There exist two vastly different copies of this poem, perhaps suggesting that one was authored by Voltaire, and the other by Saurin.

The verse is against Voltaire and discusses his age, anger, and fears. The author, said to be Dorat, concludes that they pity Voltaire. The verse was quoted in a letter from Marie Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand [née de Vichy] to Horace Walpole dated 15 December 1768.

In this letter, Louis La Valliere tells Voltaire that he has received the sermon which Voltaire sent, and says that the sermon inspired more respect for the author than for the “sound philosophy which reigns there”. La Valliere then asks Voltaire for “the most meager friendship which you can give me.” He compliments Voltaire on the fact that he has the “greatest genius and the most harmonious head.” La Valliere tells Voltaire about his own career, which he began in order to care for his 15 year old son.

Voltaire offers his thanks to Formey, noting that the last journal that he sent to him featured a piece by Albrecht von Haller which he considers being of ‘superior genius’. He concludes by saying that men do not yet know how they create children and ideas, but that Formey, who has worked so well in these two genres, should know more than anyone.

Voltaire discusses Molière and Shakespeare. Voltaire writes that everything that de Champfort has written about Molière is worthy of him and the fine century in which he lived. He notes that de Champfort has rightly shown the injustices that were shown towards this ‘philosopher of the theatre’ and that de Champfort has skilfully passed over the obstinancy with which a débauché refused to bury a wise man. He adds that Archbishop Chamvalon dies soon after Molière and was buried pompously to the sound of bells and with beautiful ceremonies but that Louis XIV had great difficulty in preventing Molière’s body being thrown in the garbage. He notes that there was a comparable English scenario a hundred years before whereby the English constructed a magnificent monument in Stratford to Shakespeare, who Voltaire denigrates as being incomparable to Molière in both art and manners. He says that games in honour of Shakespeare have just been established in England and celebrated with extreme magnificence, with there being tables to seat a thousand people. Voltaire complains that genius is not encouraged in France with such profusion, noting that those that have sought to enlighten France have been greeted with persecution. He makes brief mention of Martin Fréron and Pierre Corneille before thanking de Champfort for sending him his work and concluding that it deserved the prize it had won. The letter is addressed to Mr. Renard, bookseller at the palace, for him to give to de Champfort.

Frederick begins by saying that he is not the only one who notices that genius and talents are rarer in Europe in the current century than they were at the end of the previous one. He adds that there are three poets remaining, though they are of the second order: La Harpe; Marmontal, and Saint-Lambert. He then discusses outbreaks of violence and death warrants, before turning to an article Voltaire had written, remarking that he enjoyed it but that he would have liked Voltaire to have been more considerate of the Abbé de La Bletterie. He then talks of Jansenism.

This letter begins with a poem which Voltaire wrote for Frederick the Great. The poem talks of Frederick’s greatness- “In your achievements, in your writings; astonish the great and wise; who before you are too little.” Other interesting stanzas in the poem are as follows- “I had too much hope in my youth; and in the middle age, too much trouble; but in the old age where I am; alas, I have too little wisdom….In France…we do not have too many scholars; we have too few geniuses.” After the poem, Voltaire writes a short personal letter, in which he mentions how Frederick “beat us in Thuringia, and create[s] poetry better than we do!”