Voltaire opens by saying that when he asked Marie-Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise Du Deffand to urge her friends to speak to Maurepas, it was not for fear that it would do him harm. He turns to the recent appearance of some scandalous letters, asking if the duchesse du Maine is angry that he put Newton above Descartes, or if the duchesse de Villars will react badly to his treatment of her innate ideas as chimeras. He then turns to the Jansenists, whom he says want him to burn for certain of his theological ideas that he published whilst in London. He adds that his English publisher found him very moderate. He goes on to say that he had thought to leave France forever when he gave Tiriot permission two years ago to print this work, and that he has since changed his mind, adding that it is unfortunate that the letters appear in France when he most wants to stay there. He concludes by saying that he does not know if he will return to France. He asks her to send any letters for him to Paris opposite St Gervais as they will find him, asking that she marks her letter (for example with ‘DD’) so that he can easily identify which letters come from her.