“Yesterday after his concert I walked with him in his garden; he picked a flower, presented it to me, adding that ‘he would very much like to give me [something] better’.”
- D’Alembert to Mlle de Lespinasse, letter from his 1763 journey to Prussia
One April morning in 1754, Fredersdorf, the valet of the king of Prussia, who was on sick leave for quite a long time, received a letter from his master:
“Today when the sun shine at noon I will ride out. Come to the window, I want to see you...”
Fritz, Fredersdorf, M. de Wolden, and M. de Natzmer.
(drew these last year when reading about Fritz’s years in Cüstrin)
Wolden is F’s chamberlain from this time to Rheinsberg. Natzmer is one of the two gentlemen allowed to accompany F. Both died shortly before F’s accession.
I’ve been reading about European missionaries at the Kangxi emperor’s court & all kinds of people who travelled between China and Europe in the 1600s and 1700s and can’t stop marvel at their stories :))))