Fréron seeks to humiliate the critic Jean-Francois de La Harpe who had attacked his recently deceased father, Elie Fréron. He recounts a dinner at the house of Mr. Dorat during which his father was ridiculed, and speaks of his hopes that the recipient can offer a contradictory account. He notes that he has heard from Mr. de La Harpe that they were discussing Voltaire and the unworthy treatment he received from Fréron in the style of his writing. Louis-Marie questions if the recipient ever remembers seeing his father baffled by a philosophy schoolboy, and asks if it was in his father’s character to say: ‘ah, il écrira et Dieu nous verrons’.

The manuscript is lettre en vers, containing three poems interspersed with prose passages. The author expresses gratitude for receiving a copy of Voltaire’s Corneille, overtly criticises Fréron, mentions M. Panckoucke’s republication of Romans philosophiques, and elaborately discusses the latest performance of Cromwell, written by Antoine Maillet Du Clairon. The letter features two short poems exploring the persona’s perceived insignificance and purported lack of talent.

The text was first published in Mémoires secrets du 16 janvier 1763.

Voltaire opens by noting that the Marquise has not acknowledged receipt of packages that he sent to her. He states that she needs to become acquainted with the war between rats and frogs, noting that Jean-Jacques Le Franc de Pompignan wanted to succeed Charles-Jean-François Hénault in the office of superintendent to the Queen whilst also being tutor to the children of France, or to put his brother in this position. He suggests that the brothers planned to arm the government against all those they accuse of being philosophers, to have him excluded from the academy, and to have the Bishop of Pui elected in his place so as to purify the desecrated space. Voltaire remarks that he laughed at this and thanks God that he laughs at everything, adding that he only said one word from which sprung twenty pamphlets. He notes that at the same time, La comédia des philosophes was performed, and asks if the Marquise was involved in the piece, noting that he will absolve her if she confesses her guilt. He then turns to the Marquise’s reading habits, telling her to read Le pauvre diable and Le russe à Paris. Voltaire notes that she has been reading Élie Catherine Fréron’s works, which he claims is proof both that she loves reading and that she does not hate rat and frog fights. He concludes by answering the Marquise’s question of what she could do for fun, telling him to come to his house where new pieces are performed, they laugh at the absurdities of Paris, and Théodore Tronchin cures people who have eaten too much.

Voltaire begins by discussing the replacement of Thieriot with Baculard d’Arnaud, noting that d’Arnaud’s poor conduct has recently forced the king to drive him away. He quips that d’Arnaud’s wanderings ‘began with madness and ended with villainy.’ Expanding on this comment, Voltaire informs Thieriot that he began by arriving at court by coach, saying that he was a man of high status and that he had lost his titles of nobility and portraits of his mistresses with his nightcap. He notes that d’Arnaud had been recommended to the king as a man of talent and was given a pension of 5000 livres, a sum that d’Arnaud publicly decried, stating that it should be 5000 écus instead. Voltaire adds that d’Arnaud supped every day in Paris with the duc de Chartre and the prince de Conti and thought it fashionable to speak of the nation and finances with contempt. Following this, he swindled money from d’Argent and others, got involved with multiple calumnies, and, having become the ‘execration and contempt of everyone’, forced the King to dismiss him. Voltaire adds that he was vain enough to ask for his leave and after receiving it made Paris believe that he had not been able to accustom himself to the simplicity of the manners which reign in the court, claiming to have been a man of great birth and merit. Voltaire writes that d’Arnaud, when he saw the storm ready to burst upon him, sought to save himself by writing to Fréron, whom Voltaire describes as a scoundrel, and claiming that lines had been inserted against France in a preface he had written some eighteen months previous to an edition of Voltaire’s works. Voltaire notes that d’Arnaud had written this preface solely to obtain some money from him and that having left it to him signed by his own hand, Voltaire confirms that there was not a single word in it from which malignant intent could be deduced. Indeed, he adds that it was so badly written that he forbade its use for more than eight months. Voltaire notes that ‘perverts are strange people’ and that he hopes to ‘find the secret to silence this mastiff.’ He decries the ‘snakes that the ashes of Desfontaines have produced’ but acknowledges that whilst he does so he enjoys the favour and society of one of the greatest kings to have ever lived, a philosopher on the throne that despises even heroism, and who lives in Potsdam as Plato lived with his friends [Frederick II]. He adds that he has never seen so much grandeur and so little arrogance, and that Frederick’s suppers are always delicious and are accompanied by reason, and bold and free speech. Voltaire ends the letter by asking Thieriot to forgive any envy if Voltaire’s ‘extreme and unheard-of happiness’ makes him grind his teeth.

Voltaire begins by saying that he pays his compliments to the Ancient Greek poet Tirtée and says that he flatters himself that Tirtée’s heoric trumpet will ‘animate courage’. He notes that Lebrun has been deceived if he thinks that the annuity Voltaire ‘put on Mademoiselle Corneille’s head’ was for her father, adding that she has many talents and a very kind character. Voltaire continues, saying that he would have liked to see the name of Monsieur le Prince de Conti honouring the list of subscribers for the uncle and niece. He thanks Lebrun for his ode, noting that ‘the votes of the public and the barking of Freron will also contribute to your glory.’