Augustus the Strong (1670-1733) was the Elector of Saxony, a nice enough position, effectively the independent ruler of a pleasant little kingdom. But it was not enough for him, so he accepted the throne of Poland-Lithuania. This embroiled him in no end of trouble. A French noble woman commented,
That the Elector of Saxony could not be satisifed with being an Elector only goes to show what I have long observed, that no one can be really happy in this world and everyone foolishly sets about throwing away his happiness, for this Elector would have been a thousand times happier if he had gone on enjoying a quiet and peaceful life as Elector of Saxony instead of becoming King of such a fractious nation.
Via Larry Wolff in the TLS, November 1, 2014
2 comments:
How impious! How blasphemous! Given the Divine Right of Kings, it would clearly be against God's will to not accept a throne that Providence delivers unto you!
/sarcasm
The noblewoman's comment is a nice bon mot, and worth remembering for that reason. I do not think it worth remembering because it says something true about humanity as such. Some people are restless, and some are not. I do not think I would have had the slightest trouble remaining just Elector of Saxony.
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