Voltaire is in Senones undertaking research in the library for his universal history (Essai sur les mœurs). Villaume writes a bibliographic reference at the top of the letter, to which Voltaire appends a quote in Latin, both of which are omitted from published versions of this letter. Voltaire is asking Dupont for information relating to this reference.
An eighteenth-century hand (probably Dupont’s) has added ‘No 9’ at the very top of f.363r, and ‘Capitulaires Livre 7. tit 93.’ to identify the quote at the top in Voltaire’s hand. Another (nineteenth-century editorial?) hand has written ‘Lettre IX. p.33’ and ‘Senone, Juin 1754’. A half-effaced pencil notation in yet another hand reads ‘187 bis’. On f.364r, which served as the envelope and bears Dupont’s address, as well as the post-mark ‘BASLE’, the same hand has marked ‘187 ter’.