The manuscript is an autograph letter, written in the hand of Philippe Antoine de Claris. It discusses the affair of Antoine Lefèbvre de La Barre which implicated M. de Belleval and M. Douville. Expressing significant concern about the allegations made against M. de Belleval, the letter also mentions the mémoires of Madame de Sauvigni, pertaining to Madame de Goeman, and reflects on the fight between M. de Beaumarchais and Bertrand. According to T. D. N. Besterman, the folios are numbered 91-92.

The commonplace book contains selections from several sources including: Voltaire, Maréchal, Beaumarchais, Boufflers, and Gentil-Bernard. The entries mostly concern women and wine, many giving the air to be used.

Included in the collection is an autograph letter signed from James Woodmason to Benjamin Franklin, written from London and dated 4 January 1780. In the letter, Woodmason notes that he has shipped the paper, adding that M. Beaumarchais’s agent, M. Le Tailleir, returns to England in three weeks and will take charge to any letters. He also notes that he has purchased Baskerville type for Voltaire’s works, before going on to discuss the superiority of English paper over others. He concludes by stating that recent talk concerning peace has been very confident.

G.A. Crawford writes to James Mearnes about de La Brunetiere. In the letter, Crawford mentions several people, including Antoine de La Brunetiere, Hugh Miller, Voltaire, and Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais.