Included are ‘La Mère de la Mort’, a version of ‘Épitre à Uranie’, verses on the Marquis de Valory and satirical letters relating to Madame de Pompadour.

In 1863, Dupanloup opposed the condidacy of Emile Littré due to his atheism and prevented his election to l’Académie française. In 1871, Littré was again a candidate and this time was elected, angering Dupanloup who then resigned. He was encouraged to reconsider his resignation by [François] Guizot and composed this letter in 1872 to explain his reasons for resigning. He notes that he still feels that the election of Littré was a ‘very regretable error’ on the part of l’Académie française before discussing their election of atheists in the past. Dupanloup first turns to Voltaire, whom he calls a ‘great wrecker’, adding that he thought it clever to wage war on Christianity and hide in l’Académie française behing auxiliaries more advanced than himself, and that Voltaire tried to get his fellow atheists [Denis] Diderot, [Claude Adrien] Helvétius, and [Paul-Henri Thiry] Baron D’Holbach elected as well but failed to succeed despite putting pressure on [Jean le Rond] D’Alembert. He notes that Voltaire had counted on the protection of Madame de Pompadour but that she could not help. He concludes that l’Académie française did not allow itself to be undermined by atheism in the eighteenth century and those that claimed to be Professors of Atheism, such as [Pierre Jean Georges] Cabanis and [François-Joseph-Victor] Broussais were never able to break through, and that this was one more reason for him to believe that he had to resign.

Marie-Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand begins the letter by flattering Voltaire, noting that she asked several people who the first man of this century was and they all replied Voltaire (an answer she claims to have expected). She adds that he writes all genres charmingly and questions why he abandoned fables, offering him a fable on which he could write. The fable concerns a lion in Chantilly. Dogs that were usually thrown into the river were thrown instead to him. He strangled them all, except one whom he loved and started a family with. One day, the dog joined the lion’s tormentors, barking at him and biting his ears, so the lion strangled her. He quickly repented, carried her to their bed, and was consumed with the greatest sadness, but hopes of this sadness changing his character were dashed; he strangled without mercy any dog thrown to him. The Marquise notes that there are many morals to be drawn from this tale about ingratitude and the need to love. She then changes the subject, remarking that if she were given a choice between regaining her sight of having a thousandth part of his talents she would not know which to choose, before giving news of Madame de Pompadour’s health. The Marquise ends the letter by talking of her anger at the printing without consent of a letter send from Voltaire to herself. She promises Voltaire that anything he writes to her will not be taken from her hands, and that his letters will be put in order so that copies are never taken. She goes as far as to say that she will learn the letters by heart so that she does not have to read them.

George Woodward begins by recommending the history of Pampadour by Voltaire. He then turns to Jack’s marriage, which he notes may cause expense to his relatives, and references Mr. Croft’s determined to maintain numbers. He concludes by saying that George has gone back to school, the disorder at Abingdon being over.

The miscellany includes: P.1: Copy [c1700], endorsed ‘Coppie Letter Queen Katherine to King Henry being gone in an Expedition to France’
p.5: Copy [c.1800] endorsed: ‘Princess Mary’s letter to the Lord Admiral…’ [c1547]
p.9: Copy [c.1700] of letter from Lady Brian, governess to Princess Elizabeth, to Lord Cromwell [c1536]
p.13: Copy [c1700] of Wm. Cecil’s declaration on his actions after the death of Edward VI
p.17: Copy [c1700] of letter from Elizabeth to Mary, nd
p.19: Copy [c.1700] of letter from Elizabeth to Mary, 1558
p.23: Copy [c.1730] of letter from Elizabeth to Protector, Somerset, 21 February
p.27: Copy [c.1700] of letter from Elizabeth to Somerset, 7 March
p.31: Copy [c.1720] of letter ‘from Sir Henry Sydney to his son, Sir Philip Sydney’, nd
p.35: Letter to Nicholas Hardinge (Clerk to the House of Commons) from on the origin of the King’s Champion, 1734
p.39: Copy [c1750] of letter from M. de Fenelon to the Duke of Burgundy
p.43: Copy [c1750] of letter from King Stanislaus to his daughter, nd
p.51: Copy of letter from Voltaire to Mme. Denis, 1753
p.55: Verses, endorsed: Rondeau de Fontenelle sur le systeme cartesien
p.59: Verses on Mme. de Pompadour, by Fontenelle
p.61: Copy of letter from Voltaire to Rousseau, 1755, with reply
p.69: ‘Epitre de Voltaire en arrivant dans sa terre pres du lac Leman’, 1755
p.73: Verses, endorsed: ‘Voltaire a sa maison, 1755’, [in Lady Hervey’s hand]
p.75: ‘Supply and Ways and Means 1757’ [detailed estimate]
p.79: Letter from M. Gottched on the King of Prussia, 1757
p.83: Letter from Voltaire to M. D’Argent, 1758
p.88: ‘Supply of 1758’ [detailed estimate]
p.89: Copy of verses sent to the King of Prussia by his sister, 1758
p.91: ‘Supply for 1759’
p.96: ‘Supply for 1760’
p.97: ‘Verses of Voltaire to the President Renault, 1760’
p.99: ‘Vers de Voltaire – 1762’
p.103: Verses on Mme. d’Egmont
p.105: Epitaph on Mme. de Pompadour
p.107: Copy of above
p.111: Tragedy of Persifle (in French verse)
p.119: French verses
p.121: Letter to Lady Harvey from Mme. d’Estille[?]
p.125: Copy [by Lady Hervey[?] of French epigram on Marshal Soubise
p.127: French verses on Mme. du Deffand
p.129: French verses on Cupid, entitled ‘Enigme’
p.133-139: French verses
p.141: Verses, ‘a Madame de Clermont D’Amboise’
p.143: Endorsed by Lady Hervey: Vers de l’Abbe de Voisenon
p.145: Copy of undated letter from the King of Prussia to ‘my Lord Marshall’, [in French]
p.149: Verses by Voltaire and the Chevalier de Bouflers, 1765
p.153: Copy of letter from Voltaire to M. Thomas, 1765
p.157: Verses ‘A Mademoiselle Clairon’ by Voltaire. [printed paper]
p.161: Letter (partly in verse) from Voltaire to Tronchin, 28 April
p.165: Verses: ‘Epitre de M. de Voltaire au Roy de Prusse’
p.169: ‘Epitre de Volterre [sic] au Marechall de Richelieu’
p.173: ‘Verses: ‘M. de Voltaire au Roi de Prusse’
p.177: ‘Vers de M. de Voltaire au Cardinal Quirini’ [Querini]
p.181: Les Torts [Copy by Lady Hervey, endorsed by der: ‘de Voltaire’]
p.185: ‘Vers a mademoiselle de liveri’. [endorsed: ‘Epitre de Voltaire’]
p.189-197: Verses by Voltaire
p.201: ‘Voltaire a sa maison’

Voltaire discusses his Tancrède, and says that it cannot be published as he is correcting it every day. He notes that there are more than a hundred verses in his manuscript that differ from the version that was performed, adding that the actors took it upon themselves to change the play as they pleased in his absence. Voltaire warns that if Prault prints the version that was performed then he would be printing a version of the play that is disfigured and which sins against language and poetry. He discusses the preface to the piece which is a dedication to the Marquise de Pompadour, and advises Prault to hire Mlle. Clairon.