The book opens with a preface entitled “avertissement”, that can be translated as follows: “this collection volume contains the elite of the best anecdotical songs from the ministry of the Cardinal de Richelieu until now: attention was paid to the accuracy of the names; to the order and faithfulness of periods, and of interesting facts; to the correctness of the marginalia […].” The collection covers mostly the reign of Louis XIV of France and the beginning of the reign of Louis XV of France. The songs seem to mock a wide range of subjects, but focus predominantly on the aristocracy, the court, the government, and the clergy, and refer to many current scandals, military events, and political affairs. Many songs are quite bawdy, especially the songs relating to ladies of the court – the three mistresses of Louis XIV (Louise de La Vallière, Madame de Montespan, and Madame de Maintenon) are well represented there. At pp. 510-515 there is also a song entitled “Autres Mirlitons” on the subject of homosexuality, with marginal notes explaining that it is “about the young lords of the court”. Some other noteworthy songs include:
– songs about John Law (1671-1729), the Scottish economist who was a minister under Louis XV; the annotator notes how he was apparently hanged in effigy in London after he was condemned for murder.
– a song at pp. 525-531 that has a reference to Mississipi, and one at pp. 381-388 to the Goa Inquisition (the Portuguese Inquisition in India).
– a song at pp. 553-554 about the philosopher Voltaire relating to his altercation with the Chevalier de Rohan in 1726.
– songs about Jansenism, and (at pp. 557-559, 565-567, 579-582) on the recent Cadière affair (1730-31), the scandalous case of a Jesuit confessor who was accused of sexually abusing a young female penitent, whom he in retaliation accused of witchcraft.

The earlier songs are of the “Mazarinade” variety, with a large portion of the later 17th-century examples directed against the court of young Louis XIV, presided over by Cardinal Mazarin. Later songs include satires on John Law and his disastrous speculation in the Mississippi project, on the religious cult of the Convulsionnaires in Paris, on the morality of the clergy and of the women of the Paris theatre, and one on Voltaire, condemned for his Lettres philosophiques.

The recueil largely consists of satirical political songs, most of which are accompanied by a musical score and date to 1600-1745. The subjects of these works include: courts and courtiers of Henry IV, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, and Louis XV; the Fronde; and other political events of the 17th-18th centuries. The last volume contains a collection of epigrams, 1758-1759 and undated, some attributed to Voltaire.

In his letter to Catherine Félicité Marie, queen consort of France [née Leszczyńska] dated 10 October 1748, Voltaire begs the queen consort to not allow an ‘odious satire’ against him to be performed before her at Fontainebleau. He adds that his La Tragédie de Sémiramis is moral and so he expects her protection. Voltaire contines by noting that as he is the King’s servant, he is also the queen consort’s, writing that if the satire is to be performed he will be forced to resign from his position due to the ‘cruel debasement’ he would face. He therefore asks again for protection from his enemies who wish to destroy him via public stigma. In the final section of the letter, Voltaire notes that satirical parodies have been forbidden in Paris for several years and asks the queen consort to act out of the goodness of her heart to protect him.

With the letter are included a variety of short satirical poems that concern French and wider European politics. The poems provided with titles include:

f.5r: ‘Couplet Sur L’air dansom le naveau Cotillon’
f.5r: ‘Air de Joconde’
f.5v: ‘Sur Lair. vous m’entendès bien.’
f.7r: ‘Sur Lair des mousquetaire’
f.8v: ‘Sur Lair Reveillès-vous’
f.8v: ‘Sur la bequille’
f.9r: ‘Marche des Bostangise’
f.9v: ‘air des Pendus’
f.13v: ‘Air de Joconde’
f.14r: ‘Sur L’air v’la ceque l’est que d’aller au bois’
f.14r: ‘Sur Lair de la Baronne.’
f.14r: ‘a La tournelle.’
f.14v: ‘Sur L’air des trivlets’
f.14v: ‘Sur L’air Oreguingnotte’
f.15v: ‘Air Mr Le Revot’
f.16r: ‘Epitaphe de Mr de fort Caltier Roy des Huns.’
f.16r: ‘Chanson composée par les grenadiers de Regt du Roy sur l’air Mr Les allemanes’
f.17r: ‘Epitaphe de Mr de Breteuil’
f.17v: ‘air ou est il ce petit nouveau né’
f.17v: ‘De Luxembourg et de Turenne’
f.18r: ‘Sur l’air trent qurde ma pipe serre mon briquet’
f.18v: ‘air de tous les Capucin du monde’
f.18v: ‘air L’aire laire &c’
f.19r: ‘air des Pendus’
f.25r: ‘Chanson sur les revolutions arrivées à St Peterdbourg air des Pendus’
f.25r: ‘air de la marche francoise’
f.25v: ‘air de tous le Capuccins du monde.’
f.25v: ‘air. j’aurai une robbe’
f.25v: ‘air que n’aimés vous seurs insensible’

