Matthew Arnold discusses literature and expresses happiness at his brother knowin about Merope. He praises Maffei’s version of Merope before commenting on Voltaire’s, comparing both versions with Alfieri’s and concluding that Maffei’s was ‘poetically the best tragedy of the three’. He then goes on to discuss Wordsworth, Shelley, and Coleridge and their popularity within England, remarking that the contemporary period is intellectually richer than Pope’s time but that modern poetry is inadequate. He moves on to discuss Ancient Greek literature, comparing it to Shakespeare, and offering his opinions on the works of Voltaire and Goethe. He adds that these thoughts will form the basis of his inaugural lecture.

Byron discusses various literary works and corrects a series of errors he feels Goethe has made, adding that he regrets if Goethe is upset by the hasty and unjust judgements of English critics, about which he notes that he himself complained. He then offers his appreciation of Goethe’s works, and mentions Voltaire, Alexander Pope, and Jonathan Swift.

A note at the beginning of the commonplace book records that ‘The Collection was commenced at an early Age, and consequently in the first Pages many Things are inserted which might as well, and without any injury to the Book, have been omitted.’ There are headings used throughout, including: ‘Love’. ‘Mediocrity’, ‘Laugh’, ‘Deluge’, ‘Liberty’, ‘Sleep’, ‘Bees’, ‘East India Company’, ‘Gold’, ‘Women, ‘Wit and Humour’, and ‘Impeachment. Sources quoted in the commonplace book include Shakespeare, Addison, Burney, Pope, Johnson, and Rousseau. Much of the material was written during Owen’s time at Trinity College and so many of the quotations have a strong connection to Cambridge, including ‘Song Imitated from Voltaire by Mr Rough, Trin. Coll. Cant.’

The collection includes: Discourse on the conduct of the Courts of Vienna and Saxony and their pernicious designs against the King of Prussia. Berlin, 1756 (pp. 1-24). Papers referring to the government of Spain during Ferdinand VI’s illness and after his death, 1759 (pp. 25-32). Response of the King to the letter that the Pope wrote to him, asking him for his mediation for the composition of things in Parma. San Idelphonso on August 9, 1768 (pp. 33-34). Consultation of the Extraordinary Council, on the Brief of the Pope about the estrangement of the Jesuits. Madrid and April 30, 1767 (pp. 35-47). Consultation on the populations of Sierra Morena, 1770 (pp. 48-179). Letter from Voltaire to his correspondent in Madrid (pp. 180-183). The present state of the English colonies and thoughts of them. San Lorenzo on October 16, 1772 (pp. 184-245). Royal orders of S.M., on the license for the marriage of the Lord Infante Don Luis and gifts made by the Infante to the bride, 1776 (pp. 247-252). Letter written to a poet by a friend of his living in Madrid praising Carlos III (pp. 253-260). News from Portugal, with quatrains dedicated to the Marquis of Pombal, 1777 (pp. 261-307)
Sanchez Alonso T. II, p. 443, no. 8354.

The first three pages of the letter are missing. Voltaire begins by saying that he intends to send Thieriot two or three poems by Mr Pope, whom he describes as ‘the best poet of England and, at present, of all the world’, in the hopes that Thieriot’s English is good enough to enable him to appreciate the charms of the works. He adds that he views Pope’s ‘the essay upon criticism’ as superior to the poetry of Horace and his Rape of the Lock as above Despreaux Le Lutrin. Voltaire then turns to his own ‘ever cursed fortune’, writing that he came into England at the end of July greatly dissatisfied with his secret voyage into France which proved both unsuccessful and expensive. He returned to England with only some bills of exchange upon a Jew called Medina for the sum of eight or nine thousand French livres but discovered uppon his arrival that Medina was broke. This left Voltaire alone and penniless in London, in the grips of a violent ague that left him too weak to visit the ambassador. He writes that he was helped by a gentleman who gave him accommodation at his country house, adding that the friendship of this man ‘sooths the bitterness’ of his life and makes him love Thieriot more and more. Voltaire claims to have seem Lord and Lady Bolingbroke numerous times and that they offered him money and their house, but that he refused their offers due to their status, instead accepting help from Mr Faulknear.
Voltaire then turns to matters of publishing, stating that he had thought to publish ‘Poor Henry’ at his own expense in London but the loss of his money had prevented him from doing so. He questions if he should attempt to publish via subscriptions by the favour of the court, but notes that he is weary of courts because ‘All that is King, or belongs to a King, frights my republican philosophy, j won’t drink the least draught of slavery in the land of liberty.’
The letter then addresses Voltaire’s correspondence with Desfontaines and his desire to see Thieriot in London, where he hopes to remain. He speaks of the benefits of remaining in England, writing that it is ‘a nation fond of their liberty, learned, witty, despising life and death, a nation of philosophers, not but that there are some fools in England, every country has its madmen. It may be, French folly is pleasanter, than English madness, but by god English wisdom and English Honesty is above yours.’ After discussing England at length, Voltaire writes that he fears Thieriot will take his letter for one of the ‘tedious English books’ Voltaire had advised him not to translate and so instead turns to the lateness of his reply. He blames his correspondent in Calais and asks Thieriot to send all letters henceforth to Bolingbroke’s house in London, asking him also to advise others who would correspond with him to do the same.
Voltaire then discusses his sister. He informs Thieriot that he has written so much about her to correspondents following her death that he had almost forgotten to write of her to Thieriot. He says that he has nothing to tell him about the accident, because Thieriot knows his heart and way of thinking already, but notes that he has wept for her death and wishes to be with her. He muses on her passing philosophically, writing: ‘Life is but a dream full of starts of folly, and of fancied, and true miseries. Death awakens us from this painful dream, and gives us, either a better existence or no existence at all.’

The excerpt concerning Voltaire reads: ‘Voltaire writes that the Dutchess told him that after her Four Daughters had got their shares, she had remaining without any favour from ye Government £70,000 a year.’

Includes verses about Lord Chesterfield; Pope’s satire on Lord Hervey; Lord Hervey’s reply to the letter; Verses composed by Lords Chesterfield and Bath on Miss Lepel, a Maid of Honour to Queen Caroline, consort of George II; and verses composed by Voltaire on Miss Lepel, later Lady Hervey

Included are letters by Robert Adam, Hugh Blair, William Cowper, Richard Cumberland, David Garrick, George Lyttelton, Conyers Middleton, Sir Walter Scott, Richard B. Sheridan, Voltaire, William Wilberforce, and Edward Young. In addition, there are twenty letters by Montagu to various members of her circle and four letters to her from Frances Reynolds.

Contains Landor’s thoughts and opionions on various aspects of life and literature. There are comments on old age, on Napoleon, and on a host of writers and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Tennyson, Pope, Byron, Wordsworth, Gibbon, Sterne, Coleridge, Otway, and Voltaire. There are also passages on Elizabethan poets, and on the progress of poetry in general, with a tribute to Sir Walter Scott.

Whether the essays were written to support the author’s theological studies, as material to be presented in convocations, or in response to the scientific revelations or debates of the time is unclear; however, a reader with initials “J.W.M” read, notated, and provided short comments on the contents. Cilley provided a few ink drawings, including a chart showing the geologic strata and time periods, as well as an image of the human heart. Many essays contain citations to theological writings of the period. Among the many philosophers and writers covered are Aristotle, Benedict Spinoza, Thomas Hobbes, d’Alembart, Diderot, Voltaire, Alexander Pope, David Hume, Hugh Miller, and Enoch Pond.