The MS consists of five fascicules bound together and was submitted to the censor, Crébillon by the comédiens in 1761. His official approval is noted on the verso of the final leaf: ‘Jay lu par ordre de Monsieur le Lieutenant Général de Police l’Ecueil du Sage et je crois que l’on peut en permettre la représentation. Ce 26 9bre 1761. Crébillon. Vû L’aprobation Permis de representer ce 28 9bre 1761. de Sartine.’

The poem would later be included in a letter from Voltaire to Nicolas-Claude Thieriot, written from Les Délices and dated 8 May 1758 [D7728].

The text of this MS is close to the clandestine editions of the text produced in 1784. Marginal notes restore the text to the original version (CMV37555). The MS is part of a bound collection known to have been used by the Kehl editors.

This MS contains copies of three Italian sonetti: one from Giovanni Lami (1697-1770) who writes against Voltaire, one titled ‘Al re di prussia’, and one by Pietro Metastasio (1698-1792).

Voltaire begins by saying that he is sending Cramer a new Russian chapter. He adds that they should leave Andromeda and run quickly to the Tsar and the histoire genérale, noting that the advent of Catherine and the coming peace are pressing Cramer. Voltaire then notes that he asked Cramer for a copy of La Pucelle, questioning whether or not he has any relics. He adds that he likes to give out copies every now and again and currently has a desire to give out four or five.

Voltaire begins by saying that Keate’s friend is about to set out on his journey to England. He adds that he regrets the company of the friend, and that he will regret Keate all his life, before noting that they are in the middle of acting a tragedy [Sémiramis] in which he plays a ghost [Ninus]. Voltaire concludes by saying that he will act very well for he is but a shadow.

The letter is bound into a 1759 edition of Candide printed in England. In the letter, Voltaire writes that he, the ‘vieux malade’, has learned of all the good the recipient continues to do for his poor province. He both congratulates and thanks the recipient, adding that Wagnière will tell them how attached both he and Madame Denis are to them.

This poem would later feature in a letter from Voltaire to Cideville (D2512) and was published in the 1745 edition of his works (Tome VI, in Stances à madame du Châtelet) published in Amsterdam by Etienne Ledet. An expanded version was printed in Tome V of the 1746 London edition.

Voltaire thanks the Pope for his kindness in gifting him his portrait. He adds that he would like the Pope to know that he is entirely devoted to his service and that he admires all of his eminent qualities. In thanks for the gift, Voltaire includes two lines of Latin verse in praise of Pope Benedict XIV: Lambertinus hic est Romae decus, et pater orbis / qui mundum scriptus docuit, virtutibus ornat. These would be repeated, with minor variation, in D3193.