Autograph letter from Voltaire to Berger, written from château de Cirey and dated 29 January 1736 [D998].
Identifiers
CMV:
CMV33900
Repository:
Shelfmark:
5-240 (II, f.91 v°), ‘Lettre de M. de Voltaire à M. Berger qui lui avait envoyé les vers de M. Bernard’
Title:
Autograph letter from Voltaire to Berger, written from château de Cirey and dated 29 January 1736 [D998].
Collection(s):
Related record(s):
No related manuscripts found.
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Content
Incipit Diplomatic:
De ton Bernard / J’aime l’esprit, / J’aime l’écrit
Incipit Modernised:
De ton Bernard / J’aime l’esprit, / J’aime l’écrit
Language(s):
In Voltaire’s Hand:
Yes
Brief Summary:
Autograph letter from Voltaire to Begrer, written from château de Cirey and dated 29 January 1736.
Detailed Summary:
The manuscript is an autograph letter containing a poem comprised of 28 lines. In the body of the letter, Voltaire bestows compliments upon Bernard and reflects on the public’s erroneous tendency to classify Montezume as one of his literary creations. In fact, the misunderstanding originates from the use of the same location (Peru) in Votaire’s Alzire. Additionally, These were the lines to which Voltaire replied in the same metre (see D998) — entitled “Le Hameau” and starting with ‘Rien n’est si beau / Que mon hameau, /Oh quelle image! / Quel paysage / Fait pour Vateau!’ (Œuvres complètes de M. Bernard, [Londres 1777], pp. 173–176).
Status:
Physical Description
Material(s):
Extent:
1 f.
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Binding:
The manuscript is bound with other documents in contemporary red morocco.
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History
Date:
29 January 1736
Ownership:
After Voltaire’s death, the MS passed into the ownership of Catherine II and remained in the imperial and then national collection thereafter.
Origin (transcript):
Provenance:
This MS was probably taken to St Petersburg by Wagnière in the summer of 1779 along with the rest of Voltaire’s library.
Bibliography
Bibliography:
Fernand Caussy, Inventaire des manuscrits de la bibliothèque de Voltaire conservée à la bibliothèque impériale publique de Saint-Pétersbourg (Geneva, Slatkine reprints, 1970)
OCV Reference:
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Record created by:
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