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The letter contains four lines of verse known as ‘Sur la banqueroute d’un nommé Michel’.
Count von Manteuffel sent this copy of the poem to Count von Brühl from Berlin on 21 October 1740.
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:
Herschel recounts a story about Voltaire and makes arrangements to visit De Morgan.
He quotes from Sir Isaac Newton (‘Tho’ often he forgot to Eat / Never forgot to drink Sir!’), noting that this: ‘is a noble illustration but it puts me in mind of Voltaire’s rather unscrupulous procedure in re Habakkuk. On the chance of your not knowing it (rather a slender one since you seem to be use to, if not the actual author of all the fun that is going on in the world) I will tell it. He, the said Voltaire, was dictating a “moral” essay (after his fashion) to his secretary & was going on at a great rate quoting Habakkuk[…] The poor secretary wrote all down but with increasing dismay & misgiving till at length his heart kindled & he spoke with his tongue “Mais, Monsieur, Habakkuk ne dit nul part rien de parcil!!” Voltaire was down upon him at once with “Taissez vous, insolent! S’il ne le dit pas il l’a pu dire. Habakkuk est capable de tout!” Isn’t that sublime?’
The lines are part of the third Discours and represent ll.99-102.
Marx opens by saying that he has enclosed a photograph for Mrs Beesly. He then goes on to say that the Christian name of Mr. Greenwood is Frederick, adding in French that this is not the Frederick the Great. He continues by remarking that when Voltaire was in his Swiss retreat, he was accompanied by a Jesuit named Adam whom he introduced by visitors by saying: ‘he is not the first of men’. Returning to writing in English, Marx concludes the letter by saying that Jenny von Westphalen will call on Mrs Beesly the following Wednesday at 1pm.
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