The poem is titled ‘Vers de Mr Harouet, A Mr. Racine, sur son Poëme sur la grace’ and is dated 1722.

The copy forms part of a collection of letters and pieces concerning Voltaire and his family, in three volumes. This volume (the third) contains verse by, or attributed to, Voltaire. This copy of La Fête de Bélesbat contains several variants of the print edition.

The collection includes:

• p.1: ‘Lettres de Mr. de Voltaire à M. d’alembert’
• p.287: ‘Minutte d’une Lettre de M. L’abbé de Fenelon au Roi aqui elle sut remise dans le temps par M. Le D. de B. et qui loin de seú indispaver choisit au contraire quelque tems après cet abbè pour precepteur de Princes ses Petits Enfants. (I) Cette minutte est toute des Ecriture de M L’abbé de Fenelon depuis archevêque de Cambrai.’
• p.319: ‘Synonyme’
• p.335: ‘Lettre de M. De Voltaire à M. D’argental du 23. Xbre 1774.’
• p.339: ‘Lettre de Mr De Voltaire à Mr Le comte D’argental du 30 Xbre 1774.’
• p.345: ’16 Janvier 1775.’
• p.351: ‘Couplets sur le retour de M. le duc de Choiseul, par M. le Cher de Boufflers.’
• p.353: ‘Couplets à Mde de Grammont et à M. De Choiseul. sur l’air: de lu Baronne.’
• p.355: ‘Couplet à M. le duc de Choiseul sur l’air: de Juconde.’
• p.356: ‘A Made. du Choiseul sur l’air de Joconde’
• p.357: ‘A Made De Grammont, même air.’
• p.367: ‘Vers de M. de la harpe à deux de ses amis qui etoient allès le voir à sa compagne’
• p.375: ‘Les Revenans, Vaudeville composè par un Revenant. Sur l’air; chanson, chanson’
• p.376: ‘Couplet sur le même air huvoyé à M Collè a L’occassion de cette chanson’
• p.377: ‘Chanson de M. Saurin pour M. de Malesherbes.
• p.378: ‘Vers de Mr de Ruliere a une nouvelle devote.’
• p.385: ‘Lettres de Monsieur De Voltaire à Monsieur D’Argental du 24. 8bre. 1774.’
• p.389: ‘du 24. novembre 1774.’
• p.392: ‘du 9 décembre 1774’
• p.399: ‘Lettres de Monsieur De Voltaire à Monsieur Le Marquis de Coudorcet du 23 9bre. 1774.’
• p.408: ‘du 7. décembre 1774’
• p.410: ‘du 11 décembre 1774.’
• p.415: ‘Lettre de Mr. de Voltaire à Mr. le Marquis de Condorces 6 fevrier 1775’
• p.419: ‘a ferney ce 21de avril 1775’
• p.422: ‘A Ferney ce 24 de. avril’
• p.425: ‘Ferney ce 7 de. Juillet 1775’
• p.428: ‘Forney ce 7 de. auguste 1775.’
• p.431: ‘Lettres de M. de Voltaire à Mr. de Condorces.’
• p.447: ‘Lettres de M. de Voltaire à Mr le Comte d’Argental’
• p.460: ‘Copie d’une lettre écrite au Roi de Prusse par M. de Voltaire.’
• p.466: ’19 avril 1776′

Voltaire opens by addressing the news that Madame de St Julien is coming to Geneva, stating that he is astonished by and happy about it. He then asks if d’Argental has read two volumes of a work by a ‘misérable’ who argues that Shakespeare is the only good model of tragedy, noting that the author sacrifices the French to his idol as pigs were once sacrificed to Ceres. He expresses particular woe at the author omitting to mention Corneille and Racine. Voltaire bemoans that this author had gotten the royal family to subscribe to his work, asking if d’Argental had read his abominable grimoire of which there were still five volumes outstanding, before stating that they should not suffer this affront. Voltaire then states that what makes matters worse is that he was the first to speak of Shakespeare and show the French some pearls within his collective works (dubbed by Voltaire as manure), adding that he never thought his introduction of the French to Shakespeare would lead to the trampling of the crowns of Racine and Corneille He asks d’Argental to be as angry as he is. In the conclusion of the letter, he discusses plays to be performed in Geneva.

Voltaire opens by addressing the news that Madame de St Julien is coming to Geneva, stating that he is astonished by and happy about it. He then asks if d’Argental has read two volumes of a work by a ‘misérable’ who argues that Shakespeare is the only good model of tragedy, noting that the author sacrifices the French to his idol as pigs were once sacrificed to Ceres. He expresses particular woe at the author omitting to mention Corneille and Racine. Voltaire bemoans that this author had gotten the royal family to subscribe to his work, asking if d’Argental had read his abominable grimoire of which there were still five volumes outstanding, before stating that they should not suffer this affront. Voltaire then states that what makes matters worse is that he was the first to speak of Shakespeare and show the French some pearls within his collective works (dubbed by Voltaire as manure), adding that he never thought his introduction of the French to Shakespeare would lead to the trampling of the crowns of Racine and Corneille He asks d’Argental to be as angry as he is. In the conclusion of the letter, he discusses plays to be performed in Geneva.

The French text is written on the verso sides and the Italian on the recto sides so that the two versions can be consulted simultaneously.