The authors note that they have just arrived in Provins and will continue their story of their time in Cirey. They note that they went to bed at 7am, and were made to rise three hours later at 10am to sing an opera with Émilie du Châtelet. This lasted until 1pm, when they rehearsed Zaïre, and they note that they had rehearsed 37 acts the day before, with the first three acts being rehearsed after dinner. They rehearsed Zaïre until 6pm, and note that there were constant snags, then the ladies curled their hair and dressed in a Turkish style until 9:30pm at which point the performance began. The performance of Zaïre was followed by one of l’Esprit de contradiction, which lasted until 12:30pm. The party then sat together and ate supper, failing to notice that they were violating the rights of Ash Wednesday in doing so. Graffigny and Desmarest add that they left at 8am, having performed 44 acts in 48 hours.

They discuss the various plays performed over the weekend, and provide a cast list which reads as follows: Madame Du Châtelet (Zaïre), La Grosse (styled with a Fatime veil), Voltaire (Orosmane), Mr Du Châtelet (Nerestan), his son (Corasmin), Chatillon (paper in hand). They state that the recipient does not know the other members of the cast. Graffigny and Desmarest remark that Voltaire did not know his role, being unable to perform two lines in a row whilst dressed like a chienlit. Émilie Du Châtelet, meanwhile, they note, played everything soullessly and monotonously, enough so to make one vomit. Her husband, said not a verse without stuttering. They go on to explain Voltaire’s faults in more detail: whilst the tragedy provoked tears, Voltaire is said to have known little of his role, a defect which prompted him to be impatient and attack his valet who was acting as their prompter. He is also said to have spat in the face of one of the party with fury.

The letter then turns to Voltaire’s dispute with Desfontaines, before recounting two letters received by Voltaire concerning his writings. Madame de Graffigny notes that Voltaire is beginning to work on an opera for her about Les Titans, adding that he had read them some of his Samson which she describes as as beautiful as Joseph-François Duché de Vancy’s Iphigénie en Tauride (1704). Voltaire is likewise said to have read his apology of his Mondain in the bathing apartment of Émilie Du Châtelet whilst she bathed, a reading which also included a lavish meal served at 2am in the same room by her son who had disguised himself as Love because of the carnival.

Robert opens by praising Goethe’s translations of Voltaire’s Tancrède and Mahomet, and sends his own translation of a recent French tragedy, Etienne Méhul’s Joseph en Égypte (1807) which he hopes to see performed under Goethe’s direction at the Weimar Theatre.

The opera appears to be unknown, and is accompanied by a copy of a text title ‘Henriette’ and copies of letters addressed to Voltaire in various formats.

The poem makes mention of Voltaire:

‘Siflet les pièces de Livron, / Arrouët pauvre Energumene / Courir au loin le Loupgarou’.

Sent from Stocken. Lisbon earthquake. Further reports on dress. Ticket for the opera. Riots at the playhouse. Madame Sevigne’s Letters, and Voltaire’s history of the last war.

Mrs. Pye seems to have been one of Mrs. Garrick’s consultants on Paris fashions. In her letter to Garrick, no. 34, November 21, 1774, she also comments on the French theatre and opera, Préville and Mlle. Rocourt, her visit to Voltaire who spoke with approval of Garrick’s alteration of Hamlet; she had seen Foote and heard a rumour that Bickerstaffe had brought out a comic opera at Marseilles. In no. 33, September 17, [1776], she writes of having called on Mrs. Montagu. In no. 35, February 8, 1779, she writes on the death of Garrick.

Voltaire begins by thanking Thiériot for his letter, before adding that Charles d’Orléans de Rothelin would like Thiériot to send him a collection of books. He adds that de Rothelin does not understand English and so is asking for the books on behalf of his friend who is a master of the language. Voltaire briefly discusses a meeting with Thiériot’s brother, Bernard, and Miss Salé, enclosing some verse he was inspired to write by the latter. He then turns to Eriphile, saying that it has not had great success and so he will not give it to the printers until he has corrected it. He asks how he might send Thiériot his La Mort de César because he does not have the right copy, before saying that he never leaves the house and receives no visitors, adding that he hopes this solitude will give him time to work on Eriphile, Lettres sur les Anglais, and Siècle de Louis XIV. Voltaire reminds Thiériot not to forget his plates (illustrations for La Henriade), and asks him to give his regards to any in England who think of him. He mentions a compliment given by Dufresne that Bernard has already conveyed to Thiériot, and concludes by mentioning a new opera supposedly written by Bernard.

Voltaire writes that he has just received a letter from m. Turkheim informing him that Schoepfling has satisfied his debt and so has nothing else to do but to beg Dupont to ‘put on the sheath’ and offer him his gratitude. He then notes that he and Marie-Louis Denis [née Mignot] [née Mignot] will be spending the winter at Monrion and assures Dupont that he would be tempted to visit Colmar if there were not Jesuits. Voltaire then asks Dupont to tell Madame de Klinglin that she played a dreadful trick on him as she was at Saint-Claude just six miles from Voltaire in Délices. He adds that if she had told him he would have gone to visit her but he will now, instead, be forced to make a trip to Colmar. He concludes by syaing that new operas are being prepared in Italy, new comedies are going to be given in Paris, and a lottery of thirty million is also to be held.