Knebel reflects on troubled times and concludes that he thinks he will be spared from the wild hoards for a while. He notes that he usually only reads serious history now, before turning to the politics of Jena and Bavaria. Knebel then turns to an engraved imprint of some strange manuscripts which appeared in the MBI (No. 44) as a supplement to the display of E. Hocquart titled, ‘L’art de juger du caractère des hommes sur les écriture’. Amongst these strange writings were manuscripts by Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Elizabeth I of England. A copy of the work mentioned, along with reproductions of the “strange” manuscripts may be found here: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k58163641

The letters concern an autograph letter by Voltaire which Foulet wanted to include in his edition of Voltaire’s correspondence, published in 1913.

Voltaire begins by saying that since Cramer no longer has pain in this teeth, he can rummage through his papers and return to Voltaire the beautiful life of ‘du grand freron.’ He adds that he forgot to tell Cramer yesterday about Madame d’Epinay’s bargain: she can shoot him for a Louis at the right time. If not, he has to pay four.