1740 and All That

Before all else, it's worth recalling why Voltaire's Age of Louis XIV was considered so innovative at its time of publication. Having read various 18th century anecdote collections and early biograpies by now, I can only confirm what, say, Orieux stated: what's new here is that Voltaire really does try to capture an age rather than the life of an individual. He uses Louis' life time as a rough temporal outline and keeps returning to Louis' actions, but that's using Louis as the red thread while attempting to draw a portrait of not just France but Europe during that era. The book's structure basically goes thusly:

- Introduction, explanation about ages/eras
- overview state of France and Europe when Louis was born, and why
- linear chronological European history, France-centric, but European, from this point till the end of the War of the Spanish Succession
- collection of non-political anecdotes about Louis
- Louis' last three years and the French and European reactions to his death

Both volumes are of course immensely quotable, and I shall do so in short order. As a historian, Voltaire occasionally footnotes (thankfully in two cases where I really thought, hang on, WHAT?), but really only occasionally, and it amuses me that the most extensive footnotes show up in volume 2 for the purpose of making mincemeat of the competition, err, of the then recently published fake "Memoirs of Madame de Maintenon". (These were "discovered" and published when Voltaire had basically already finished his book and he had a minor heart attack.As you would if what if genuine would be a key source to your work of years and years show up and call a lot of your conclusions into question. Thankfully for Voltaire, those memoirs really were fake.) He didn't redraft his book, but he added various footnotes in the second volume basically all saying "here's what rubbish the fake Maintenon memoirs have to say to this event, and here's why it's rubbish". As opposed to his various pamphlets (anonymous or not) or his Memoirs (of which a large section could be titled "Me and Fritz: A Bitter Romance"), the Age of Louis XIV doesn't have a particular enemy to be trashed, or an injustice to be attacked. It does try to be a serious historical work, aiming at fairness and more dimensionality for most, if not all historical characters showing up, though you can tell Voltaire's faves.

( Voltaire on various international VIPs and cultural institutions pre Louis XIV )

After Mazarin's death, Louis takes the reign at age 22, and France becomes the 700 pounds gorilla of European politics. He wins one war after another, gets one concession after another. But:

In a word , Louis disturbed all Europe by his arms and negotiations ; but, after all , he could not prevent the emperor, the empire, and Spain from joining the Dutch , and publicly declaring war against him . He had so far changed the course of things that the Dutch , who were his natural allies , were becoming friends to Spain .

Which, as Voltaire repeatedly points out, given the Spain/Netherlands backstory, really took some doing.

( Louis isn't thrilled his younger brother wins military glory )

( Louis takes on the Pope )

At this rate, Louis shows an almost Fritzian eagerness to collect enemies, though since he spends French money liberally in the HRE, he also has lots of client supporters among the princes Elector. (Including the Great Elector of Brandenburg, until Louis kicks the Huguenots out.) And then there's James II.

( Voltaire: Definitely not a Jacobite )

On to the Scouring of the Shire, err, the sacking of the Palatinate.

( Voltaire: Also not a fan of French War Crimes and Colonialism )


As in all the myths, our hubristic hero Louis XIV and his country now, with everyone else pissed off, get presented the bill in the War of the Spanish Succession. Here's how Voltaire introduces Eugene of Savoy to the saga.

( With some national pride - of course it's a Frenchman who starts Operation Make Louis Humble Again. )

Also relevant of the War of the Spanish Succession: Voltaire has a story about the origin of the Philippe d'Orleans the (future) Regent, son of Liselotte and Philippe the Gay, vs Philippe "The Frog" V. rivalry of Bourbon cousins which you did not tell us, Mildred, and I was not aware, either. According to him, when things are dire for the French in the War of the Spanish Succession after a couple of lost battles (mainly Blenheim/Höchstädt and Malplaquet):

( Two Philippes, No Waiting! )

Continuing with Voltaire's take on the stars of the War of the Spanish Succession: Here's what he has to say about Eugene's bff the Duke of Marlborough, born John Churchill, married to Sarah "the Favourite".

( Sexy Power Couple of the Late Stuart Age )

Exit Sarah, exit Marlborough. Voltaire actually met Sarah in her old age when spending two years in England in the 1720s, I think.

The Allies trounce Louis until they overreach themselves by demanding he actively joins in the effort to depose his grandson:

Louis XIV, when he heard the rigorous terms upon him, said to Rouillé: "Well then, since I must make war, I would rather it should be against my enemies than my children."

Which is how the French rally one more time, and the war is ended on honorable-to-them terms, though with devastation everywhere. Like I said, once the war is over and Philippe V. is recognized as King in all of Europe (Charles VI.: Ahem!), and before covering Louis' last three years of life, Voltaire makes a big interlude consisting of anecdotes re: Louis' mistresses throughout his life. With some additional witty remarks about cultural affairs and the state of the sciences in other countries, from Italy - the great Galileo having asked pardon at the age of seventy for being in the right - to, of course, England: In England the exploits of Cromwell are scarcely mentioned , and the disputes of the white and red roses are almost forgotten ; but Newton is studied for whole years together : no one is surprised to see in his epitaph that " he was the glory of mankind ; ” but it would be a matter of great wonder in that country to see the remains of any statesman honored with such a title.

( Voltaire: a great deal more sceptical than Montesquieu about Roman primary sources )

This is not a bad goal to have for someone writing a history. As mentioned earlier, the "anecdotes" part is also where Voltaire discusses questions like "was Minette poisoned", tells the tale of the Affair of the Poisons, and talks about the most important mistresses and their offspring. Why he places the anecdotes here and not after Louis' death, I don't know. Having told the anecdotes, he goes back to describing the final three years, Louis being a stoic as the doctors butcher him to death, and then rounds it off with this story about Philippe the soon to be Regent:

The duke of Orleans , who in his journey to Marly had no attendants , had now the whole court about him . An empiric , in the last days of the king's illness , gave him an elixir which revived his spirits. He ate , and the empiric affirmed he would recover . The crowds which surrounded the duke of Orleans began to diminish apace . “ If the king eats a second time, " said the duke of Orleans , “ I shall not have a single person in my leveé . ” But the disease was mortal .

We have in our library the three volume biography of Prince Eugene of Savoye by Alfred von Arneth, which yours truly did not have the time to read so far, but has dipped into for points of Frederician interest, to wit, the Eugene-Seckendorff relationship, the lead up and aftermath of the 1730 escape attempt from the Austrian pov. Arneth is writing this very obviously from a defensive position where almost all 19th century readers/writers have adopted the Prussian Hohenzollern narrative.

(mildred_of_midgard: Obvious, cahn, because Arneth was an Austrian. He was the head of the state archives, and he published reams of historical documentation, including a 10-volume bio of MT and a ton of correspondence, which is how we know MT did not, in fact, write to Madame Pompadour.")

selenak: Which means not only is he correcting but he sometimes goes over the top in defending. Some examples for both:

( Arneth for the defense on bribery, international marriage projects and plots )


( Eugene and Seckendorff react to Katte's execution: )


( The Military Bromance of the 18th Century: Eugene and Marlborough )

( English wiki vs Liselotte of the Palatinate: the debate about Eugene's sexuality is ON! )

Finally, Eugene, the historical novel:

( Eugene as written by two marxists )