The letter contains a copy of a short verse titled ‘À Mme la Duchesse de ***’. The lines of the poem have been added to the bottom of f.97v in two columns of four lines each.

Voltaire acquired this manuscript from the chevalier de Maudave in 1760 and presented it to the Bibliothèque de roi (now the Bibliothèque nationale de France) in August 1761. The text is a commentary on the Vedas, though rather than being a precious authentic text as Voltaire imagined, it was composed by Jesuits in Pondicherry. He inscribed a title page (f.iir) outlining what he knew and believed about the manuscript and its history.

The text dates to 1759, with Voltaire adding to the manuscript in 1761.

This volume contains four items:

• f.[i] Notice sur le Zozur Bedo et sur sa traduction par Mr Court de Gebelin
• f.[ii] Title page in Voltaire’s hand: ‘L’Ezour-védam ou ancien commentaire du védam traduit de la langue du hanscrit par un Brame de Bénares correspondant de la compagnie des indes […]. This appears to have been written on a pre-existing blank page.
• f.1-29 [The commentary]
• f.30-33 Suite du Zozur Bedo

The lines are part of the third Discours and represent ll.99-102.

Voltaire begins by saying that he is sending an addition for his Sophonisbe, which he felt was too short. He asks the d’Argental’s to send it the Lekain. Voltaire then discusses briefly war and peace before asking for details on the movements of de Mairet and the duc de Duras. The letter is followed by an extract, in verse, concerning Scipio.