The manuscript is a copy of a letter in Wagnière’s hand. Voltaire reflects upon Epître, composed by Frederick II at Erfurt on 23 September. Addressed to Argens (Œuvres de Frédéric, xii.60), it distinctly portrays his contemplation of suicide; on the 28th the king sent a copy to Wilhelmina for Voltaire, having in the meanwhile sent him one direct (‘je vous l’envoie en vous suppliant d’en envoyer une copie à Voltaire, c’est ce que j’ai fait de même’); see Politische Correspondenz, xv.383; the hc sent to Voltaire passed at the R[ather]y sale, Charavay (Paris 30 novembre 1863), p.32, no.228; Voltaire had endorsed it ‘testament en vers du roi de Prusse, lorsqu’il voulait mourir, en 1757, quelques mois avant Rosbac, écrit de sa main’. Additionally, Voltaire remarks on his addresse’s interest in Antiquity that eclipses prevailing trends and ideas as well as stipulating the caveats of contemplating suicide.

The manuscript is a copy of a letter in Wagnière’s hand. The author references Epître, composed by Frederick II at Erfurt on 23 September, which clearly reflects his contemplation of suicide. Voltaire praises the glory and military prowess of Frederick II of Prussia purporting to dissuade the monarch from seriously committing to such a destructive pursuit. The author also mentions The Battle of Kolín where the Austrians defeated the Prussians and draws analogies between Frederick II of Prussia and Prince Louis II de Bourbon-Condé as well as Charles XII of Sweden. Additionally, the letter cites an ending of a poem, penned by Frederick II and featured in D7414.

The piece was printed under the title ‘À Monsieur de Mauléon’ in vol.5 of the Collection complète des oeuvres de Monsieur de Voltaire (Amsterdam [Rouen], 1764), and in Épîtres, satires, contes et pièces fugitives du poète philosophe (London [Bouillon], 1771), p.392. Bengesco contested the authorship of the piece and claimed it was not, in fact, by Voltaire.