Monsieur, Un veillard de quatre vingts-ans, qui chêve sa carriere entre Genêve et la Suisse, vous remercie très sensiblement du beau present que vous avez bien voulu lui faire.
Incipit Modernised:
Monsieur, un vieillard de quatre vingts-ans, qui chêve sa carriere entre Genève et la Suisse, vous remercie très sensiblement du beau présent que vous avez bien voulu lui faire.
Letter from Voltaire to Dr John Carr, written in the hand of Wagnière from Ferney and dated 16 August 1774.
Detailed Summary:
Voltaire writes to Dr John Carr to thank him for his gift of a copy of his translation of the Select Dialogues of Lucian, noting that Carr had successfully captured the spirit of Lucian.
The wax seal is extant. The wax is, unusually, black rather than red which suggests that either the sender or the recipient were in mourning. There is damage to f.2 caused by the seal, and several ink stains on the same folio. The letter was sealed using the ‘Tuck-and-Seal’ method.
Numerous postmarks, including one for Ferney, have been stamped above the address on f.2v. The phrase ‘il faut affranchir’ has also been added above the address on f.2v.