The MS is in the hand of an unidentified copyist, and is incomplete. The copy contains three chapters in the following order: 33, 32, 31. These chapters concern religious matters (Calvinism, Jansenism, and ecclesiastical affairs), and their numbering corresponds to the first printed edition of the work (1751).

Voltaire begins by saying that an illustrious theologian from Basel has written that Lord Bolingbroke has the ‘chaude-pisse’, a popular term for gonorrhœa, and from there draws the conclusion that Moses is the author of the pentateuch. He remarks that Lord Chesterfield’s chaplain took up Lord Bolingbroke’s cause like a good Christian and defended it in a pious and modest letter, the translation of which arrived in Potsdam with the permission of the superiors. He adds that the King laughed a lot and so should Formey. He jokingly instructs Formey to live cheerfully on the gospel and philosophy, let the profane doubt the chronology of Moses and the monads, get covered in pitch-resin, put big pins in his ass, and follow the advice of the author of the newsletters. He continues, telling him to feel the centrifugal forces, or have himseld embalmed while still alive. Voltaire then writes that he intends to take a trip to the southern lands with Dalichamp and dissect the brains of twelve-foot-tall giants and men as hairy as bears with the tails of monkeys. He philosophises that ‘those who turn the foolishness of this world into mockery will always be the happiest’ and advises Formey to ‘put only their price on things, and don’t take large scales to weigh cobwebs.’ He then concludes by speaking of a song by the Archbishop of Cambrai that the Marquis de Fénélon recited to him at the Hague in front of his wife and the Abbé de la Ville.

Voltaire writes that he has received d’Alembert’s letter dated 1 December and thanks him for his excellent work honouring the memory of du Marsais. He adds that he can never thank him enough for backing him up with his eloquence and reasoning as they say he did about the infamous murder of Servetus and the virute of tolerance in the Geneva article (which Voltaire notes he eagerly awaits). Voltaire then writes that wretches have tried to justify the assassination of Servetus and that these wretches are priests, though he admits that he has not read any of their works. One of these priests, whom Voltaire calls a rascal, asked the Council of Twenty-Five of Geneva for communication of the trial which, Voltaire writes, ‘will make Calvin forever execrable’ and the boarded viewed with contempt. He then asks d’Alembert who the other young priest is that wants to pass him off as a loan shark, questioning whether d’Alembert borrowed at usury from the Battle of Kollin, noting that d’Alembert had condessed that at the battle of the 5th everyone had to advance him money. Discussion then turns to war and Voltaire writes that the Austrians avenge and humiliate them terribly, noting that they have made thirteen attacks at the same time on the Prussian intrenchments, and that these attacks lasted six hours. He writes that ‘never was a victory more bloody and more horribly beautiful’, quipping that the French are more expeditious, completing their business in 5 minutes. Voltaire then discusses Frederick II, King of Prussia, remarking that Frederick always sends him verses, sometimes in despair and sometimes as a hero, and that he tries to be ‘a philosopher in my hermitage’ upon receiving them. He adds that Frederick achieved what he always wanted (to beat the French) but that the Austrians laugh at him. ‘Our shame of the 5 gave him glory’, Voltaire writes, ‘but he will have to be content with this passing glory, too easily purchased. He will lose his states with those he has taken.’ In response to d’Alembert’s suggestion that Voltaire writes a biography of Frederick II, Voltaire writes that Frederick will allow noone to write his story except for himself. Concluding the letter, Voltaire writes that there are aspects of the eulogy of du Marsais that will do great good as ‘it only takes five or six philosophers who agree to overthrow the colossus.’ He adds that he does not wish to prevent people from going to mass or hearing sermons but that it is ‘a question of snatching the fathers of families from the tyranny of imposters, and of inspiring the spirit of tolerance,’ noting that the ‘vine of truth’ has already been well cultivated by d’Alembert, Diderot, Bolingbroke, David Hume, etc. He ends by sending d’Alembert the good wishes of Marie-Louis Denis [née Mignot] [née Mignot] and asking if her ever sees the blind clairvoyant, charging d’Alembert with informing the clairvoyant that Voltaire is still very attached to her if so.