Letter from Voltaire to Frederick II, written in the hand of Wagnière and dated [13 November 1757] [D7460].
Identifiers
CMV:
CMV33976
Repository:
Shelfmark:
5-240 (VII, f.13–14), ‘Réponse au roi de Prusse, 13 novembre 1757 (M. 3449)’
Title:
Letter from Voltaire to Frederick II, written in the hand of Wagnière and dated [13 November 1757] [D7460].
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Content
People:
Incipit Diplomatic:
Sire, votre épître à d’Argens m’avait fait trembler
Incipit Modernised:
Seigneur, votre épître à d’Argens m’avait fait trembler
Language(s):
In Voltaire’s Hand:
No
Brief Summary:
Letter from Voltaire to Frederick II, written in the hand of Wagnière and dated [13 November 1757].
Detailed Summary:
The manuscript is a copy of a letter in Wagnière’s hand. The author references Epître, composed by Frederick II at Erfurt on 23 September, which clearly reflects his contemplation of suicide. Voltaire praises the glory and military prowess of Frederick II of Prussia purporting to dissuade the monarch from seriously committing to such a destructive pursuit. The author also mentions The Battle of Kolín where the Austrians defeated the Prussians and draws analogies between Frederick II of Prussia and Prince Louis II de Bourbon-Condé as well as Charles XII of Sweden. Additionally, the letter cites an ending of a poem, penned by Frederick II and featured in D7414.
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Physical Description
Material(s):
Extent:
2 ff.
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Binding:
The manuscript is bound with other documents in contemporary red morocco.
Additional Comments:
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History
Date:
[13 November 1757]
Ownership:
After Voltaire’s death, the MS passed into the ownership of Catherine II and remained in the imperial and then national collection thereafter.
Origin (transcript):
Origin:
Provenance:
This MS was probably taken to St Petersburg by Wagnière in the summer of 1779 along with the rest of Voltaire’s library.
Bibliography
Bibliography:
Fernand Caussy, Inventaire des manuscrits de la bibliothèque de Voltaire conservée à la bibliothèque impériale publique de Saint-Pétersbourg (Geneva, Slatkine reprints, 1970)
OCV Reference:
102, p. 248–250
OCV Manuscript Reference:
102, ‘MS3’, p. 250
Record created by:
Record created on: