This text discusses America, Egypt, Ancient Greece, and India, as well as topics such as idolatry, miracles, temples, magic, Jews, and Ancient Romans. In the preface, it is said that the MS was offered by the author’s nephew to Catherine II of Russia. The manuscript is either unfinished or incomplete.

The collection includes: XII, 227. Bevos, to Benjamin Franklin, 1778 December 21. A.L.S. 1p. Paris. Had the pleasure of sitting between Franklin and the poet Rocher at dinner, the day they celebrated the Apotheosis of Voltaire. Is deputed by the Chamber of Commerce, at Languedoc, to ascertain the products of the United States; desires an audience for this purpose. (In French.)
IX, 51. Dupont, to Benjamin Franklin, 1778 April 16. A.L.S. 3p. Colmar. Has not the honour of being known to Franklin, but M. Voltaire, the genius of France, is an old friend of his father and M. Gérard knows his family well; desires to enter the American army. (In French.)
LXII, 107. Desrivières, Ferdinand. to Benjamin Franklin, 1778 April 22. A.L.S. 4p. Paris. He tells of his offer to go to Canada with three or four hundred men; of his literary efforts and Voltaire’s criticism of them; asks to enter the American service. (In French.)
LI, 85. Unidentified, to Benjamin Franklin, [1778 June]. Verses. 1p. Lines on the refusal by the Church authorities to hold a religious service over Voltaire’s remains. (In French.)
XII, 127. Bérenger, M. (Jean-Pierre), 1740-1807 to Benjamin Franklin, 1778 November 12. A.L.S. 2p. Lausanne. Desire of five young Genevese to settle in America; requests Franklin to aid them in this project, though they are provided for in a pecuniary way; considers the feasibility of establishing a Genovese clock and watch factory at Boston or Philadelphia. Hopes his opinion of the “Histoire de Genève” will coincide with Voltaire’s which he quotes. (In French.)

Included in the collection is an autograph letter signed from Jean-Rodolphe Vautravers to Benjamin Franklin, dated 21 September 1777. The letter begins by discussing electrical experiments exhibited at Zurich by the Chevalier de Volta of Como before moving on to discuss the contemptuous treatment of the republics of Switzerland by the present rulers of Great Britain. Vautravers notes that he encloses the fruit of his neglect and adds to it a copy of verses sent by Voltaire to [Charles Gravier,] Comte de Vergennes. The conclusion of the letter turns to diplomacy, with Vautravers noting that His Excellency is to proceed to Venice to secure that republic in the Bourbonian interest, having already secured Portugal. There is a brief discussion of the attitude of Russia toward Hanover, and Vautravers provides proofs of the Emperor’s aversion to republics. The letter concludes by noting that Franklin’s adversaries are now crowing over Burgoyne’s success in Canada.

Voltaire states that he is writing to Marie-Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand from Paris, before discussing literature. He questions why the Marquise wants to make him read English novels, such as Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones, when she will not read the Old Testament. He tells the Marquise that if she is to enjoy reading, she first needs a little passion, an object that is interesting, and a determined desire to educate herself that occupies her soul continuously, adding that if she were to know Italian she could be sure of a month of pleasure from Aristotle. Voltaire says that he will send her one or two chants of La pucelle d’Orleans that are unknown to others and in which he tries to imitate Aristotle (he claims to have limited success in this). He also advises that she may enjoy his Histoire universelle if she likes a picture of ‘this ugly world’ because in it he has painted men as they are. Voltaire then turns to various European empire-building projects, before stating that France’s only merit and superiority is that there are a small number of geniuses who make French spoken in Vienna, Stokholm, and Moscow. He returns to the Marquise’s reading, stating that he he found pleasure in reading Rabelais but that the Marquise was not learned enough to enjoy it. He expresses his desires for French translations of the philosophical works of Lord Bolingbroke and Dean Swift’s Tale of a Tub, before discussing various retellings of the story of Lucretia.