The dating of this MS is unclear. L’Écossaise was taken out of the repertory on 12 May 1788 and was later revived in 1792-93. It seems most likely that this copy was produced for the reprise, given that Bouthier Darcourt helped Delaporte and Bonneval in copying plays from December 1788. However, it is equally possible that Caron produced this copy of the text during his trial period as assistant secrétaire-souffleur from 1770 to 1772.

Official approval of the MS has been recorded on p.107 in a note reading: ‘Lu et aprouvé les changemens. A Paris le 8 juin 1779. Suard. Vue l’aprobation, Permis de representer et d’imprimer ce 9 juin 1779. Lenoir.’

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.

The MS was composed, according to a notes in Voltaire’s hand on f.79v, f.81r, f.95v, and f.98r, between 6 November 1759 and 12 February 1760. The notes states that the MS was composed at Les Délices. F.1-80 are written primarily in Wagnière’s hand with corrections by Voltaire. F.81-99 are written primarily in Voltaire’s hand. The first half seems to be a clean copy of the text. The second half appears to be a working document.

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

Lines 62-193 are absent from this copy due to missing pages. The poem has been signed ‘Fm’.

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.