According to an unknown editor, the foliation is 321-330.

The manuscript is an autograph letter discussing erudition, Enlightenment, and religion. It refrences Le philosophe ignorant, Voltaire’s Henriade, Excellent Commentaire sur Les délits et peines, and les Scithes.

Voltaire writes that he was finally sent the end of the eight volume and the preface by Jean-François Marmontel who is at the head of the Henriade, but that he did not receive the preface that must be placed before the edition, and which was sent to Walther almost a year ago. He asks Walther to put the preface into the packet addressed to M. Allyot, conseilleranlique a Lunéville en Lorraine. Voltaire then says that he saw a letter that Walther wrote to a friend of his, in which Walther informs the mutual acquaintance that he wished to send Voltaire a porcelain service from Saxony. Voltaire notes that he is very grateful for the proposed gift and offers his sincere thanks. He adds that he sees that Walther does not share the feelings of a Dutch bookseller, a matter which renews Voltaire’s desires to be useful to him, and informs Walther that he intends to send him his history of the present war which Voltaire estimates will be completed in a few months time. He then returns to the topic of the porcelain service, beggin Walther not to go to the expense of purchasing one for him as a few copies of Walther’s edition is enough for Voltaire, especially as Walther has spent such a large sum of money of the edition already. Voltaire asks that Walther add the small documents that he sent him to the eighth volume and assumes that Walther had an errata of volumes seven and eight made as Voltaire couldn’t personally work on these because he hadn’t seen the volumes yet. He notes that Walther will have his Semiramis but that he can’t tell him yet when he will receive them. In conclusion, Voltaire writes that he hopes that Walther will be able to make a more complete and more correct edition, with which Voltaire offers to help him. He adds that even with its errors Walther’s edition is assuredly the best, ‘or rather the only good one that we have’, and says that Walther should announce it in all of the newspapers as the only faithful edition of Voltaire’s work in Europe, and the only one that Voltaire himself approves of.

Voltaire writes that he found de Missy’s last letter on his return to Brussels. He asks de Missy to send him everything that his been done in the universal history in English from chapter 7 concerning the Jews to the captivity of Babylon. He notes that a small edition of his works has recently been printed in Paris under the title d’Edition de Genève chez Bousquet and adds that this is the least faulty and the most complete that he has seen. Voltaire says that he will send a copy to de Missy. He adds that if some bookseller in London wanted to reprint them, we would send them a corrected copy and put them in a better order, accompanied by as yet unpublished pieces such as Mahomet. He remarks that the play was made for English heads rather than for French hearts and that they found it too bold for Paris.

Voltaire writes that Prault should urgently add a new passage to the end of the seventh canto. He provides this passage, then asks Prault to send him a note as soon as it is printed, asking him to give Mr. Robert, a lawyer who is leaving for Cirey, a copy of everything printed from La Henriade. He concludes by saying that he is also sending a preface which must be printed in front of Mr. Cochi’s letter and that Prault should also send him a copy of this once it is printed. Only the first two lines of the text Voltaire provides in this letter were incorporated into La Henriade.

Voltaire writes that Prault’s plan to publish a collection of his ‘weak works’ redoubles his determination to correct them, adding that he has retouched the Henriade and will also rework his other tragedies. He asks that Prault sends him three copies of Brutus, three of Oedipus, and the corrected copy of Oedipus that Prault must have as he intends to send them to the actors. Voltaire then writes that he would like all copies of the prodigal son printed by Prault to be burned as he wants to correct them. He notes that he owes Prault money, and discusses financial investments. Voltaire ends by telling Prault that he should answer or else Voltaire would disown him.