Voltaire writes that Marie-Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand had proposed he buy an querry’s post with the duchesse du Maine, but that he did not feel ready for this employment and so was obliged to wait for another occasion to pay court to her. He instead recommends the Abbé de Linant for the role, whom he says lacks nothing but a fortune. He asks du Deffand to supprt de Linant, adding that if she does she will be nurturing his poetic talents.

The dedication of the tragedy d’Oreste to the duchesse du Maine, protector of Voltaire, which contains numerous corrections by Voltaire as well as passages that do not appear in the printed dedication. Voltaire recalls the splendour of Louis XIV, to which the duchesse du Maine contributed so much, particularly with regard to her taste for the interpretation of plays. Voltaire writes that he has not forgotten that the duchesse du Maine offered him a secret asylum in her Château de Sceaux four years earlier, where he wrote Zadig. In an appended note, Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon, duchesse du Maine writes that she does not deserve such praises but that she approves of the epistle.

Voltaire opens by saying that when he asked Marie-Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand to urge her friends to speak to Maurepas, it was not for fear that it would do him harm. He turns to the recent appearance of some scandalous letters, asking if the duchesse du Maine is angry that he put Newton above Descartes, or if the duchesse de Villars will react badly to his treatment of her innate ideas as chimeras. He then turns to the Jansenists, whom he says want him to burn for certain of his theological ideas that he published whilst in London. He adds that his English publisher found him very moderate. He goes on to say that he had thought to leave France forever when he gave Tiriot permission two years ago to print this work, and that he has since changed his mind, adding that it is unfortunate that the letters appear in France when he most wants to stay there. He concludes by saying that he does not know if he will return to France. He asks her to send any letters for him to Paris opposite St Gervais as they will find him, asking that she marks her letter (for example with ‘DD’) so that he can easily identify which letters come from her.

The beginning of the letter appears to be missing. Voltaire writes of something that had been signed ‘Louis’ rather that ‘Marville’, noting that it is not bed to go to Cleopatra if you want to succeed with Ceasar. He asks if the recipient knows that their friend, Roy, Chevalier de St Michel, made a speech in verse to the king on the subject of the success of his arms in which he said that he only wished to see the king as a father and a husband. He then notes that the ‘moutons de Berry’ have no more reason to complain because Madame la Duchesse du Maine has given Voltaire thanks for the ‘blue murderers’ who carry rifle guns, adding that everyone seems happy, especially the king. Voltaire then states that he is giving the recipient this account out of duty because they have been so interested in the work that it is almost as much theirs as it is his. He then talks of a satirical poem written by le Chevalier de St Michel about Voltaire, quoting some of the verse, before discussing the manner in which Monsieur de Soubise prevented Antoin’s post from being abandoned and disobeyed Marshal de Saxe in order to win the battle. Voltaire signs of the letter with the phrase: ‘Adieu Atticus’.