Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 42

[cahn]

Last post, we had (among other things) Danish kings and their favorites; Louis XIV and Philippe d'Orléans; reviews of a very shippy book about Katte, a bad Jacobite novel, and a great book about clothing; a fic about Émilie du Châtelet and Voltaire; and a review of a set of entertaining Youtube history videos about Frederick the Great.

Comments

Re: Augustus Hervey IV: Admiral Byng

[selenak]

Oh, this is sad. Though I love that Hervey stuck up for him.

Same, and I also appreciate Molly's reply to Henry Fox going "tell your son to keep it quiet": I have wrote to Augustus and have given him the best, indeed the only advice I could give him, which is to make use of nothing, but truth in justification of his unhappy friend, as all fallacies and exaggerations can only hurt the man and cause he wishes to serve. But not to employ his utmost powers with truth to vindicate his friend ins what I can neither advise nor wish; on the contrary, I would excite him to it, as it was on like occasion I would do myself at all hazards and perils, and so the best friend I have in the world shall find if ever there is occasion for it, which on his account (why should I not plainly say yours) I hope will never happpen, but if it should, here it is under my hand, and keep it, I beg of yo

In other words, "I'm cool with telling Augustus not to make anything up, but I won't tell him not to do his best to defend his friend with the truth, which is what I'd do for you if and when it's your turn to fall, ever think about that, Henry?"