I knew that when Fritz didn't let him go to England with his beloved Hotham, he cried and cried, but I don't remember Selena telling us this, omg:
I feel so lonely in a city where I have lived for ten years. All those I once called my friends, now that I've experienced this English friendship, seem so heartless that I can no longer put my trust in anyone. The only consolation I have is my books.
He no longer trusts his Prussian friends!!
[Peter: I lived in England! I have English manners! You can still trust me.]
The next day, Lehndorff's only consolation is writing to his dear Hotham.
I am *so* glad I decided to read Lehndorff rather than asking Selena the simple question* to which I wanted to know the answer for my Peter Keith paper, because even just in 1756, I am finding *so* many things, including two things I put in my paper that are wrong.
* I imagined Selena asking, "Why don't you read Lehndorff yourself, Mildred?" and I thought, "...Why *don't* I read Lehndorff myself? It's the easiest German there is, I need the practice, and I've been meaning to for years."
For one, it reads to me like Lehndorff just wanted to take a trip to England, not emigrate. He uses "Reise", says all the obstacles had been cleared away so Fritz had no reason to object, and says the trip would have been so beneficial. Which makes it sound like he's coming back, Fritz doesn't have to worry about finding a new chamberlain or property passing out of the country, and like Fritz is supposed to see the advantages to Lehndorff as advantages to *him*, like a professional development argument.
Now, maybe Fritz was worried that Lehndorff would never come back, and then he would have to find a new chamberlain and potentially lose any property Lehndorff inherited (he still had a living older brother at this point, but there are no guarantees).
Speaking of not wanting to come back, Lehndorff goes to dinner a week before this and realizes everyone's from a different country:
My dear Hotham is an Englishman, Masin an Italian, Wulfenstjerna a Swede, I unhappily a Prussian, and our host a Pole.
Lehndorff, if talk like that got back to Fritz, I can see why he didn't grant you permission! "Suuure you're coming back. Why would you? *I* wouldn't have!"
Also, I was thinking Fontane was our only source for Fritz being involved in redirecting Mlle. du Rosey from Lehndorff to evil bride-stealing Ludolf von Katte, since Lehndorff's ire in those passages I read from 1751-2 was only directed at the girl's parents and at his Katte nemesis. But right after Fritz tells Lehndorff he can't go to England, when Lehndorff is recounting all the ways Fritz wronged him and thinking, "I could have loved him like a father! But he's determined not to let me!" he includes a bit about Fritz putting up resistance to a very advantageous marriage. So I think Fontane was right.
Lehndorff also says that Fritz employed ("angestellt") him against his will at the queen's court. Now, I know he wanted a transfer and could never get one, but this makes it sound like he never wanted this job in the first place? Am I misreading?
I still haven't gotten to the part I originally set out to find, but it's clear I'm going to have to read volume 1 and probably volume 2! The Peter Keith draft has gotten to the point where I can do some reading again, which is good. More tidbits to come!
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Lehndorff is so emo
Date: 2024-09-16 06:53 pm (UTC)I feel so lonely in a city where I have lived for ten years. All those I once called my friends, now that I've experienced this English friendship, seem so heartless that I can no longer put my trust in anyone. The only consolation I have is my books.
He no longer trusts his Prussian friends!!
[Peter: I lived in England! I have English manners! You can still trust me.]
The next day, Lehndorff's only consolation is writing to his dear Hotham.
I am *so* glad I decided to read Lehndorff rather than asking Selena the simple question* to which I wanted to know the answer for my Peter Keith paper, because even just in 1756, I am finding *so* many things, including two things I put in my paper that are wrong.
* I imagined Selena asking, "Why don't you read Lehndorff yourself, Mildred?" and I thought, "...Why *don't* I read Lehndorff myself? It's the easiest German there is, I need the practice, and I've been meaning to for years."
For one, it reads to me like Lehndorff just wanted to take a trip to England, not emigrate. He uses "Reise", says all the obstacles had been cleared away so Fritz had no reason to object, and says the trip would have been so beneficial. Which makes it sound like he's coming back, Fritz doesn't have to worry about finding a new chamberlain or property passing out of the country, and like Fritz is supposed to see the advantages to Lehndorff as advantages to *him*, like a professional development argument.
Now, maybe Fritz was worried that Lehndorff would never come back, and then he would have to find a new chamberlain and potentially lose any property Lehndorff inherited (he still had a living older brother at this point, but there are no guarantees).
Speaking of not wanting to come back, Lehndorff goes to dinner a week before this and realizes everyone's from a different country:
My dear Hotham is an Englishman, Masin an Italian, Wulfenstjerna a Swede, I unhappily a Prussian, and our host a Pole.
Lehndorff, if talk like that got back to Fritz, I can see why he didn't grant you permission! "Suuure you're coming back. Why would you? *I* wouldn't have!"
Also, I was thinking Fontane was our only source for Fritz being involved in redirecting Mlle. du Rosey from Lehndorff to evil bride-stealing Ludolf von Katte, since Lehndorff's ire in those passages I read from 1751-2 was only directed at the girl's parents and at his Katte nemesis. But right after Fritz tells Lehndorff he can't go to England, when Lehndorff is recounting all the ways Fritz wronged him and thinking, "I could have loved him like a father! But he's determined not to let me!" he includes a bit about Fritz putting up resistance to a very advantageous marriage. So I think Fontane was right.
Lehndorff also says that Fritz employed ("angestellt") him against his will at the queen's court. Now, I know he wanted a transfer and could never get one, but this makes it sound like he never wanted this job in the first place? Am I misreading?
I still haven't gotten to the part I originally set out to find, but it's clear I'm going to have to read volume 1 and probably volume 2! The Peter Keith draft has gotten to the point where I can do some reading again, which is good. More tidbits to come!