Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 45

[cahn]

Unfortunately, there was then at Berlin a King who pursued one policy only, who deceived his enemies, but not his servants, and who lied without scruple, but never without necessity.

(from The King's Secret - by Duke de Broglie, grand-nephew of the subject of the book, Comte de Broglie, and grandfather of the physicist) )

Comments

Re: The King's Secret: fighting Fritz

[cahn]

Since she, in turn, finds that the Comte de Broglie is the only level head around, she consults with him and takes his advice.

Wow, this is all just... something!

"There is no reason," says our author the Duc de Broglie,

"to believe that the vast task in which Bernis failed would have been accomplished by Count de Broglie, but the latter was not of that opinion."

Heee.

Then, all of a sudden, a word, a gesture, an unguarded inflection of the voice, revealed that an inveterate enemy of France was speaking. The disappointment was painful, and while one could not help admiring this exact reproduction of foreign and even detested manners and customs, a secret repulsion was caused by that want of individuality and of frankness, of character, and of vigour, which was the inevitable condition of so much facility in the art of imitation.

...wow! (I mean, I can believe that he's onto something there. But still... wow!)

Re: The King's Secret: fighting Fritz

[mildred_of_midgard]

This book never fails to deliver!