Voltaire thanks the recipient for acquainting him with a letter that he wrote to Frederick II of Prussia. He states that it has been two years since he wrote to Frederick, and adds that as their relationship caused much comment it is not unreasonable to assume that the letter is from him. Voltaire notes that everyone in Geneva has advised him to repudiate the letter in the public papers. He asks the recipient to allow him to send him a letter on this matter that he sent to the Duke of Grafton. He concludes by musing on the English press, noting that the liberty of the press is extended a little too far.

[…] 8thly. The rebellion being now put down, we shall have much talk about what the Emperor must be forced to do, to reorganise an independent Poland and thus by an act of suicide, to create a new and deadly foe in his own bosom. The Emperor from the very beginning of the revolt, felt and declared that Poland had revolted without sufficient cause, (Among the demands made as a justification of the revolt was that of a free and unrestricted public press. A free and unrestricted press in Poland! A country which Voltaire called ‘Un pays gouverné par 100,000 gentilhommes, don’t 90,000 ne saient pas lire.’) and in consequence, not of its own feeling and interest, but of French and Jacobinical advice, instruction and money[…]’

Voltaire thanks the recipient for acquainting him with the letter he wrote to the King of Prussia, adding that it is two years since he wrote to him. Voltaire notes that because his [religious] devotion has not failed to make some noise in the world, the King may very well believe that the letter came from him and that as a good Christian he reproaches the King for his impiety. He adds that he has been advised by people in Geneva to disavow this writing in the public papers. Voltaire asks the recipient to permit him to send him a letter that he is writing on this subject to Mr Le Duc de Grafton so that he might see that there is less verbiage in his disavowal than in the writing imputed to him. He asks that the recipient has the letter properly sealed for Mr Le Duc de Grafton and adds that he is also enclosing a letter for an English gentleman and asks that he sends these packets by post. He concludes by stating that the English push the freedom of the press a little too far and that they always have too much of the things that he does not.