This passage describes the revolts and the manner in which the magistrates and statesmen attempted to observe propriety and enact their agendas more subtly. Voltaire writes that Cardinal Mazarin sought to skilfully divide the judiciary by exempting the upper courts from the paulette (the tax invented by Paulet under Henry IV) however, the Cardinal spoke French poorly and his weak pronunciation made him subject to ridicule, rendering his efforts ineffective. On 20 August 1648, the Prince of Condé was victorious at Lens and the ten-year-old king pronounced that Parliament would be very angry. The parliamentarians complained about being called rebels. The Queen and Cardinal resolved to have three of the most stubborn magistrates kidnapped but the Cardinal decided to do this at noon rather than midnight which incited the public to riot. The Queen eventually agrees to return the prisoners. The passage ends with a line that features later in the text (OCV, vol.13A, p.62, l.175).

In this extract, Voltaire discusses Queen Anne of England. He writes that Anne was moved by the speeches of her favourite, Madame Masham, and intimidated by the Tory prelates who surrounded her, so she reproached herself. The Duchess of Marlborough was persuaded that the Queen had brought her brother in secret to England, kissed him, and would have made him her successor despite his Roman Catholic religious views. Voltaire notes that it is claimed that on the eve of her death, Anne wrote several times: ‘Ah! My brother, my dear brother!’ She died of apoplexy aged 49 on 12th August 1714 and both her followers and enemies agreed that she was a mediocre woman. However, Voltaire claims that there has been no glorious reign, no great captains on land or sea, no high ministers, and no eloquent speakers since those of Edward III and Henry V. The date of Anne’s death given by Voltaire in this manuscript—12th August 1714—differs to that given in the printed edition—22nd August 1714.

Comprises notes on salient events in mainly English history from Ethelred to Queen Anne, extracted from a translation of Voltaire’s writings, with notes on China and Charlemagne’s time on f.1, followed on ff.16-17 by similar notes extracted from David Hume’s writings on some selected events from Richard III’s days to those of James II.