The writer acknowledges previous correspondence with the recipient and expresses regret that his replies have been limited by poor health and impaired vision. He recalls sending mediocre verses in 1762 in response to the recipient’s superior poetry. He then enquires about the whereabouts of Mr Robinet, a man of letters residing in Holland at the time of writing, and asks after a work by Racine, which he hopes to see before his death. The letter concludes with the writer’s respectful and humble regards.