This MS played a part in the production of the edition of Mérope published by Prault fils in 1758. The play was first performed at the Comédie-Française on Wednesday 20 February 1743 at the Jeu de Paume de l’Etoile.

Voltaire signs the letter as: ‘le vieux mouton broutant au pied des alpes’.

The copy was made for Count Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov and was sent to him with D8868.

This is a copy of the letter mentioned in D8832. It was sent to Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov.

The manuscript offers variants of Act IV, l.166a-182 and Act V, l.53-68. It is the only known original manuscript of Alzire to have survived. The variant for Act V is written in the left-hand margin of f.1r in Voltaire’s hand.

The letter reflects on the suicide of Mr. Martignac and features his suicide note. The manuscript is written in Wagnière’s hand, but the titular phrase ‘Anecdote étrange’ is in Voltaire’s handwriting.

The text very closely resembles a MS copy sent from Voltaire to Cideville in late February 1735.

The MS forms part of the second volume of two bound collection of autographs from leading figures of the eighteenth century.