Voltaire writes that after having seen their friends in Colmar, suffered from indigestion caused by venison, cured his postilion with cinchona and his mare with wine, and travelling like a tortoise, he has the pleasure of writing to Marie-Louis Denis [née Mignot] [née Mignot] as soon as he had a moment alone. He says that he arrived in Strasbourg at dinner time and that the steward told him that the Elector Palatin had just lost Dusseldorf to the Hanoverians. He critiques briefly the Minister of State Nicolas-René Berryer and notes that the Empress of Austria has both generals and ministers. He also adds that the manouvers of Count Leopold Joseph von Daun are to be admired as he took all the ammunition of the King of Prussia, and his military chest [at the battle of Domstadt, 30 June 1758]. Voltaire remarks that the Count of Daun defeated a body of eleven thousand men, two battalions of Prussian grenadiers laid down their arms and the rest were killed, dispersed, or taken. Frederick II of Prussia then quickly lifted the siege of Hormuz. Voltaire writes that Frederick was in Silesia and that before three weeks are up he will probably be between the Russians and the Austrians, adding that this is how fortune is made. Voltaire then turns away from news of battle to his own health. He remarks that he finds himself very ill everywhere that he is far from Marie-Louis Denis [née Mignot] [née Mignot] and asks her to embrace for him all that is in her and love a little a man who breathes only to love her with all his heart. He writes that Marie-Louis Denis [née Mignot] [née Mignot] is his consolation. In answer to her questions about his passport, he notes that he has it with him but does not use it, remarking that all doors are open to him and noone enquires as to whether he is received well or badly at Court but instead simply shrug their shoulders. He discusses his hopes of being able to buy castles in Lorraine and the estates of Champigneulles from the Count of Fontenoy and talks of the beatuy of the palaces in Strasbourg. Voltaire ends the letter by saying that he raises his hands to heaven in the hopes of seeing Marie-Louis Denis [née Mignot] [née Mignot] again soon.

The beginning of the letter appears to be missing. Voltaire writes of something that had been signed ‘Louis’ rather that ‘Marville’, noting that it is not bed to go to Cleopatra if you want to succeed with Ceasar. He asks if the recipient knows that their friend, Roy, Chevalier de St Michel, made a speech in verse to the king on the subject of the success of his arms in which he said that he only wished to see the king as a father and a husband. He then notes that the ‘moutons de Berry’ have no more reason to complain because Madame la Duchesse du Maine has given Voltaire thanks for the ‘blue murderers’ who carry rifle guns, adding that everyone seems happy, especially the king. Voltaire then states that he is giving the recipient this account out of duty because they have been so interested in the work that it is almost as much theirs as it is his. He then talks of a satirical poem written by le Chevalier de St Michel about Voltaire, quoting some of the verse, before discussing the manner in which Monsieur de Soubise prevented Antoin’s post from being abandoned and disobeyed Marshal de Saxe in order to win the battle. Voltaire signs of the letter with the phrase: ‘Adieu Atticus’.