Still going! Still clearing Fritz's valet/chamberlain Fredersdorf's name from the calumny enshrined in wikipedia that he was dismissed for financial irregularities!
selenak, I know you're on vacation, so if it's not a good translation time, don't worry about it. If you have time just to do the first 2-3 lines of this one, that would be great. I know what I think they say, but I've been wrong before.
Erstlich habe ich, nachdem Se. Konig§ Mayt., mon cher compere wegen dero kränc[k]lichen Umstände soulagiret ünd in Rühe wissen wollen, ünd mir also aüch die direction in Konig§ G[a]rt[e]n S[a]chen oblieget, niemanden in Potsdam gewüßt, dem ich die assignation der Gar- ten-Etats-Gelder committiren können; wie ich solches ünter andern aüch dem Gärtner Sello [üntern] 28 m.p. bekannt ge[ma]cht habe, zweitens habe ich darüm aüf den Ober-Gärtner Krutisch [mein] Aügen- [marck] gerichtet, weil er, da mon cher compere sich mit diesen Sachen, nicht mehr abgeben, am besten sehen ünd beürtheilen kann, ob die Arbeit oder Sachen, s[o] [in] Rechnüng gebr[a]cht w[e]rde, auch wirklich gemacht s[in]d. Drittens habe dem Ober-Gärtner mitnichten plein pouvoir über die andern König§ Gärt[n?]en gegeben, sodann ich habe ihm bloß aüfgetra- gen, daß er mir in meiner Abwesenheit fleißig berichten über die assignirte Gelder eine Controlle führen, ünd mir von alles re- sponsable seyn soll.
Viertens ist es wohl an dem, daß die Ober-Rechen-Cammer gegen die Anweisüngen des Krutisch in seinen eigenen Rechnüngs-Sachen mo- nita machen wurde; da ich [nür] aber vorbehalten selbige bey meiner künftigen retour nach geschehene[n] g[rün]den Untersüchüng zü am [tra?]hi[ern] aüch allenfalls dieses, w[enn] es [an]langet wird, n[o]ch eher zü th[ün], so wird dädürch allem Anstoß vorgebeüget ünd in diese[m] fäll d[a]s Krutisch Unterschrift nün ad interim als ein [bl]oßes atte[st] gelten, welches die gegenwärtige zeitlaüfte ünd Umstände gältig machen [an]gesehen werden.
Ich hoffe daß Sie dieses [mein] Arrangement, aü[ch] die A[rt], wie ich die Ehre geha[tt], [e]s hierzü detailli[re]n, für güt finden werden. Wißen Sie [ein] etwas beße[re]s züm Di[en]st ünd Nützen des Königes vorzü- schlagen, werde es mit der g[ün]sten Erkentlichkeit a[nn]ehmen. Uebrigens werden meine 2 letzte Briefe von 4te ünd 7te dieses nebst denen Beylagen nünmehro wohl angelange[t] seyn.
Ich empfele mich zü de[r] beständigen Freündschaft, ünd versichern noch derjenigen, so ich für Sie frage, daß ich allemah[l]s mit der aüfrichtichsten Hochachtüng sein werde,
Monsieur et tres chere compere, votre tres humble et obeisant Serviteur Leining
Haüpt-Qüartier bey Prag den 10te Junii 1757
cahn, mostly it's just worrying about the royal gardens, but I think the first couple lines are saying that Leining's taking over the gardens because Fritz wants Fredersdorf, being sick, not to have to worry about them (Selena can confirm or refine my reading--he may also just be saying that chronologically, first he gave Fritz the news about Fredersdorf and then they talked about the gardens).
And I love the bit where he's like, "I hope my plans sound okay, but if you know a better way, I will accept it with gratitude." Beating a dead horse here, but the recipient is someone whose expertise is still very much respected.
I‘ll try to do it when I can, but for now, continuing his explanation for why he‘s given headgardener K all this responsibility, he says that Fritz wanted Fredersdorf to be relieved all worries and left in peace because of how ill he is, and that‘s why Leining did: list of gardening related measures. Will proper translate when not wandering through Portugal or uploading photos!
Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3 - Translation
Return of the translator (typing away on the airplane from Lissabon to Munich):
Firstly, since His Royal Majesty is concerned about mon cher compere due to the circumstances of your health, and wants you to be left in peace, I’m obliged to take care of matters regarding the King’s gardens as well. No one in Potsdam came to mind whom I could entrust with the assignations of the budgets for the gardens. This, told the gardener Sello on the 28th of last months among other things.
Secondly, since mon cher compare can’t take care of these matters anymore, I have focused on the Head Gardner Krutisch, since he seems best suitable to see and judge whether the work and things which are billed to us have indeed been accomplished.
