Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 46

[cahn]

Background: The kids' school has a topic for "Unit" every trimester that a lot of their work (reading, writing, some math) revolves around. These topics range from time/geographic periods ('Colonial America') to geography ('Asia') to science ('Space') to social science ('Business and Economics'). (I have some issues with this way of doing things, but that's a whole separate post.) Anyway, for Reasons, they have had to come up with a new topic this year, and E's 7/8 class is doing "World Fairs" as their new topic.

Me: I know E's teacher is all about World Fairs and I know she is great and will do a good job. But I feel like if we had a different teacher who wasn't so into World Fairs, they wouldn't do such a good job and another topic would be better.
Me: Like... the Enlightenment!
D: Heh, you could teach that! But you'd have to restrain yourself from making everything about Frederick the Great.
Me: But that's the thing! Everyone does relate to each other in this time period! Voltaire -- and his partner Émilie du Châtelet, who was heavily involved in the discourse of conservation of energy and momentum -- well, I've told you Voltaire had a thing with Fritz -- and then there's Empress Maria Theresa, who went to war with him a few times -- and Catherine the Great --
D, meditatively: You know --
Me: *am innocently not warned even though this is the same tone of voice that is often followed by, say, a bad pun*
D: -- it's impressive how everyone from this 'the Great' family is so famous!
Me: *splutters*
D, thoughtfully: But of course there's probably selection bias, as the ones who aren't famous don't get mentioned. You never see 'Bob the Great' in the history books...
Me: *splutters more*

Comments

Algarotti to Ariane von Keith

[mildred_of_midgard]

Ariane's mother, the Baroness von Knyphausen, died in April 1751. Algarotti wrote to Ariane:

You will certainly have no doubt, Madame, of the infinite part that I take in the loss that we have just suffered in the person of your mother. The king, Madame, repents her as much as you and Monsieur de Keith. I will not undertake, Madame, to console you, as I need consolation myself. What can soften such a loss for me will be the continuation of your kindness, Madame. I will find in you, Madame, what I lost in her.

I have the honor to be, with all respect, Madame, your very obedient servant, Algarotti.

Maupertuis continues to have the worst handwriting, even with my improved French skills, but if I stare at the screen with my eyes slightly unfocused, some sense-making words and phrases seem to emerge. So I'm going to give one of his letters a shot. Wish me luck!

Re: Algarotti to Ariane von Keith

[selenak]

. I will not undertake, Madame, to console you, as I need consolation myself.

I'm trying to decide whether to count this as Rokoko rethoric or a bad condolence letter. Or whether Algarotti actually did have a relationship with the Baroness. BTW, didn't she have an illegitimate kid, or am I confusing her with another Prussian noble lady?

Re: Algarotti to Ariane von Keith

[mildred_of_midgard]

The whole thing reads so formulaic to me that I've been taking it as Rokoko rhetoric. In fact, it feels so much like a string of cliches that I wouldn't be surprised if that was a thing you just *put* in a formal condolence letter in those days. The problem with Fritz's letters was that they were always so much more *personal*, that's why they were so offensive.

BTW, didn't she have an illegitimate kid, or am I confusing her with another Prussian noble lady?

You are not! She's the one whom FW is supposed to have fined heavily for having an illegitimate child. Voltaire says she was ruined financially, but I seem to recall another source saying she thought, in effect, "Okay! So there's a luxury tax on illegitimate children," and had another child and paid for that one too. But I could be misremembering that, or it could be an unreliable source.

Re: Algarotti to Ariane von Keith

[cahn]

Yeah, on reading it I also thought it was very formulaic.

The problem with Fritz's letters was that they were always so much more *personal*, that's why they were so offensive.

LOLOLOLOL, I snorted at this because it's so true. "No, really I'm the one who needs consolation!"

She's the one whom FW is supposed to have fined heavily for having an illegitimate child.

I didn't remember this, so thank you to selenak and you for bringing it up!