The letter reads: ‘M. de voltaire m’a prie, ‘Monsieur, de vous engager à lui procureur des éclair cissements au sujet d’un ouvrage imprimé en Hollande dont il paroit avoir fort à se plaindre. Il vous en a ecrit lui même et vous savez de quoi il est question. je ne puis refuser à ce celebre auteur de vous recommander ses interêts et vous me ferus plaisir de lui rendre touche les services qui dependrout de vous en observant neammoins de ne compromettre et votre personne ni votre caractere je suis, Monsieur, entierement à vous le Duc de Praslin.’

The list accompanying the Lee Collection suggests that this letter was intended for Voltaire. However, given that it is dated 1786 (after Voltaire’s death), and that the name ‘M. du Perron’ is written at the bottom of the letter, it is likely that the recipient was Abraham-Hyacinthe Anquetil-Duperron who, in 1763 was elected an associate of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres and began publishing materials from his travels. Louis-Charles-Auguste Le Tonnelier, baron de Breteuil opens by stating that he has been informed that the printing of the first volume of the extract submitted to the Comité de l’académie du belles lettres has barely begun at the Imprimerie Royale. He notes that the King’s intention in establishing the committe was that the public would quickly recognise its usefulness. He acknowledges the recipient’s frustration at this slow progress.

Émilie Deschamps thanks the recipient for his ‘souvenirs et envois’. He then mentions his correspondent’s Voltaire, madame Marie Mennessier Nadier, and Lamartine.