Verses composed at the time of the arrest of Prince Charles Edward, Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland, in November 1748. Prince Charles Edward had fled England and taken refuge on France, unaware of the secret clauses of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) under which the King of France was committed to expelling his cousin. The poem criticises Louis XV for shamefully abandoning the cause of the Stuarts.

Also included with the allegory is a sonnet based on verse by Voltaire, and a longer poem that satirically compares a poor student to a herring.

The collection includes: historical miscellanea on government, law, political philosophy, church hierarchy, and contemporary politicians. Notes on Carolingian, Confucian, Solomonic, Egyptian, Roman, Athenian, and Spartan laws; on slavery and legal status of mixed-race children in the West Indies; on the Spanish Inquisition and Protestant Reformation; on English kings and queens; against universal suffrage; on Catholic clergy in Ireland; on the House of Commons; axioms of Burgleigh [sic]; a few brief riddles and verse satires. Includes a brief excerpt from David Hume’s History of England, quotes from la Bruyere, Byron, Dryden, Voltaire, and others, and several excerpts in French, and a few in Latin. Entries dated 1821-1840.

The collection includes:
1) Satires, epigrams, sonnets, and other pieces in verse composed by an admirer of Voltaire.
2) Copy of Phillippiques against the Duke of Orleans by Lagrange-Chancel
3) Pieces from the beginning of the 17th century. I) Letter from Marie de Médicis on the trial of the Maréchal de Marillac. II) Some pieces against Mazarin such as “Le Hardy frondeur à Mr le Duc de Beaufort”, and “Sur la retraite des Mazarinettes au Val de Grâce”, or “Verses against Mr le Prince de Condé”.
4) Several pieces in a very free vein, such as “sonnet” and a “madrigal”
5) Several pieces on the Régiment de la Calotte, a facetious and satirical company created in 1702
6) Satires on the Court of Louis XIV and attacks on noble characters of the time of the Fronde. I) “le Roy à mesdames de la Vallière et de Montespan”. II) “Les chambres de la Cour et de la Ville”. III) “Logemens des Dames avec leurs proverbes”
7) “Idée de la personne, de la cour de la manière de vivre du roy de Prusse, 1753”

The beginning of the letter appears to be missing. Voltaire writes of something that had been signed ‘Louis’ rather that ‘Marville’, noting that it is not bed to go to Cleopatra if you want to succeed with Ceasar. He asks if the recipient knows that their friend, Roy, Chevalier de St Michel, made a speech in verse to the king on the subject of the success of his arms in which he said that he only wished to see the king as a father and a husband. He then notes that the ‘moutons de Berry’ have no more reason to complain because Madame la Duchesse du Maine has given Voltaire thanks for the ‘blue murderers’ who carry rifle guns, adding that everyone seems happy, especially the king. Voltaire then states that he is giving the recipient this account out of duty because they have been so interested in the work that it is almost as much theirs as it is his. He then talks of a satirical poem written by le Chevalier de St Michel about Voltaire, quoting some of the verse, before discussing the manner in which Monsieur de Soubise prevented Antoin’s post from being abandoned and disobeyed Marshal de Saxe in order to win the battle. Voltaire signs of the letter with the phrase: ‘Adieu Atticus’.