Voltaire thanks Guazzesi for sending him a book [Guazzesi’s translation of Alzire, published together with Racine’s Iphigenie in 1762], adding that he is too ill to thank him in his own hand, the letter instead being written by his secretary. Voltaire goes on to say that Iphigenie was worthy of being translated by Guazzesi, but that the translator does others [Voltaire] too much honour. He then turns to Guazzesi’s poetry, remarking that his compositions are instructive and agreeable, before speaking of the ancient Romans, noting that they had an unrefined sense of humour. He adds that he can see the mountains that were crossed by Hannibal through his windows.

The manuscript is an autograph letter, written in the hand of Jacques Le Brigant and headed ‘Signification des deux mots Tohu, et Bohu, à monsieur de Voltaire’. The letter delves into various translations of the term “tohu-bohu,” proposed by figures such as Aquila, Simmaque, Ovide, Buxtorf, and L’abbé Bergier, among others. Contesting the accuracy of these translations, the author forays into an etymological examination, suggesting that the words should instead be read as “Toeu and Boeu.” In Caussy’s Inventaire des manuscrits de la bibliothèque de Voltaire, the manuscript goes by an alternative name ‘Signification des deux mots Tohu et Bohu, à M. de Voltaire, par le Brigant, avocat, à Tréguier en Bretagne, le 8e mars 1778’. It is significantly likely to be the same text as the shelfmark and repository are identical, only the differing titles might raise a slight doubt.