Anton von Geusau ’ s Conversations with Ramsay
He first made use of it in 1754 , when he published the second part of his voluminous Neue Erdbeschreibung , a description of Portugal , Spain , France , Italy , and Great Britain — none of which countries the author knew from personal experience . For its communication he thanked an “ incomparable ” countess whose name he would not divulge , though he was probably referring to Maria Eleonore Emilia ( 1688 – 1776 ), Henry XXIV ’ s widow . 9
The Neue Erdbeschreibung proved to be a resounding success , and it was quite probably this work that earned Büsching a chair at the university of Göttingen , which was by then swiftly becoming the most prestigious institution of its kind in all of Germany . In 1764 , after he had left Göttingen and taken up a pastorate in Saint Petersburg , Büsching contributed , through an anonymous intermediary in Berlin , several chapters to the seventh instalment of the Anecdoten zur Lebensgeschichte berühmter französischer , deutscher , italienischer , holländischer und anderer Gelehrten edited by Johann Adam Hiller ( 1728 – 1804 ), a composer and author in Leipzig . One of Büsching ’ s sketches , all of which relied on Geusau ’ s observations , concerned the Chevalier Ramsay . 10
For Büsching , Geusau ’ s travel di- ary proved to be a gift that kept on giving . He once again drew upon it when he published its author ’ s biography in 1784 , in the second volume of his Beyträge zu der Lebens geschichte denkwürdiger Personen , insonderheit gelehrter Männer . 11 This time , he did not just lift a few interesting items from the diary but recounted the whole journey as described from Geusau ’ s point of view . Büsching claimed that the journal revealed that Geusau had been a very experienced , wise , and learned man , even in theological matters . 12 His focus on the travel diary led to a rather peculiar imbalance , as less than two years of Geusau ’ s life made up some 96 % of his biography as told by Büsching .
One has to bear in mind that Henry XI was still alive when this instalment of the Beyträge came out . In fact , he had by then been created Prince of Reuss-Greiz , an honour bestowed upon him by emperor Joseph II in 1778 . There are no indications , however , that Henry objected to the publication .
Büsching returned to the subject of Chevalier Ramsay ’ s biography in the following volume of the Beyträge . 13 His main source , unsurprisingly , was yet again Geusau ’ s account of the conversations held in 1741 . Finally , in the forth volume of the collection , he presented
9 See Büsching , Neue Erdbeschreibung , vol . 2 ( Hamburg : Bohn , 1754 ) ( Vorbericht ).
10 J . A . Hiller ( ed .), Anecdoten zur Lebensgeschichte berühmter französischer , deutscher , italienischer , holländischer und anderer Gelehrten , vol . 7 ( Leipzig : Junius , 1764 ), 62 – 76 .
11 Anton Friederich Büsching , Beyträge zu der Lebens geschichte denkwürdiger Personen , insonderheit gelehrter Männer , vol . 2 ( Halle : Curt , 1784 ), 31 – 368 .
12 Büsching , Beyträge zu der Lebens geschichte denkwürdiger Personen ( vol . 2 ), preface .
13 Anton Friederich Büsching , Beyträge zu der Lebens geschichte denkwürdiger Personen , insonderheit gelehrter Männer , vol . 3 ( Halle : Curt , 1785 ), 317 – 338 .
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