The text describes the many wonders of Catalonia. Voltaire notes that it is one of the most fertile countries on earth and that it is very well located as it has many rivers, streams, and fountains. He proclaims that Barcelona is one of the beauties of Europe and that the country is designed to support the construction of ships. The mountains are filled with marble quarries, jasper ports, rock crystal, and many precious stones whilst the mines contain iron, tin, lead, alum, and vitriol. The eastern coast produces coral. Voltaire then turns to the people of Catalonia, claiming that they have not been made soft by abundance but rather have always been warriors. However, he notes, they have always been subjugated, having been conquered by the Romans, Goths, Vandals, and Saracens. Having shaken off the Saracens, Catalonia placed itself under the protection of Charlemagne. They then belonged to Aragon, and finally Austria under Philip IV. In 1640, they gave themselves to Louis XIII and retained their privileges but in 1652 returned to Austrian rule and sided with Archduke Charles against Philip V in the War of Succession.

Comprises notes on salient events in mainly English history from Ethelred to Queen Anne, extracted from a translation of Voltaire’s writings, with notes on China and Charlemagne’s time on f.1, followed on ff.16-17 by similar notes extracted from David Hume’s writings on some selected events from Richard III’s days to those of James II.

A variety of notebook entries on a range of topics including ‘histoire orientale’, ‘Poeme pour le tombau d’abas invocation a mahomet’, ‘Turcs’ ‘janissaires’, ‘siege de vienne’, ‘portrait de mahomet’, ‘peintures’, ‘superstition’, ‘arts antiquite’, ‘luxe Charlemagne luxe’, ‘philippe le be[l]’, ‘louis ix lux’, ‘france’, ‘1430’, ‘1370’, ‘vers law 1630’, ‘postes’, ‘pavé’, ‘equipages’, and ‘commerce’. The following leaf can be found at BnF, n.a.fr.24342, f.287.