Beaumarchais offers his opinion on some poetry that de Godeville had sent to him, and speaks of his own difficulties when attempting to write a poem inspired by Voltaire’s Candide. He concludes that the goal of poetry is to delight, entertain, and interest. Beaumarchais concludes his letter by noting that in return for her trust, he is senting de Godeville an important document.

Martin begins by outlining the similarities between their lives, touching upon their pets and learning. He then refers to a character from Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby who keeps a single flower in his room before quoting from Voltaire’s Candide, writing: ‘mais il faut cultiver notre jardin.’ He explores this quotation and its meaning, before adding that he will soon have to return to London.

Reinhard begins by discussing the carnival at the Kessel court, before discussing Goethe’s chande to his coat of arms, remarking that he only owns the knight’s patent and not the baron title. He goes on to discuss his appointment as an honorary member of the Athéné de la Langue Française in Paris, and speaks of his answer with an allusion to Voltaire’s Candide.

The poem describes the character of Candide created by Voltaire in his work of the same name. It notes that Candide is a man of neither modesty nor brains.

Extracts from various prose and poetical works, written in the hand of Lady Elizabeth Bridgeman, including:

• Sir Charles Grandison by Richardson
• The works of Alexander Pope
• Remarks on the Oglethorpe family
• Passage on the duties of a wife
• Passage on the death of Eliza
• Various pieces to be read aloud or acted, possibly in the theatre at Weston, including one mentioning acting and marked ‘spoke by Mr B’ and another mentioning Lady Bridgeman
• Note on Voltaire’s writing of Candide in 2 days.

Voltaire discusses Candide as if he is not the author of it. Voltaire begins by acknowledging receipt of Thiériot’s letter, as well as some brochures, and a further letter from Mme. Bellot. He asks Thiériot for Mme. Bellot’s address as she has not dated her letter and so he neither knows when it was sent nor where she now lives. Voltaire notes that he will repay the ‘small advances’ Thiériot had given him to ‘decorate’ his mind. He then turns to Candide and writes that he has read the text and that it amuses him more than Histoire générale des Huns, des Turcs… by Guignes and all of Thiériot’s essays on trade and finance. Voltaire recounts that two young people from Paris told him that they look like Candide and Voltaire adds that he thinks he resembles Mr. Pococurante, but that God saves him ‘from having the slightest part in this work.’ He concludes that it is likely that Mr. Joly de Fleury will convince the assembled chambers that Candide is a book against morals, laws, and religion and thus that it would be better to live in the land of Oreillons than in Paris. He quips that Parisians used to be like monkeys who frolic but now want to be roaring oxen, something Voltaire does not feel suits them. Voltaire ends the letter with a latin phrase reading: ‘si quid novi, scribe, et cum otiosus eris, veni, et vale.’

George Bernard Shaw claims that in England, it is believed that Voltaire said that Habbakuk was capable of anything. He adds that he does not know whether Voltaire really wrote that or not.