This MS appears to be an early copy of the poem, later revised by a second hand to align with the Louvain edition. More than 120 changes have been made to the text throughout.

In the spring of 1739, Voltaire dedicated La Henriade to Frederick II of Prussia and that summer Frederick penned this foreword. Following their disagreement, however, Voltaire decided to remove the dedication to Frederick and his foreword was not taken to print. It would remain unpublished for seventeen years. In 1746, Marmontel published two fragments of the foreword that would later be corrected and modified several times, including by Voltaire.

Voltaire begins by saying that he is sending an addition for his Sophonisbe, which he felt was too short. He asks the d’Argental’s to send it the Lekain. Voltaire then discusses briefly war and peace before asking for details on the movements of de Mairet and the duc de Duras. The letter is followed by an extract, in verse, concerning Scipio.