time one could applaud bold men who struck blows at tyranny. She talked earnestly of tolerance, for she thought it necessary to men’s dignity that they should have freedom to form their own opinions.
It was fascinating talk and Caroline was glad she had disciplined herself to study, because in doing so she had prepared herself for such conversation; and her reward was the approval of Sophia Charlotte.
Everyday the Electress would look for her.
‘I shall sadly miss our talks when. I leave Pretsch,’ she said.
And Caroline was torn between the sorrow parting must bring and the joy that the great Electress Sophia Charlotte – beautiful, brilliant and courted – should really want to share the company of an eleven-year-old girl.
Everyone at Pretsch was talking about the scandal of Hanover. Caroline listened and even asked questions of the servants.
She discovered that it concerned the Electoral Prince George Lewis, his wife Sophia Dorothea and a dashing adventurer named Count Königsmarck. Caroline had seen the Count for when he had visited Dresden she had been there. Very handsome, popular, gay, reckless – everyone at the Dresden court had been aware of him, even the young girl who had had to keep out of sight.
Königsmarck had at one time been a favourite of John George; but when he had left Dresden he had talked very indiscreetly about the shocking way in which John George treated his wife. After that Königsmarck had not been welcome at Dresden; but when John George had died so suddenly the Count had returned to Dresden to stay awhile with his old friend Augustus, the new Elector, and there once more he had talked indiscreetly – this time of the notorious Countess von Platen who was the mistress ofthe Elector of Hanover; he had joked about her and her lover as well as George Lewis, the Electoral Prince, and his mistress. He had boasted rather sentimentally, too, about his own success with George Lewis’s neglected wife, the beautiful Sophia Dorothea.
Now the Count was dead. No one knew how he had died or what had become of his body; but everyone seemed certain that he was dead. It had been discovered that he was the lover of Sophia Dorothea. As for this sad Princess, George Lewis was going to divorce her and make her his prisoner, and declared he would never see her again.
Caroline thought a good deal about Sophia Dorothea and compared her with her own mother, for they had both found great tragedy in marriage. It was alarming to consider that one day – not far distant – she would be grown up and marriageable. Then she would doubtless be obliged to embark on this perilous adventure.
Because she was so curious, she ventured to speak of the matter to Sophia Charlotte when they walked together one day in the gardens. She was puzzled; she would like to understand more.
‘Who is wrong,’ she asked. ‘George Lewis or Sophia Dorothea?’
‘So you have heard of this scandal?’
‘They talk of it all the time. Not to me, of course. They whisper when they see me near. And that, of course, makes me all the more curious to know.’
‘Naturally, it would. Tell me what you know.’
She told and Sophia Charlotte smiled.
‘I see,’ she said, ‘that you are by no means ignorant of the ways of the world. From what I have heard George Lewis is a brutal young man, Sophia Dorothea a frivolous and foolish woman. Who then would you say was to blame if disaster overtakes them.’
‘Both of them?’
‘You are wise, Caroline. I am sure both of them is the answer, although we must remember that even though the blame is shared, the punishment is not.
‘She will suffer more than he will.’
‘She is less powerful, poor creature.’
‘Could she have avoided this… trouble?’
‘We could by certain actions avoid all our troubles.’
Caroline considered this. Yes, even her mother. She need not have married the Elector of Saxony. Perhaps if she had wept less and fought more for her rights… In any case,
It was fascinating talk and Caroline was glad she had disciplined herself to study, because in doing so she had prepared herself for such conversation; and her reward was the approval of Sophia Charlotte.
Everyday the Electress would look for her.
‘I shall sadly miss our talks when. I leave Pretsch,’ she said.
And Caroline was torn between the sorrow parting must bring and the joy that the great Electress Sophia Charlotte – beautiful, brilliant and courted – should really want to share the company of an eleven-year-old girl.
Everyone at Pretsch was talking about the scandal of Hanover. Caroline listened and even asked questions of the servants.
She discovered that it concerned the Electoral Prince George Lewis, his wife Sophia Dorothea and a dashing adventurer named Count Königsmarck. Caroline had seen the Count for when he had visited Dresden she had been there. Very handsome, popular, gay, reckless – everyone at the Dresden court had been aware of him, even the young girl who had had to keep out of sight.
Königsmarck had at one time been a favourite of John George; but when he had left Dresden he had talked very indiscreetly about the shocking way in which John George treated his wife. After that Königsmarck had not been welcome at Dresden; but when John George had died so suddenly the Count had returned to Dresden to stay awhile with his old friend Augustus, the new Elector, and there once more he had talked indiscreetly – this time of the notorious Countess von Platen who was the mistress ofthe Elector of Hanover; he had joked about her and her lover as well as George Lewis, the Electoral Prince, and his mistress. He had boasted rather sentimentally, too, about his own success with George Lewis’s neglected wife, the beautiful Sophia Dorothea.
Now the Count was dead. No one knew how he had died or what had become of his body; but everyone seemed certain that he was dead. It had been discovered that he was the lover of Sophia Dorothea. As for this sad Princess, George Lewis was going to divorce her and make her his prisoner, and declared he would never see her again.
Caroline thought a good deal about Sophia Dorothea and compared her with her own mother, for they had both found great tragedy in marriage. It was alarming to consider that one day – not far distant – she would be grown up and marriageable. Then she would doubtless be obliged to embark on this perilous adventure.
Because she was so curious, she ventured to speak of the matter to Sophia Charlotte when they walked together one day in the gardens. She was puzzled; she would like to understand more.
‘Who is wrong,’ she asked. ‘George Lewis or Sophia Dorothea?’
‘So you have heard of this scandal?’
‘They talk of it all the time. Not to me, of course. They whisper when they see me near. And that, of course, makes me all the more curious to know.’
‘Naturally, it would. Tell me what you know.’
She told and Sophia Charlotte smiled.
‘I see,’ she said, ‘that you are by no means ignorant of the ways of the world. From what I have heard George Lewis is a brutal young man, Sophia Dorothea a frivolous and foolish woman. Who then would you say was to blame if disaster overtakes them.’
‘Both of them?’
‘You are wise, Caroline. I am sure both of them is the answer, although we must remember that even though the blame is shared, the punishment is not.
‘She will suffer more than he will.’
‘She is less powerful, poor creature.’
‘Could she have avoided this… trouble?’
‘We could by certain actions avoid all our troubles.’
Caroline considered this. Yes, even her mother. She need not have married the Elector of Saxony. Perhaps if she had wept less and fought more for her rights… In any case,
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