Voltaire and Mme Denis are inviting Lekain to travel to Dijon and, from there, to visit them. Both writers give their views of Crébillon’s recent tragedy, Le Triumvirat.

Voltaire is commiserating with Lekain, who has been trying to insert himself into the Parisian theatrical world.

Voltaire begins by saying that he is sending an addition for his Sophonisbe, which he felt was too short. He asks the d’Argental’s to send it the Lekain. Voltaire then discusses briefly war and peace before asking for details on the movements of de Mairet and the duc de Duras. The letter is followed by an extract, in verse, concerning Scipio.

Voltaire begins by saying that he wants to give Cicero to Henri Louis Cain, a.k.a. Lekain. He asks if d’Argental would be willing to come to his house to hear it that morning as Voltaire can’t go out. He ends by simply stating: ‘Please come’.