Racine begins by saying that he had received the verse attached to Heerkens’ letter, but that he has not yet received the beginning of the work which Heerkens had told him would be returned to him by one of his friends. He then goes on to discuss the “impertinent” article on Rousseau in Bayle’s supplement. He notes that Heerkens will find in Trévoux’s second brief of the month a letter from him in which he states that such slanders that hatred has dictated deserve only contempt. Racine then discusses a “violent fermentation” in the minds of the public, stating his hope for peace. He concedes, however, that given the King’s last response to the reprimands that this still seems very far away. He then comments on Damiens’ attempt to assassinate Louis XV of France the day before he wrote this letter on 5 January 1757. Racine notes that much is known of Damiens’ family and life story, but little of the plot itself, and quotes the King who remarked that if the blow is struck from abroad it is but a scratch, but if the blow comes from his people it is a deep wound. Racine concludes by discussing the seven octavo volumes that constitute Voltaire’s Histoire universelle, adding that Voltaire’s bold reflections and lively style encourage Racine to read all that he writes. He notes that Voltaire imposes on the ignorant, but will never impose on the savants who will not seek in him the truth of history.

This letter was written the day after Damien’s attack against Louis XV. Racine begins by noting that he has received the verses that the recipient attached to their last letter, but is still awaiting the beinning of the work from one of the recipient’s friends. He then responds the the article on Roussea that was recently published in Bayle’s supplement, describing it as ‘impertinent’. He adds that he has contributed a letter to Trévoux’s second memoir of the month which argues that the slanders against Roussea insighted by hatred deserve only contempt. He then discusses recent disturbances and the emergence of horrible posters, before stating that he hopes for a peace that he fears is very far away. Racine then turns to the attack of Damiens which took place the day before, noting the king’s words: ‘If the blow comes from abroad, it is only a scratch. If it comes from my people, it is a deep wound.’ Finally, Racine discusses the seventh volume of Voltaire’s l’Histoire universelle. He remarks on the boldness of Voltaire’s reflections and the liveliness of his style which combined make his writings readable, adding that he imposes on the great number of ignorant people but will never impose on the learned who will not seek the truth of history from him.

The works noted largely pertain to Voltaire’s Siècle de Louis XIV and Siècle de Louis XV.

The recueil largely consists of satirical political songs, most of which are accompanied by a musical score and date to 1600-1745. The subjects of these works include: courts and courtiers of Henry IV, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, and Louis XV; the Fronde; and other political events of the 17th-18th centuries. The last volume contains a collection of epigrams, 1758-1759 and undated, some attributed to Voltaire.

Verses composed at the time of the arrest of Prince Charles Edward, Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland, in November 1748. Prince Charles Edward had fled England and taken refuge on France, unaware of the secret clauses of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) under which the King of France was committed to expelling his cousin. The poem criticises Louis XV for shamefully abandoning the cause of the Stuarts.

Voltaire begins by asking Marie-Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand for a topic of conversation, saying that he likes to talk to her but does not have a subject on which to write. He states that he is neither devout nor ungodly, and that he is a lone farmer buried in a barbaric country, likening those in Paris to monkeys and those in Ferney as bears. He notes that he avoids both where possible, but that the teeth and claws of persecution have lengthened until his retirement and wish to poison his last days. Voltaire then claims that the King, who is not jealous of either his verse or prose, will not believe his persecutors and will not use his powers to expatriate a 65-year-old patient who has only done good in the country he lives in. He then turns to Jean-Philippe-René de La Bléterie whom he reports is a Janesnist seeking the protection of the Duc de Choiseul. He speaks of his dislike of La Bléterie because he insulted Voltaire in the notes of his translation of Tacitus. Voltaire questions why anyone seeking the favour of the Duc de Choiseul should insult him in passing. He concludes with a discussion of the ‘innocent and cheerful pieces’ that the Marquise spoke to him about, asking how he should send them to her, and musing on whether sending them to her would result in malicious jokes and slander.

Voltaire discusses his dismay at Marie-Louis Denis [née Mignot] [née Mignot] having compromised herself with a gambling den. He writes that he has sent letters to de Richelieu making his feelings about the gambling den clear and places the matter in the hands of God, adding that he did in Zulime as much as Louis XIV and Louis XV would allow him to do. He ends by asking the recipient to put him ‘at the feet of Madame la Duchesse du Maine’, writing that she is a ‘predestined soul’ who will love comedy until her last moment. He advises the recipient to administer her a beautiful play rather than an extreme unction if she falls ill and concludes that ‘one dies as one has lived.’

D’Argenson writes that after the death of Louis XV, the Grand Officers of the Crown went to pay their respects to Louis XVI who had left that day at 5:30pm with the Queen to go to Choisy-le-Roi. He notes that the king and queen will stay there for some time with the Comte d’Artois de Provence. They are joined by Madame la Comtesse de Provence, M. le Comte d’Artois, Madame la Comtesse d’Artois, and Madame and Mesdames Victoite and Sophie who tended to the late king. Other topics discussed by d’Argentla include the theatre. He writes that they will give the théâtre françois the Sophonisbe de Mairet, something he claims is extremely pathetic. He adds that Voltaire retouched it, putting more nobility into the language and more decency into the manners. He concludes that the denouement is above all sublime and the greatnes of the soul of Massinissa must make a lively impression on the hearts of the helpers.

Voltaire discusses the animosity between Louis XV and the new Stadtholder. The bitterness was, Voltaire notes, kept alive by the court of Vienna who wanted to strip Marie-Thérèse of the heritage of her fathers in spite of the treaties that had been signed. The court of London stirred Europe during the Congress of Breda, in order to make new enemies of Louis XV. George II of England then allied with Elizabeth Petrovna, Empress of Russia, who marched 50,000 men into Livonia and promised to equip 50 galleys that could be sent wherever George II wished, for the price of £100,000 sterling. This treaty could not be concluded until June 1747. The King of France advanced his conquests and quickly took Dutch Flanders. He also claimed Maastricht and Nimegen.

Fragments from the same manuscript as Voltaire Foundation MS 16. The leaves are paginated by Voltaire and constitute p.5-8, and 11-12. P.9-10 are missing. Voltaire writes of an attack on a Spanish settlement made by 50 English soldiers in a rowboat during the night under the command of Admirable Anson, remarking that this sudden surprise, and the confusion and disorder that the darkness redoubles, multiplies and increases the danger. The governor, garrison, and inhabitants fled, and the governor went inland to collect 300 cavalry and the surrounding militia. The English took the treasures they could find and transported them peacefully for three days. The slaves who had not fled helped to remove the wealth of their former masters. The governor was not bold or prudent enough to return to the city and either fight or form a treaty with the victors. The English then went to Panama and greatly advanced before Acapulco, taking great swathes of the centre of Spanish domination. The Spanish stalled Admiral Anson’s forces with a larger fleet and artillery under the command of Don Joseph Pizarro, but the Spanish forces suffered from scurvy and hunger after provisions expected from Buenos Aires did not arrive. The commander eventually returned to Spain in 1746 with fewer than 100 of the 2,700 men he had left with. Pizarro’s misfortunes, Voltaire writes, left Admiral Anson free in the South Sea, but Anson’s forces too had suffered from scurvy. Anson therefore set his sights on taking a large Mexican galleon sent every year to Manilla, which Anson proceeded to use to sail for Africa.