Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Autograph draft of two letters : place not specified, to Frederick the Great and to Wilhelmine, Margrave of Bayreuth, [1757 Sept. 25].

BIB_ID
309328
Accession number
MA 986.33
Creator
Voltaire, 1694-1778.
Display Date
[1757 Sept. 25].
Credit line
Purchased by J.P. Morgan Jr., 1923.
Description
1 item (4 p.) ; 23.5 cm
Notes
A retained draft of two letters: the first (p. 1-3) is to Frederick the Great; the second (p. 3-4) is to Frederick's sister Sophia Friderika Wilhelmina von Preussen, margravine of Bayreuth.
Part of a large collection of letters from Voltaire to Frederick the Great. Letters have been cataloged individually; see collection-level record for more information.
The first letter draft is labeled "Au roi de Prusse;" the second letter draft is labeled "à [Madame] la margravine de Bareith."
The text of the draft to Frederick the Great differs slightly from the printed version.
Provenance
Charavay sale (Paris, 17 April 1880), p. 11, in no. 28; Morrison collection; Sotheby's (London, 19 April 1918), p. 289, in no. 1768; purcahsed by J.P. Morgan Jr. from the London dealer J. Pearson & Co. in 1923.
Summary
Inquiring about his military progress; comparing him to Charles XII; discussing his glory and his reputation in France; mentioning "Caton and Oton"; discussing his relationship with Frederick; telling him about his ideas for peace; recommending contacting directly the maréchal de Richelieu [Louis François Armand du Plessis].