The widow Burdet states that on the night of the seventh to the eighth of January 1761, she finds herself very unhappy because of the sins committed in her house. She asks God for forgiveness for all of her sins and promises to do penance if he deigns to preserve her life. She declares before God that the hatred of Curé Ancian comes from the fact that he wanted to sin with her for about two years. She claims that he reproached her for her aversion to him and that on 6 December, while drinking in her house, he told her that he no longer wanted to put the straw too close to the fire. She conludes by saying that this is the real case of his sin and commends herself to God.

The widow Burdet notes that since Mr. Voltaire has done her the favor of helping her with her work, she begs him to be so kind as to pass the mémoire on to a lawyer in due course.

The statement notes that when questioned yesterday about wounds he received to his head, François Collet, a watchmaker’s boy from Sacony, dared not answer for fear as several people had given him the obligation to pay legal costs if he complained about Ancian. Being poor and upset by his injuries which have prevented him from earning a living, he remained silent but later realised the importance of speaking up. As such, he declares that Decroze was murdered in his presence. He says that on 27 December he saw Ancian at the house of the widow Burdet. The following day, having had dinner with her, Ancian entered the house at 10:30pm with several other men, all of whom were armed with large sticks that had been reinforced at the end, one of which had been reinforced by and iron point. These men beat the diners over the head with the sticks. He begs pardon for not having made the confesstion sooner.

The statement notes that when questioned yesterday about wounds he received to his head, François Collet, a watchmaker’s boy from Sacony, dared not answer for fear as several people had given him the obligation to pay legal costs if he complained about Ancian. Being poor and upset by his injuries which have prevented him from earning a living, he remained silent but later realised the importance of speaking up. As such, he declares that Decroze was murdered in his presence. He says that on 27 December he saw Ancian at the house of the widow Burdet. The following day, having had dinner with her, Ancian entered the house at 10:30pm with several other men, all of whom were armed with large sticks that had been reinforced at the end, one of which had been reinforced by and iron point. These men beat the diners over the head with the sticks. He begs pardon for not having made the confesstion sooner.

The memoire recounts the attack on Decroze on 28 December 1760

The memoire recounts the attack on Decroze on 28 December 1760

The memoire recounts the attack on Decroze on 28 December 1760

The text consists of a single couplet preceded by a comment by Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford (1689-1741), ‘On Voltaire by Dr Young talking in a profligate manner on[e] evening’. ‘Thou’rt so Ingenious, Profligate and Thin, / Thy self art Milton & his Death & Sin.’

Voltaire thanks Gravesande for the figure he sent him of the machine used to fix the image of the sun. He notes that he will have one made according to the design and will be freed from great embarassment because he is clumsy and has lots of trouble in his dark room with his mirrors. He remarks that the package from Gravesande also included the work he had asked for in which his adversary uses c.300 pages on the subject of some thoughts of Pascal that Voltaire had examined in less than one sheet. He goes on to provide some excerpts of quotes that the editors of Pascal’s works suppressed from print. Voltaire claims that Pascal was blighted by melancholy, stating that Leibnitz makes this claim a little harshly. Voltaire then discusses the original sin, melancholy states, and the nature of the soul.

Voltaire begins by saying that there are two people in the world that he has never had the pleasure of seeing, but to whom he has the greatest obligations: Jean-Joseph de Laborde himself and Etienne-François de Choiseul. He then remarks upon his age and illness, and says that if he is damned upon his death it will not be for the sin of ingratitude, adding that ingratitude should be considered the eighth mortal sin. Voltaire then references a recent event which he claims does irreparable harm to his colony, before wishing the recipient and his family all the prosperity that they deserve.