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.

The manuscript is an autograph letter containing a poem ‘l’Arbre et l’Oiseau’. The poem, counting 61 lines, engages with the themes of protection, shelter, respite and help. This thematic motif concerning the solace in protection resonates throughout the body of the letter. Here, the sender emphasises his gratitude for Voltaire’s protection, offering editorial assistance in return by proposing to correct Les épreuves de votre Brutus (Mort de César). Remuneration for this editorial service was meant to be issued by Nicolas Claude Thieriot (see D951). According to T. D. N. Besterman, the manuscript’s foliation is 96.

The accompanying billet in Voltaire’s hand asks if the recipient will be happy with this edition of the poem. The edition of the poem, printed in Paris in 1745, features the poem itself, a plan of the battle, and épître dedicated to the King, and a preliminary discourse.

The poem has been heavily corrected by Voltaire. In his billet to Moncrif, Voltaire states that he will see why Voltaire did not send him the poem, adding that of the four published editions none satisfy him. He concludes by asking Moncrif to tell the queen that he is not easily satisfied when he works for her husband and son, and entreats Moncrif to love him.

The poem is taken from the 1745 Imprimerie Royale, Paris edition and is accompanied by one of five hundred printed billets published by Jacques Anisson-Duperron in 1745 as an accompaniment to the edition of the poem printed by the Imprimerie Royale, Louvre. The billet has been addressed to François-Augustin Paradis de Moncrif at ‘rue des Bons Enfans, chez monsieur d’Argenson’ in Voltaire’s hand.

Du Châtelet makes referece to an epistle enclosed with the letter (no longer present), and asks d’Argental to review it. She then makes mention of both Voltaire and Tiriot and asks d’Argental to disapprove of a change once he receives the revised version of the verses.

Dunlop begins by discussing the snow storm which had prevented Burns from coming to see her, before imploring him not to edit ‘the New Year’s Day piece’ that he had written for her because addresses to friends should be spontaneous and uncorrected. She adds that her time will be occupied by sewing shirts for her son, so she will not write to him for a while, before stating that she had hoped to get Burns a copy of Voltaire’s La Pucelle d’Orleans but had heard such terrible reports of its character that she feared it should neither pass through her own or his hands. She concludes by noting that she met his favourit, James Adair.

Gries presents Goethe with a volume of his translation of Calderón and asks for his opinion on it. He then goes on to discuss printed tragedies, arguing that Eifersucht, das größte Scheusal could be considered a prototype of all modern tragedies of fate. He concludes by discussing the frequent editing of works undertaken by older poets, making reference to Voltaire’s Mariamne and Zaire, Calderón’s Mariamne, and Shakespeare’s Othello.

The MS declares that it records two editions of Voltaire’s Tancrède, published by Prault in Paris in 1761. The author of the MS notes that there were significant changes made to the text between the first and second editions, and it is for this reason that they are recording instances of variants. The exemplars are taken from Acts 2-4.