Voltaire writes that César de Missy will no doubt accuse him of laziness, but he has been unwell and forced to take the water which has interrupted his business for some time. He writes that as a citizen of the world he takes great interest in the maxims of antimachiavellianism, but so few share his interest that he had abandonned his work entirely. He adds that he published it hoping to do some good, but only prduced money for booksellers. Voltaire sends his best to Monsieur de Nency and asks how he can get hold of nova reperta et antiqua deperdita printed recently in London with notes. He discusses his Lettres philosophiques and comments on their flaws, suggesting that they were turned upside down and truncated. He then notes that he lives in a barren country for literature as foreign newspapers are forbidden and only almanacs are printed there, remarking that the Univerdity of Louvain does not yet know of Sir Isaac Newton. He adds that Émilie du Châtelet is the only philosopher in Brabant, and that it is a pity that she prefers Leibnitz to Newton.