouldn't be surprised if Judith Zinnser thinks Voltaire himself destroyed the letters, not least because she has it in for Voltaire.
Now, given that both sides of the correspondence have disappeared completely, I think it's a safe bet that someone destroyed it. Because in other cases, such as Heinrich's letters to Lehndorff which don't seem to exist anymore, we know they did exist pre WWII since Schmidt-Lötzen mentions having seen them in his preface to volume 1 of the diaries. And while either Hervey's son or a vengeful Hervey himself destroyed most of Fritz' of Wales 'letters from the time of their friendship, two do survive, plus several of Hervey's as he made copies of his outgoing letters. And we know that despite the Hannovers doing their best to prevent it and to discredit them, most of the SDC/Königsmarck love letters survived. So if it had simply been a case of, say, whoever had the letters after Émilie's death moving a lot, at least some would have made it, I think.
So, possibilities:
1) During the big crisis, Émilie demanded her letters back, she therefore had both hers and Voltaire's. In that case, I really doubt she gave them to Saint-Lambert; her husband, otoh, is a more likely option. Of course, it's also possible Émilie herself destroyed them in the last year of her life, either because she thought she might die and did not want them to get published - she must have known most of the letters to and from Voltaire would get published sooner or later, and indeed part of the Fritz/Voltaire letters from the Crown Prince years were already publically known at that point - , or because she was angry at Voltaire.
2.) Émilie did not ask for her letters back, but her husband returned Voltaire's letters to him after her death, which means Voltaire had both parts of the correspondence. (Which he also would have had if Émilie had it and, again, the husband handed them over to Voltaire later.) If Voltaire had the letters after Émilie's death, it allows for the possibility of
2a) Voltaire himself destroyed them. Instinctively, I'd say no, because while as we know in one particular case he wasn't above doctoring some letters after the fact, he wasn't, otherwise, a letter destroyer and more of a letter horder. They still haven't published all of the existing letters to and from him we have, centuries later. (Just those of the most important correspondents.) Of course, if you go by Zinsser's black Voltaire image, there's the possbility he might have destroyed them for pure ego reasons - maybe he thought he didn't come across well in the later years or something like that - BUT in such a case I think he'd have kept the early ones, when they were newly in love, because you can bet Émilie must have said any number of flattering things about him back then (and vice versa, of course). As my own image of Voltaire is different from Zinnser's, I also tend to think he'd have kept the letters in Émilie's memory as a testimony to a brilliant, fiery woman.
2b) Madame Denis destroyed them after Voltaire's death. IF the correspondence was in Voltaire's hands after Émilie's death, she had complete access to them (as she had to Voltaire's other papers, including her own correspondence with him). Of course, the mercantile-minded Madame Denis would have been as likely to sell them - after all, there would have been huge interest, and as opposed to the letters to herself, the majority of them would not have compromised her in any way. HOWEVER, I dare say Émilie's son (who had risen through the ranks and was envoy to Britain at one point, really presumably had influence) might have objected to a publication of his mother's letters to Voltaire. And we honestly have no idea how Madame Denis felt about Émilie once Émilie was dead. At least I don't remember a quote. (As opposed to several very clear quotes as to what she thought of Fritz, but there, she had very good reason for a grudge that have nothing to do with jealousy.)
In conclusion: I don't have the slightest idea. I just wish we still had those letters!
Re: Happy V-day, everybody!!!!
Same on both counts!
Re: Happy V-day, everybody!!!!
Heh, I feel like this all says more about the biographer's personal opinion about these people than what actually might have happened. (I remember Orieux really, really did not like Madame Denis!)
Of course, it's also possible Émilie herself destroyed them in the last year of her life, either because she thought she might die and did not want them to get published - she must have known most of the letters to and from Voltaire would get published sooner or later, and indeed part of the Fritz/Voltaire letters from the Crown Prince years were already publically known at that point - , or because she was angry at Voltaire.
:( Maybe!
Voltaire himself destroyed them. Instinctively, I'd say no
I agree. That doesn't fit my image of Voltaire at all. Doctor them? I'd buy that, and as you say it's canon. But destroy, no.
As my own image of Voltaire is different from Zinnser's
The more primary sources we read, the more I feel that Zinnser is just... taking things out of context. :P
Re: Happy V-day, everybody!!!!
Oh absolutely. I haven't seen anyone but Bodanis suspect Saint-Lambert, but then Bodanis' Saint-Lambert is a cad who cheated on Émilie practically the moment they got together. (Which, to be fair, was the interpretation of some of Émilie's letters to him until Judith Zinnser suggested a different dating for the letters and pointed out Saint-Lambert did react heartbroken to Émilie's death. And of course Jean Orieux would blame Madame Denis!