Frederick the Great and His Court

by Luise Mühlbach, Walter H. Everett

Excerpt from The Works of Louise Muhlbach: Frederick the Great and His Court
The palace glittered with light and splendor; the servants ran here and there, arranging the sofas and chairs; the court gardener cast a searching glance at the groups of flowers which he had placed in the saloons; and the majordomo superintended the tables in the picture gallery. The guests of the queen will enjoy to-night a rich and costly feast. Every thing wore the gay and festive appearance which, in the good old times, the kings palace in Berlin had been wont to exhibit. Jesting and merrymaking were the order of the day, and even the busy servants were good-humored and smiling, knowing that this evening there was no danger of blows and kicks, of fierce threats and trembling terror. Happily the king could not appear at this ball, which he had commanded Sophia to give to the court and nobility of Berlin.
The king was ill, the gout chained him to his chamber, and during the last few sleepless nights a presentiment weighed upon the spirit of the ruler of Prussia. He felt that the reign of Frederick the First would soon be at an end; that the doors of his royal vault would soon open to receive a kingly corpse, and a new king would mount the throne of Prussia.
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Genres: Biography

460 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1905

About the author

Luise Mühlbach was the pen name of Clara Mundt, a German writer best known for her works of historical fiction.

Luise Mühlbach, Pseudonym für Clara Mundt (Geboren Clara Maria Regina Müller) war eine deutsche Unterhaltungs-Schriftstellerin. Ihr Gesamtwerk umfasst 250 Bände und Mehrere ihrer Bücher wurden ins Englische übersetzt und besonders auch in den USA gelesen.

Reviews

[Phil Syphe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find this author’s works to be hit and miss, though this one falls somewhere in between.

The minus points:

Melodrama is never far away.

It features many instances where a character talks to themselves just to let the reader know what’s going on. This is a lame way to convey info, and it’s unbelievable that anyone would have such lengthy discussions with themselves, especially when their words could land them in serious trouble.

The quote below is an example of a character “murmuring” to himself. Apart from it being unbelievable that he’d say all this to himself, it also drifts into melodrama at times:


>"Hum," murmured he, "in spite of pallor and attenuation, there are yet traces of great
beauty. I am sure if well nourished and well clothed she may yet allure the heart which must
be ever touched with pity for her mournful fate; besides, she is poor—hopelessly,
despairingly poor. The husband is a drunkard, the children cry for bread; she is so poorly
clad, so pale, so thin; hunger has been her only lover. Under these circumstances she will
readily adopt my plans, and be my willing tool; she will acknowledge me as her master, and
by God I will teach her how to bind this headstrong fool in chains. He has so far escaped all
the pitfalls which Fredersdorf and myself have so adroitly laid for him. Dorris shall be the
Delilah who will tame this new Samson. Truly," he continued, as he cast a look of contempt
upon the senseless form lying before him, "truly it is a desperate attempt to transform this
dirty, pale, thin woman into a Delilah. But the past is powerfully in her favor, and my
Samson has a heart full of melting pity and sensibility; moreover all previous efforts have
failed, and it is pardonable to seek for extraordinary means in our despair. So to work! to
work!"<

Plus points:

Despite the vast amount of characters involved, the author does a good job of making them all vivid, while never losing the thread of any member of her cast.

I like the repeated themes of unrequited love and forbidden love.

The characters evoke sympathy – or those who deserve it do – especially Frederick’s neglected queen.

Overall, this story is packed with enough intrigue and lifelike character to even out the melodramatic episodes and the self-converstions.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

While certainly not for every reader, for someone interested in the era and setting in which she writes, Muhlbach constructs an excellent novel.

She manages to weave a coherent narrative smoothly with plenty of historical anecdotes; and unlike many writers in her genre, Muhlbach has very definitely done her homework. Frederick the Great comes off as very believable and personable, by the far the strongest character in all of her works. At times it comes off as overdramatic, but in a delightfully camp sort of way.

If you have an interest in Prussia or in this fascinating historical figure, I'd certainly recommend giving Muhlbach's novels a read. It's a quick book, and an interesting exploration of an intriguing and often overlooked era. Besides, it's fun to pick up an 150-year-old best-seller every now and then.

[Harv]

hardcover 1867 version

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My copy of this book is actually illustrated with gold on the cover and gilt edged pages on the top. It's in good condition for it's age and makes the story even more enjoyable.