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: Replies to the last post

[selenak]

Émilie: *after having caused a bix explosion with science covering their escape from King's Landing* while a mob of the faithful is after them: ...But did you have to write a satire featuring the Sparrow defending his elderly virginity by having conversations with his penis?

Voltaire: ...Yes?

Incidentally, one of the problems with Westeros/18th Century crossovers is of course that Martin created a pseudo medieval-on-the-verge-of-Renaissance world, and Voltaire and Émilie are the products of an age where the power of the intellectual pen has a working printing press or thousands at its disposal. Naturally there were scientists and satirists in the Middle Ages as well, but a much, much smaller number of potential readers vs far greater control of the narrative by victorious authorities. Well, depending on the era. (Which is why no pro Henry IV of Canossa fame chronicle survives, whereas both Barbarossa and grandson Friedrich II a century later had chroniclers favouring them in addition to those who were spreading the papal version of them being the evilest.) A Minnesänger like Walther von der Vogelweide (closest thing to Voltaire along with Francois Villon I can think of while remaining in the Middle Ages) could write biting satires on the most powerful Pope ever (Innocent III), yes, but he needed a scenario of Pope vs King vs King to survive this that allowed him to seek patronage from those on the outs with the Pope. While Voltaire was of course happy to have Fritz and then Catherine's favour, but he didn't need it to survive - there's a difference.

Re: Replies to the last post

[cahn]

Émilie: *after having caused a bix explosion with science covering their escape from King's Landing* while a mob of the faithful is after them: ...But did you have to write a satire featuring the Sparrow defending his elderly virginity by having conversations with his penis?

Voltaire: ...Yes?

LOLOLOLOL! I literally laughed out loud here.

...yes, I can see how the printing press helps a lot here :P