Thirdly, I haven’t given the all clear to the Head Gardener about the King’s other gardens at all. Instead, I’ve simply charged him with reporting steadily to me in my absence, with controlling the financial means assigned to him, and to be responsible to me in all matters.
Fourthly, all this may lead to the Supreme Chamber of the Bills providing money to Krutisch on his demand for his own bills; but as I have positioned myself to thoroughly investigate everything upon my future return, and would be ready to do this even sooner, should it prove to be necessary, all possible offense will have been prevented. Krutisch’s signature will only intermittendly be good for cash, as the current circumstances and times will demand it.
I hope that you will approve of both the arrangement and the detailed explanation I had the honour of providing here. If you can suggest something better that will serve the King and will be of use to him, I will accept it with greatest gratitude. Incidentally, by now my last two letters from the 4th and 7th of this month next to their attachments will by now have arrived.
I reccomend myself to your steadfast friendship, and assure you as I ask you that I will always be with the most sincere respect,
Monsieur et tres cher compere etc.
Aside from everything Mildred has already observed about this letter, I find it interesting that Fredersdorf evidently until a few months ago was in charge of balancing budgets for the gardens etc. I mean, that makes sense, given he was the Treasurer, but this correspondence really brings to life how many day to day responsibilities he did have, which now have to be accomplished by other people. And yes, how much respected he still is by his successor. Fritz not wanting him bothered by work concerns is in the same spirit as all those touching letters from a few years earlier.
Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3 - Translation
Fritz not wanting him bothered by work concerns is in the same spirit as all those touching letters from a few years earlier.
Totally. I keep repeating myself, but to have a source for Fritz talking about Fredersdorf is just the best, and even more so that it's in keeping with the letters.
Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3 - Translation
Ahhhhhh I am still way behind on everything (all my Very Long Meetings are *finally* done, but now I am frantically catching up on all the other RL stuff that I didn't get done this week) but I wanted to leave at least one comment because I enjoyed these so much :)
Firstly, since His Royal Majesty is concerned about mon cher compere due to the circumstances of your health, and wants you to be left in peace, I’m obliged to take care of matters regarding the King’s gardens as well. No one in Potsdam came to mind whom I could entrust with the assignations of the budgets for the gardens.
This is so endearing <3 (Also that the garden budget is a trusted responsibility WHICH FREDERSDORF WAS TAKING ON, ahem.)
Fritz not wanting him bothered by work concerns is in the same spirit as all those touching letters from a few years earlier.
Yes! Awwww.
Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3 - Translation
(Also that the garden budget is a trusted responsibility WHICH FREDERSDORF WAS TAKING ON, ahem.)
Exactly! Someone should nag me to publish this entire correspondence so we can TELL THE WORLD.
The problem is that researching is fun, fantasizing about the finished product is fun, taking your slapdash research and polishing it into a finished product is teeeeeedious. :( (Being nagged helps.)
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Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3
Erstlich habe ich, nachdem Se. Konig§ Mayt., mon cher compere wegen
dero kränc[k]lichen Umstände soulagiret ünd in Rühe wissen wollen,
ünd mir also aüch die direction in Konig§ G[a]rt[e]n S[a]chen oblieget,
niemanden in Potsdam gewüßt, dem ich die assignation der Gar-
ten-Etats-Gelder committiren können; wie ich solches ünter andern
aüch dem Gärtner Sello [üntern] 28 m.p. bekannt ge[ma]cht habe,
zweitens habe ich darüm aüf den Ober-Gärtner Krutisch [mein] Aügen-
[marck] gerichtet, weil er, da mon cher compere sich mit diesen Sachen,
nicht mehr abgeben, am besten sehen ünd beürtheilen kann, ob die Arbeit
oder Sachen, s[o] [in] Rechnüng gebr[a]cht w[e]rde, auch wirklich gemacht s[in]d.
Drittens habe dem Ober-Gärtner mitnichten plein pouvoir über die
andern König§ Gärt[n?]en gegeben, sodann ich habe ihm bloß aüfgetra-
gen, daß er mir in meiner Abwesenheit fleißig berichten über
die assignirte Gelder eine Controlle führen, ünd mir von alles re-
sponsable seyn soll.
Viertens ist es wohl an dem, daß die Ober-Rechen-Cammer gegen die
Anweisüngen des Krutisch in seinen eigenen Rechnüngs-Sachen mo-
nita machen wurde; da ich [nür] aber vorbehalten selbige bey meiner
künftigen retour nach geschehene[n] g[rün]den Untersüchüng zü am [tra?]hi[ern]
aüch allenfalls dieses, w[enn] es [an]langet wird, n[o]ch eher zü th[ün],
so wird dädürch allem Anstoß vorgebeüget ünd in diese[m] fäll d[a]s
Krutisch Unterschrift nün ad interim als ein [bl]oßes atte[st] gelten,
welches die gegenwärtige zeitlaüfte ünd Umstände gältig machen
[an]gesehen werden.
