The manuscript is a lettre en vers written in the hand of Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Formont. It opens with a 27-line poem composed in imitation of Virgil. The author reflects on the qualities of a successful poetic translation, considering the relationship between content and form, the function of rhyme, and the conventions of epic poetry, while also contrasting Latin originals with their French renditions.

ED1 dates the letter to October–November 1735. Theodore Besterman observes that ‘D916 is almost certainly Voltaire’s reply, but the fact that Voltaire waited for Fromon’s translation for a month seems to imply that the present letter was sent separately and received earlier; hence the date proposed here’.