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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.

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From:

mildred_of_midgard

Hochwohgeborene Herr,
Zusonders hochzuehrender herr geheimer Cammerer!

Es findet sich ünter das Glasows zürück gelassene Papieren
eine Rechnüng von Messrs Girard Michelet & Comp. a 358XX 20XX
worin ünter andern eine Post von 28XX 12XX für eine Kiste
Eaux de Senteur, so Mr. Mettra ünfern 29 Aug a. p. von das
Königes Mayt. anhero gesandt, befindlich ist. Da mir nün
Gentz gesagt, wie ihm sehr wahrscheinlich vorkomme, daß
diese Post im vorigen Jahre im Monath Septembr a. p. aus
der Königs Chatoulle bezahlet worden: so ersüche Eu. Hochwohlgeb.
die gütigkeit für mich zu haben, ünd die Chatoulle-Rechnüngen
von Mönath Septembr a. p. allenfalls aüch von denen folgenden
Monathen gütigst nachsehen zu lassen ünd mir sodenn das
nöthige zü melden. Nachdem damahligen Geld Co[rres] soll die
Sümme von die obgedachte Kiste [nür] 20XXX aüsg[ema]cht haben, welch
aüch bezahlet worden. Bey dieser gelegenheit möchte aüch gern wissen
wie weit die Pension das Mr. d'Alembert in Paris an Mrs. Girard
Michelet & Comp. vergütet worden? Ich habe dagegen die Ehre, mit
wahren hochachtung zu verharren.
Euer Hochwolgebor.
mon tres cher amy
et compere
votre tres humble
et plus-fidele serviteur
Leining

Over to you, Selena! (Though this one is straightforward enough I could do it, I'm off to see what letter 5 holds.)

You'll notice I didn't figure out the currencies, but I also didn't try super hard. My plan is for us to do as much as we can on these, then I'll compile our transcriptions along with the images and ask

prinzsorgenfrei to look them over to correct and fill in the blanks as needed.

From:

selenak

Kind Sir,
honored Mr. Secret Chamberlain,

among the papers Glasow left behind, there was a bill of Messieurs Girard Michelet & company for 358XX 20XX, wherein among other things one of the item is 28XX 11XX per box of Eaux de Senteur, sent by Monsieur Mettra on August 29th to the Kng's Majesty. As Gentz has told me that it seems likely to him that this item has been paid from the King's purse last year in the month of September, I beseech your Grace to have the kindness as to check the bills for the month of September for me, and possibly also of the following months, and to inform me of the result. Given the monetary value back then, the sum for the above named box should only haved accounted to 20XXX, which has been paid.
Incidentally, I'd like to know how how much of Monsieur D'Alembert's pension has been reimbursed in Paris to Messieurs Girard Michelet & Company? I have the honour of remaining with true respect,

your Grace,
mon tres cher ami etc.

So now we know how people like D'Alembert who had been made honorary members of the Berlin Academy by Fritz but didn't live in Prussia got their pension - evidently Girard Michelet & Company were Fritz' Parisian bankers. Also, no signs of spying yet, just the idea that Glasow has pretended the bills were higher than they were and presumably kept the monetary difference?

From:

mildred_of_midgard

So now we know how people like D'Alembert who had been made honorary members of the Berlin Academy by Fritz but didn't live in Prussia got their pension - evidently Girard Michelet & Company were Fritz' Parisian bankers.

Apparently! We're about to meet [B]aumbach & Dimpfel of Hamburg, stay tuned! (They appear to be the wine suppliers, but we'll see.) Dimpfel might be this guy.

Also, no signs of spying yet, just the idea that Glasow has pretended the bills were higher than they were and presumably kept the monetary difference?

That's what it looks like to me.

Eau de Senteur, btw, is scented water, i.e. perfume.

From:

selenak

Ha! Didn't

prinzsorgenfrei - or was that

felis? - tell us about Fritz (and FW, and various other Hohenzollerns) being faithful customers of Eau de Cologne and that we do know which perfume exactly they used because it's in the orders/bills of the enterprise?

I mean, given their sheer consumption of tobacco and sweating, they clearly had to do something...

From:

mildred_of_midgard

Yep! https://cahn.dreamwidth.org/181432.html?thread=3088824#cmt3088824

Though it's not clear to me if they were faithful customers per se of that perfume, or if they're just attested having bought it at least once.

I mean, given their sheer consumption of tobacco and sweating, they clearly had to do something...

I was thinking the same thing. And apparently what they did was this:

So, uh... at least according to the records of Farina, both Fritz and FW smelled like "an Italian spring morning right after the rain, oranges, grapefruits, lemons, bergamot, cedrat, lime and the flowers and herbs of [Italy]" at some point.

:'D

Edited Date: 2023-04-16 03:24 pm (UTC)

From:

mildred_of_midgard

I'm off to see what letter 5 holds

Halfway through, and the answer so far is: nothing of interest. Really just bill paying. I skimmed the second half, and with the caveat that skimming and this handwriting don't really mix, no interesting proper names jumped out at me.

I will see if I can summon up the energy to read more handwriting; the last few days have been intense (and time-consuming). Thank you for the collaboration, Selena!!, and I'm glad I was able to get to the point of being able to read 5 relevant letters in 4 days with just 5 days of practice. I bet an actual German speaker could do twice as much in half the time. ;)