The manuscript is a lettre en vers in the hand of Paul Desforges-Maillard, featuring seven poems. The author, praising Voltaire’s formidable superiority of intellect and character, implicitly urges his addressee to help him secure employment. The letter cites and refers to De rerum natura by Lucretius and Œdipe by Corneille.

Knebel begins by saying that he regrets Goethe’s discomfort, and encourages him to continue to think positively about Lukrez. He adds that Lucretius was a reformer whose teaching is not as dangerous as is often believed, noting that Voltaire considered the places of the complete dissolution of man after death to be the most effective in Lucretius’ De rerum natura. He concludes by discussing mutual friends, and the expectation of an imminent earthquake following the flood of the Saale.