Ich hoffe daß Sie dieses [mein] Arrangement, aü[ch] die A[rt], wie ich die
Ehre geha[tt], [e]s hierzü detailli[re]n, für güt finden werden. Wißen
Sie [ein] etwas beße[re]s züm Di[en]st ünd Nützen des Königes vorzü-
schlagen, werde es mit der g[ün]sten Erkentlichkeit a[nn]ehmen.
Uebrigens werden meine 2 letzte Briefe von 4te ünd 7te dieses nebst
denen Beylagen nünmehro wohl angelange[t] seyn.
Ich empfele mich zü de[r] beständigen Freündschaft, ünd versichern
noch derjenigen, so ich für Sie frage, daß ich allemah[l]s mit der
aüfrichtichsten Hochachtüng sein werde,
Monsieur et tres chere compere,
votre tres humble et
obeisant Serviteur
Leining
Haüpt-Qüartier bey Prag
den 10te Junii 1757
And I love the bit where he's like, "I hope my plans sound okay, but if you know a better way, I will accept it with gratitude." Beating a dead horse here, but the recipient is someone whose expertise is still very much respected.
Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3
Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3 - Translation
Firstly, since His Royal Majesty is concerned about mon cher compere due to the circumstances of your health, and wants you to be left in peace, I’m obliged to take care of matters regarding the King’s gardens as well. No one in Potsdam came to mind whom I could entrust with the assignations of the budgets for the gardens. This, told the gardener Sello on the 28th of last months among other things.
Secondly, since mon cher compare can’t take care of these matters anymore, I have focused on the Head Gardner Krutisch, since he seems best suitable to see and judge whether the work and things which are billed to us have indeed been accomplished.
Thirdly, I haven’t given the all clear to the Head Gardener about the King’s other gardens at all. Instead, I’ve simply charged him with reporting steadily to me in my absence, with controlling the financial means assigned to him, and to be responsible to me in all matters.
Fourthly, all this may lead to the Supreme Chamber of the Bills providing money to Krutisch on his demand for his own bills; but as I have positioned myself to thoroughly investigate everything upon my future return, and would be ready to do this even sooner, should it prove to be necessary, all possible offense will have been prevented. Krutisch’s signature will only intermittendly be good for cash, as the current circumstances and times will demand it.
I hope that you will approve of both the arrangement and the detailed explanation I had the honour of providing here. If you can suggest something better that will serve the King and will be of use to him, I will accept it with greatest gratitude. Incidentally, by now my last two letters from the 4th and 7th of this month next to their attachments will by now have arrived.
I reccomend myself to your steadfast friendship, and assure you as I ask you that I will always be with the most sincere respect,
Monsieur et tres cher compere etc.
Aside from everything Mildred has already observed about this letter, I find it interesting that Fredersdorf evidently until a few months ago was in charge of balancing budgets for the gardens etc. I mean, that makes sense, given he was the Treasurer, but this correspondence really brings to life how many day to day responsibilities he did have, which now have to be accomplished by other people. And yes, how much respected he still is by his successor. Fritz not wanting him bothered by work concerns is in the same spirit as all those touching letters from a few years earlier.
Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3 - Translation
Those are some shoes Leining has to fill.
Fritz not wanting him bothered by work concerns is in the same spirit as all those touching letters from a few years earlier.
YES. <3
Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3 - Translation
Totally. I keep repeating myself, but to have a source for Fritz talking about Fredersdorf is just the best, and even more so that it's in keeping with the letters.
Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3 - Translation
Firstly, since His Royal Majesty is concerned about mon cher compere due to the circumstances of your health, and wants you to be left in peace, I’m obliged to take care of matters regarding the King’s gardens as well. No one in Potsdam came to mind whom I could entrust with the assignations of the budgets for the gardens.
This is so endearing <3 (Also that the garden budget is a trusted responsibility WHICH FREDERSDORF WAS TAKING ON, ahem.)
Fritz not wanting him bothered by work concerns is in the same spirit as all those touching letters from a few years earlier.
Yes! Awwww.
Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 13, pages 2-3 - Translation
Exactly! Someone should nag me to publish this entire correspondence so we can TELL THE WORLD.
The problem is that researching is fun, fantasizing about the finished product is fun, taking your slapdash research and polishing it into a finished product is teeeeeedious. :( (Being nagged helps.)