Voltaire begins by asking Marie-Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand for a topic of conversation, saying that he likes to talk to her but does not have a subject on which to write. He states that he is neither devout nor ungodly, and that he is a lone farmer buried in a barbaric country, likening those in Paris to monkeys and those in Ferney as bears. He notes that he avoids both where possible, but that the teeth and claws of persecution have lengthened until his retirement and wish to poison his last days. Voltaire then claims that the King, who is not jealous of either his verse or prose, will not believe his persecutors and will not use his powers to expatriate a 65-year-old patient who has only done good in the country he lives in. He then turns to Jean-Philippe-René de La Bléterie whom he reports is a Janesnist seeking the protection of the Duc de Choiseul. He speaks of his dislike of La Bléterie because he insulted Voltaire in the notes of his translation of Tacitus. Voltaire questions why anyone seeking the favour of the Duc de Choiseul should insult him in passing. He concludes with a discussion of the ‘innocent and cheerful pieces’ that the Marquise spoke to him about, asking how he should send them to her, and musing on whether sending them to her would result in malicious jokes and slander.