Voltaire begins by discussing the succession of Catherine the Great, before going on to ask Cramer for ‘une pucelle’ [La Pucelle d’Orléans], noting that he has given out four or five on occasion. He goes on to note that he has not corrected the sheets he saw at Les Délices.

Renouard writes that he has spent four years working to raise a literary and typographical movement to the great man [Voltaire] who, despite some mistakes, will always deserve the respect and recognition of men of letters and true philanthropists. He adds that he will publish 60 octavo volumes of Voltaire’s works that include 180 engravings and portraits, noting that this edition cannot be compared to any previous attempts. He speaks highly of the quality of paper used for the edition, adding that though he was not the manufacturer of it it was created according to his instructions. Renouard also praises the typographic elegance of the work, which he credits to the talents of Georges-Adrien Crapelet. He notes that what makes this edition new is the multitude of corrections made in the text to dates, proper names, and citations, attributing some errors of previous editions to Voltaire’s copyists or secretaries. Renouard cites a series of such errors, referencing a letter from Louis XIV of France, a letter from Henry IV of France, and the correspondence of Frederick II of Prussia. He concludes by asking the recipient to subscribe to a number of copies of his new edition.

Voltaire writes that he was finally sent the end of the eight volume and the preface by Jean-François Marmontel who is at the head of the Henriade, but that he did not receive the preface that must be placed before the edition, and which was sent to Walther almost a year ago. He asks Walther to put the preface into the packet addressed to M. Allyot, conseilleranlique a Lunéville en Lorraine. Voltaire then says that he saw a letter that Walther wrote to a friend of his, in which Walther informs the mutual acquaintance that he wished to send Voltaire a porcelain service from Saxony. Voltaire notes that he is very grateful for the proposed gift and offers his sincere thanks. He adds that he sees that Walther does not share the feelings of a Dutch bookseller, a matter which renews Voltaire’s desires to be useful to him, and informs Walther that he intends to send him his history of the present war which Voltaire estimates will be completed in a few months time. He then returns to the topic of the porcelain service, beggin Walther not to go to the expense of purchasing one for him as a few copies of Walther’s edition is enough for Voltaire, especially as Walther has spent such a large sum of money of the edition already. Voltaire asks that Walther add the small documents that he sent him to the eighth volume and assumes that Walther had an errata of volumes seven and eight made as Voltaire couldn’t personally work on these because he hadn’t seen the volumes yet. He notes that Walther will have his Semiramis but that he can’t tell him yet when he will receive them. In conclusion, Voltaire writes that he hopes that Walther will be able to make a more complete and more correct edition, with which Voltaire offers to help him. He adds that even with its errors Walther’s edition is assuredly the best, ‘or rather the only good one that we have’, and says that Walther should announce it in all of the newspapers as the only faithful edition of Voltaire’s work in Europe, and the only one that Voltaire himself approves of.

Voltaire asks that Prault follows his instructions exactly, and adds that Mr Woodman of London should be informed that the book will only sell if it is corrected. Voltaire then discusses various writings sent to him by Prault, asking that he not be listed as the author of three epistles that have been attributed to him, and insisting that Mr de la Roque and Mr Abbé Provost are employed as publishers. He then asks for a copies of various works, adding that Émilie du Châtelet would send her own list of requests in due course. Voltaire ends by discussing an erronous correction he had made to his Eléments de la philosophie de Newton, and asks that this be retracted.

Voltaire writes that Prault’s plan to publish a collection of his ‘weak works’ redoubles his determination to correct them, adding that he has retouched the Henriade and will also rework his other tragedies. He asks that Prault sends him three copies of Brutus, three of Oedipus, and the corrected copy of Oedipus that Prault must have as he intends to send them to the actors. Voltaire then writes that he would like all copies of the prodigal son printed by Prault to be burned as he wants to correct them. He notes that he owes Prault money, and discusses financial investments. Voltaire ends by telling Prault that he should answer or else Voltaire would disown him.

Voltaire discusses his Tancrède, and says that it cannot be published as he is correcting it every day. He notes that there are more than a hundred verses in his manuscript that differ from the version that was performed, adding that the actors took it upon themselves to change the play as they pleased in his absence. Voltaire warns that if Prault prints the version that was performed then he would be printing a version of the play that is disfigured and which sins against language and poetry. He discusses the preface to the piece which is a dedication to the Marquise de Pompadour, and advises Prault to hire Mlle. Clairon.

Voltaire begins by saying that Prault should know that the volume sent to him by the Crammer brothers is a delicate matter, and that Voltaire’s name should not be associated with it as it would put the bookseller at risk. He adds that he does not admit to writing any of the pieces that the book contains, and disavows almost all of them. He ends with a brief note to say that he is waiting for Tancrède.

Pierre Jacques Claude Dupuits writes that his father is not writing to François Louis Claude Marin as he is unwell, and asks Marin to forward a package onto Mr Lacombe. He encloses a corrected version of Voltaire’s Épitre à Mr. de Saint Lambert, and asks that this version be included in the new book. He ends the letter by addressing the production of the first of twelve medals, one of which would have depicted Voltaire.