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Also includes: includes.
f. 29 Poetry: Verses on Voltaire’s recovery from illness, by – Allamand: 1759.: Fr.
ff. 49 b, 61 Poetry: Epigrams on Voltaire: 18th cent.: Fr.
Mr Calas, son on Jean Calas, writes that he is enclosing a work by Voltaire about his father’s execution and his family’s misfortunes.
Pictet begins by saying that Voltaire will be surprised to receive a letter from him, but that the recent revolution has given rise to many reflections that he wished to discuss with him. He notes that anyone who knew Peter III of Russia, his behaviour, and his projects can only approve his being overthrown by his wife, Catherine the Great, whom he describes as ‘the most worthy and greatest Empress who has ever reigned in the Universe’. He assures Voltaire that it was not Catherine that sought the throne but that she was only following the general wish of the Nation, crediting the revolution to the difference in characters between Peter III and Catherine the Great. He goes on to explore Peter’s faults in great depth before providing an account of the revolution and the movements of Peter III and Catherine the Great. Pictet concludes by discussing a proposal made by Catherine to D’Alembert.
Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness begins by discussing a recent communication made by the Prussian Minister regarding the negotiation recently opened at Hamburg. This negotiation aimed at iniciating peace between Frederick II of Prussia and Czarina Elizaveta Petrovna of Russia. Darcy also makes note of discussions of this general pacification in a letter from Voltaire to Frederick II of Prussia.
In the letter, Frederick refers to their mutual friendship with Voltaire, and addresses some lines of poetry to the recipient.
The collection includes works by, amongst others:
In this letter, P. Baker discusses a work written against Voltaire.