Voltaire thanks Panckoucke for a translation of his poem titled ‘Lucretia’, and for a delivery of books which included a five-volume set of works by Buffon. Voltaire remarks upon the difficulties of transporting items to Geneva from Lyon, and reminisces about a previous visit Panckoucke paid to Ferney.

The receipt states that père Bonaventure Moussinot has received from Voltaire (through Mr. Laleu), 234lt to be sent to a banker in Lyon named Mr. Tenesin. The receipt was made in Paris and is dated 10 July 1756.

Voltaire asks de Laleu to pay, on his behalf, 30,000 lt on 20 April, on the orders of Robert Tronchin. Laleu’s office have added a note to the reverse of the letter stating that the account has been paid in Lyon on 17 April 1756.

Voltaire asks de Laleu to pay his account to the order of Messieurs Tronchin and Camp as soon as he can. The sum is fifty thousand lt, and Voltaire adds that he will be obliged to Laleu if he can do this for him. The letter has been written on the back of the document Voltaire received from Tronchin and Camp asking for payment. The document reads: ‘Nous vous prions Monsieur de payer La Somme de Cinquante Mille Livres mentionnée en L’autre part à L’ordre de messieurs Jean Cottin L’ainé & fils de Paris valeur en Compte avec Les dits sieurs. à Lyon le 9^e x^bre 1754. [signed:] J. R. Tronchin & Camp. Pour acquit Jean Cottin L’ainé’.’

Voltaire writes that he is sending five bills of exchange on Paris and Lyon for the sum of 6500 livre tournois.

Voltaire writes that he is touched by de Laurencin’s letter. He notes that he has been in the Pays de Gex for thirteen years and, whilst he has his fortune, his age, the snow that surrounds him eight months a year, the disturbances of Geneva, and the interruption of trade has made him think of acquiring somewhere in a milder climate. He adds that he was offered twenty houses near Lyon. Voltaire then notes that he would like to live with de Laurencin but there are too many people that depend on him for him to leave Ferney. He notes that he gave his niece the land he lives on, and married a descendant of Corneille to a gentleman from the neighbourhood, with the couple and their children staying in his château. He adds that he also has to attend to two other households, an impotent parent, a chaplain that was previously a Jesuit, a young man whom Richelieu entrusted to him, and numerous servants, and that he must govern the Pays de Gex because the cessation of trade with Geneva prevents farmers from being found. He concludes that he must stay at Ferney, whatever the weather, and adds that his disadvantages are compensated for because he pays nothing to the King and is perfectly free except in the jurisdiction of justice. He thanks de Laurencin again and notes that he would like to send him some books, beginning with a small writing that he has given to Mr. Tabarau to give to him as it is difficult to pass books from Geneva to Lyon.