Letter from Voltaire to Marie-Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand, written from château de Ferney and dated 5 May 1770 [D16331]
Identifiers
CMV:
CMV36739
Repository:
Shelfmark:
5-240 (VII, f.128-9), ‘5 mai 1770, à Ferney, à Mme la marquise du Deffand. (M. 7875)’
Title:
Letter from Voltaire to Marie-Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand, written from château de Ferney and dated 5 May 1770 [D16331]
Collection(s):
Related record(s):
No related manuscripts found.
Link to Archive Catalogue:
Link to Digital Resource:
OCLC Number:
Reproductions:
The Besterman Collection, Geneva, photocopy
Content
People:
Incipit Diplomatic:
Je suis un ingrat, Madame, indigne de vous et de vôtre grand-maman.
Incipit Modernised:
Je suis un ingrat, Madame, indigne de vous et de votre grand-maman.
Language(s):
In Voltaire’s Hand:
Partly
Brief Summary:
Letter from Voltaire to Marie-Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand, written from château de Ferney and dated 5 May 1770.
Detailed Summary:
The writer humbly apologises to a lady, calling himself unworthy of her and her grandmother’s kindness. He praises the grandmother’s generosity, which has extended even to helping his craftsmen, though he feels too ashamed to address her directly after past criticisms. He encloses an article on the soul, inviting the lady to burn it if she dislikes it, and jokes about his ignorance on the subject.
He recounts how he once defended nine impoverished Huguenots from the Jesuits, who had tried to seize their property, and expresses satisfaction at having thwarted them. One of these Huguenots now seeks a favour at Versailles, but the writer refuses to trouble the grandmother to intercede, feeling he has already abused her benevolence.
He gratefully acknowledges that all the pleasures of his later life stem from the lady’s introduction to her grandmother, whose friendship and conversation he deeply values. He ends with a tender, self-deprecating farewell, wishing to serve her until his last breath despite his inability to be of use.
Keyword(s):
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Physical Description
Material(s):
Extent:
2 ff.
Format:
Dimensions:
Hands:
2
Watermark:
Countermark:
Binding:
The manuscript is bound with other documents in contemporary red morocco.
Additional Comments:
Materiality Keywords:
Decorations:
Additions:
In the margin of the third page of MS2 Voltaire wrote (these are notes for the article ‘Fleuves’ in the Questions) ‘L’Escaut nord, la Seine nordest, le Rhin du midi droit au nord de Bale en Holland, la Meuse au nord depuis sa source jusqu’aux terres inondées, la Garonne au nord de st Macaire à son embouchure, le Rone droit du nord au midy, l’Elbe de Dessau à Magdebourg va droit au nord puis au nord ouest, la rivière [the Oder] qui passe à Stetin droit au nord Colberg idem., Mozele toujours au nord, le Lizonzo et touttes les R. golfe Adriatique du nord au midi, excepté le Po, touttes celles qui se jettent dans le Danube du midy au nord ou contre, l’Oder au nord est, le Dnieper du nord au midi, le Vistule droit au nord depuis Thorn, le Guadalquivir droit au nord depuis Contellana, la Guadriana du nord au midi’.
Marginalia Keywords:
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History
Date:
5 May 1770
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:
vol.120, p.186–188
OCV Manuscript Reference:
vol.120, ‘MS2’, p.188
Record created by:
Record created on: