The manuscript is an autograph poem by Bernard addressed to Voltaire. It carries the title ‘Vers du petit Bernard’ in Voltaire’s hand and begins with the line ‘Rien n’est si beau’. This five-line poem, titled ‘Le Hameau’, celebrates the speaker’s idyllic village, describing it as the most beautiful place imaginable. They express a deep appreciation for the charming scenery and picturesque landscape, which they believe is ideal for Watteau’s paintings. Voltaire responded to these verses in the same metre in his letter to M.Berger, written from the Château de Cirey and dated 29 January 1736 [D998].