The text is largely written in the secretarial hand of Samuel Villaume. Voltaire has added corrections throughout.

The MS is bound with three other texts by Voltaire which once formed part of the Boissy d’Anglas album. These texts are:

• (a) a letter in verse to Algarotti and a letter to the comte d’Argental
• (b) Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne
• (c) Bababec et les fakirs / Lettre d’un Turc.

The MS is bound with three other texts by Voltaire which once formed part of the Boissy d’Anglas album. These texts are:

• (a) a letter in verse to Algarotti and a letter to the comte d’Argental
• (b) Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne
• (d) Résumé historique et critique.

The verses are found in a historical miscellany. A second hand has added a note to the text stating that the true author of the verses is Ernst Christoph von Manteuffel.

The title is written in Voltaire’s hand.

The title is written in Voltaire’s hand.

(cf. t. IV, fol. 14)

The phrase ‘concernant le XVIe siècle en France’ is written in Voltaire’s hand.

It is likely that this was a prompt copy used at the Comédie-Française. The play was first performance at the Comédie-Française at the ‘Jeu de Paume de l’Etoile’ on Monday 18 January 1734.

Variant readings are clearly marked throughout.