The writer apologises for the delay in replying to a letter, which he received late due to illness and the infirmities of age, noting his current health struggles at seventy-seven. He expresses concern that a letter from François de Voltaire might cause complications in the recipient’s household, potentially distressing his spouse. The writer laments the recent deaths of several notable figures and, as a gesture of goodwill, offers his own academic position to Mr de Pezai.