1740 and All That

I first took notice of Jean Des Champs (also spelled Dechamps, or Deschamps in various sources, just to make our researching life easier) in the context of Bronisch's Manteuffel dissertation, where his fate in the Fritz/Manteuffel fallout gets quickly summarized here. It's mentioned that he wrote memoirs, and given Bronisch mentioned Des Champs getting stiffed and ridiculed, these sounded like potential sensational gossip, so when Mildred discovered they were avaiable at the Munich Stabi, I read them. Or to be more precise, I read the lengthy introduction and skimmed the main text, for alas, other than the English introduction, it's an edition in the original (French) language, edited and published by the Huguenot Society of GB and Ireland. However, the, there is the really long introduction which feels like an English summary of the memoirs themselves, complete with translated into English quotes from same. Said introduction being more of a lengthy summary than a foreword is really noticeable, since the introduction writer (and presumably translator), Uta Janssens-Knorsch, takes all of Des Champs' presentations of his life on faith, which can be hilarious when it comes to Manteuffel (called a "son of Apollo" and only present as a patron of the art, which means that Fritz kicking him out of the country for no reason at all is just incomprehensibly; Des Champs explanation why he himself correspondended with Seckendorff Jr the diary writer BUT NOT LIKE THAT and only an evil scheme made it look that way to Fritz, thus ruining his, Des Champs' reputation is also something to behold), but is a problem when it comes to Fredersdorf, because lo and behold, near their end Des Champs' Memoirs finally present us with a contemporary account of someone charging Fredersdorf with embezzlement (to wit, Des Champs, claiming Fredersdorf kept his, Des Champs, salary, and that of others, and Fritz just refuses making Fredersdorf's heirs pay said salary because he'd then have to pay everyone else's stuff that Fredersdorf embezzled as well). The introduction quotes both a letter from Des Champs to Fritz and statements from Abraham Michell (aka the the Swiss guy who worked as Prussia's sort of envoy in London instead of Peter Keith, if you recall) to Des Champs (via his brother) to that effect, but both the letter and the Michell statements are sourced from the Memoirs themselves, not from other archives. (I.e. Des Champs claims "I wrote" and "Michell told me", we don't have, it seems the original documents.) Still, we have to acknowledge now the claim does exist by a contemporary source. I'll discuss the context and reliability below.


But back to the beginning, as summarized in the English introduction.

( Jean Des Champs: Biographical pre-Fritz background )

Since Des Champs is now 29 and badly in need of a steady job, he accepts the post of steady employment, so he accepts when Fritz offers him the position of chaplain at Rheinsberg, which he starts in February 1737.

( The Rheinsberg Years, or: I DID NOT SPY FOR THE AUSTRIANS; THEY FRAMED ME! )


( The Berlin Years, or: How Frederick the Great got me to tutor his brothers, stiffed me of a salary and made fun of me through a play )

( My efforts to get my money from Fritz and Fredersdorf: The aftermath )

Like I said: I've only read the introduction. But it does provide us with a few questions.

( The Salon debates )

"Der Mäzen der Aufklärung: Ernst Christoph von Manteuffel und das Netzwerk des Wolffianismus" was Johannes Bronisch's doctoral thesis and reads like it - aimed at a strictly academic audience, long footnotes at times taking most of the page space etc - , while "Der Kampf um Kronprinz Friedrich: Wolff gegen Voltaire" is basically a canny Fritz-focused digested excerpt from it, repacked for a larger audience (though it's still clearly not for newbies who know nothing of the 18th century). Before I get into details, let me add what his dissertation is not, and doesn't claim to be: a biography of Manteuffel. The emphasis here is strictly on him in the context of his philosophical and literary networking from 1730 onwards (why 1730? Not for the reason you think), with his entire decades long life and career before that only summarized. This frustrated me a little, as I'd hoped for more of a complete life, but that's on me, the key is in the title(s), and also, I do know more about Manteuffel even before 1730 than I used to through the summarzing. (Also, courtesy of the footnotes, I know there is an early 20th century Manteuffel biography: Thea von Seydewitz: Ernst Christoph Graf von Manteuffel, Kabinettsminister Augusts des Starken. Persönlichkeit und Wirken (Aus Sachsens Vergangenheit 5), Dresden 1926, which Bronisch by and large approves of for its research but chides for its emphasis (on Manteuffel the politician) which he seeks to rectify by presenting Manteuffel the enlightenment networker and cultural beacon, though inevitably there are politics involved there, too.) (See other title.) Another thing: Bronish praises older Fritzian historians like Koser and Droysen for their never again matched knowledge of primary sources as well me might, but that also means he relies on them for the Prussian side of things, which means the occasional blip like poor Gundling still showing up as the court fool made head of the academy.

Sir not appearing in either volume at all (seriously, no single mention, not even in the footnotes): Suhm. Seriously, Bronisch not only apparently had zero interest in the other Saxon envoy but doesn't think he's a factor in any way in his subject. (The titular fight from the canny repackage is carried out by French envoy La Chetardie and Voltaire as the main opponents to Manteuffel and Wolff.)


Okay, on to Mantteuffel, or, as the Imperial Secret Service with their idea of discretion codenamed him: Le Diable.

( He's a man of wealth and taste: Rise of a Sugar Daddy )

( Enter Voltaire, followed by Pyrrhic victory for Wolff )

( The aftermath )