Partially autograph letter from Voltaire to Maréchal Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, 3rd duc de Richelieu, written from Lunéville and dated 18 November 1748 [D3808]
MS-FS-11-004, f.11-12, ‘Voltaire. Lettres au maréchal de Richelieu et à Marin’. Formerly Rés. Ms 2028
Title:
Partially autograph letter from Voltaire to Maréchal Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, 3rd duc de Richelieu, written from Lunéville and dated 18 November 1748 [D3808]
Partially autograph letter from Voltaire to Maréchal Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, 3rd duc de Richelieu, written from Lunéville and dated 18 November 1748.
Detailed Summary:
The letter begins with a poem, ‘A monsieur le maréchal duc de Richelieu, à qui le sénat de Gènes avait érigé une statue’. This is written in a secretarial hand.
In a concluding prose section, added in his own hand, Voltaire notes that he imagines the recipient, Maréchal Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, will be invited to dine with the President in Paris upon his arrival as his glory means that he must lack nothing. Voltaire ends by saying he has just received Louis’ letter.
Part of a bound collection of letters to the maréchal de Richelieu and Marin.
Additional Comments:
The MS has been folded into four (since unfolded) and there are several small holes along the fold lines. The lower left-hand and upper right-hand corners have been dog-eared. Margins have been added in pencil.
There are two minor corrections to f.11r in the form of corrected text written over the top of incorrect text, and crossing out with corrected text added superscript.