aux Délices 4 octobre [November 1758]
Mylord,
When j ran last years into profecies, like Isaïah and Jeremiah, j did not think j should weep this year over yr worthy brother.
J learn'd his death and that of the King's sister at a time. Nature and war work on together yr king's calamities. The loss of marechal Keite is a great one. All yr philosophy can not remove yr grief. Philosophy assuages the wound and leaves the heart wounded. This present war is the most hellish that was ever fought. Yr lordship saw formerly one battle a year at the most. But nowadays the earth is cover'd with blood and mangled carcasses, almost every month. Let the happy madmen vho say that all what is, is well, be confounded. T'is not so indeed with twenty provinces exhausted and with three hundred thousand men murdered.
J wish yr lordship the peace of mind necessary in this lasting hurricane of horror. J enjoy a calm and delightfull life, that Federic will never taste of. But the more happy j am, the more j pity kings. J hope you were as happy as j am, were you not a tender brother? Conservez vos bontez milord à un philosophe campagnard qui sera toujours pénétré pour vous du plus tendre respect.
V.