A book of reading notes on historical subjects, mainly in the hands of Voltaire, Collini and Villaume. There is a note in an unknown hand on f.58r. Wagnière has jotted at the start of the notebook (at the top of f.1r): ‘ce cahier contient 58 feuillets écrits, soit 116 pages’, then, heavily crossed out: ‘je prie qu’on en ait soin, n’aiant pout de double étant obligé de rendre l’original. le […] peut écrire à messieurs les rédacteurs ils pourront me l’envoier pour le copier’. The final leaf contains a list of errata for the work that was to become l’Essai sur les mœurs.

Voltaire states that Perronet gave him a great desire to take the coach to see the Neuilly bridge, adding that he would leave immediately if his age and continual illness did not prevent him from doing so. He notes that it is sad to die without having seen the monuments which make one’s homeland illustrious and thanks Perronet for having had the goodness to have had the drawing of the bridge shown to him. Voltaire goes on to say that he does not doubt that the King will use Perronet’s rare talents for new masterpieces which will immortalise his century and his reign. He ends by saying that he hopes Perronet will include him amongst his large number of admirers.

Voltaire begins by saying that the Count de Rochefort, and the old woman of nineteen years old, left Macon. According to the letter written by the trio, Voltaire adds that he expects that the travellers will soon be either in Paris or Vandoeuvre. He advises the travellers that they will not see ‘Les Lois de Minos’ because they will be in their quarters when it will be presented and begs them not to show the ‘Lois’ to anyone other than D’Alembert. Voltaire goes on to say that he doesn’t think it necessary to make even the slightest reasonable allusion; but one must always expect the worst from frivolous, troubled and mean spirits. What’s more, he adds, the copy that they have is incorrect and it two pages need to be redone. Voltaire concedes that such ‘bagatelles’ are not deserving of much attention but as there are people in the world who seek to take every opportunity to harm, he asks that the recipients do not give them this opportunity. He ends by stating that Madame Denis very respectfully thanks ‘Madame dix neuf ans’ and that he himself does the same for the third person to whom he has the honour to address his letter. The closing of the letter is added in Voltaire’s own hand. Here, he states that he throws himself at the feet of the old lady.

Voltaire encourages the recipient to read a letter from Turgot, Contrôleur général des Finances to Louis XVI concerning the 30,000 pounds that had been set as the price for the Pays de Gex’s future immunity from taxation. Voltaire notes that Turgot’s letter shows he fought bitterly for this figure to be reduced and expresses his annoyance that the recipient did not keep him informed of their own negotiations over this price, negotiations Voltaire felt had jeopardised his own attempts to reduce the sum. He then turns to salt, a commodity that had been proposed as an alternative to taxation, stating that this idea had never come to fruition.

Voltaire writes that Marin has informed him of the service the recipient is willing to render to President Hénaut, to himself, and above all to the truth, adding that for this they owe the recipient their foremost attention. He adds that the recipient is interested in this matter, and that he shall be the recipient’s agent.

Voltaire acknowledges that he received from Monsieur Le Marquis De St. Tropez, via Monsieur Audibert, four hundred and eighty-one pounds and twelve sous, for one year of his annuity, due on the first of May 1775.