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Famous Affinities of History: The Romance of Devotion. Volume 2

by Lyndon Orr

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  • 2 hours to read
  • 8 chapters
  • Reading level: 8th & 9th grade

"Famous Affinities of History: The Romance of Devotion. Volume 2" by Lyndon Orr is a historical account written in the late 19th century that delves into the romantic relationships between prominent historical figures. In this volume, Orr presents a captivating exploration of various unions, such as those of Empress Catharine II and Prince Potemkin, Marie Antoinette and Count Fersen, and Aaron Burr, offering insights into their emotional complexities and the socio-political contexts in which they existed. The opening of the book introduces readers to the story of Empress Catharine II and her tumultuous marriage to Prince Peter, revealing her gradual transformation from a devoted wife to a powerful ruler in her own right. The narrative begins by outlining Catharine's background and her initial hopes for a harmonious partnership, which are quickly dashed by Peter's eccentricities and moral depravity. As Catharine navigates the challenges of her marriage, her resilience and ambition become apparent. The text highlights her transformation, including her determination to embrace Russian culture, and sets the stage for her eventual rise to one of the most formidable rulers in history, foreshadowing the complicated dynamics that will follow throughout the volume.

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  • Biography
  • Love
  • Women · Biography

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Marie Antoinette and Count Fersen

The English-speaking world long ago accepted a conventional view of Marie Antoinette. The eloquence of Edmund Burke in one brilliant passage has fixed, probably for all time, an enduring picture of this unhappy queen.

When we speak or think of her we speak and think first of all of a dazzling and beautiful woman surrounded by the chivalry of France and gleaming like a star in the most splendid court of Europe. And then there comes to us the reverse of the picture. We see her despised, insulted, and made the butt of brutal men and still more fiendish women; until at last the hideous tumbrel conveys her to the guillotine, where her head is severed from her body and her corpse is cast down into a bloody pool.

In these two pictures our emotions are played upon in turn—admiration, reverence, devotion, and then pity, indignation, and the shudderings of horror.

Probably in our own country and in England this will remain the historic Marie Antoinette. Whatever the impartial historian may write, he can never induce the people at large to understand that this queen was far from queenly, that the popular idea of her is almost wholly false, and that both in her domestic life and as the greatest lady in France she did much to bring on the terrors of that revolution which swept her to the guillotine.

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Contents

  1. Front Matter
  2. Marie Antoinette and Count Fersen
  3. The Story of Aaron Burr
  4. George Iv. And Mrs. Fitzherbert
  5. Charlotte Corday and Adam Lux
  6. Napoleon and Marie Walewska
  7. The Story of Pauline Bonaparte
  8. The Story of the Empress Marie Louise and Count Neipperg

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About this edition

This free edition of Famous Affinities of History: The Romance of Devotion. Volume 2 by Lyndon Orr comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #4690, released 2003-11-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: History - European, History - Modern (1750+), History - Royalty.

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