No.XXXVI. 19/30 September 1760, at Geneva]

[My lord,

I have no words to express my most lively and submissive thanks for the recompense you have deigned to promise to my modest attainments. They are confined to the greatest devotion to my fatherland, to the most magnanimous Maecenas, and to knowledge. I know that when m. Voltaire praises me you can attribute this only to his desire to make himself agreeable to you by approving your most condescending choice.

A few days ago m. Voltaire bestowed an honour upon me, he visited me and presented me with a copy of the History of Russia, in which I found only one corrected passage on page 9 of the preface. Instead of the words 'The present history is a confirmation and supplement of the history of Sweden' it is said that it is a confirmation in certain passages. I asked the publishers, both the brothers Kramer, whether it was true that they published the History without the author's consent; they assured me that he had instructed them to do so.

At Tournay they gave last year's play Tancred or the last of the Almenaida. The author is still correcting it so that it may have an even more complete success in Paris, it has therefore not yet been printed. I attend all the performances, a fact which very much pleases m. Voltaire. He continues to express himself very favourably about out empire and about you personally. I asked him to present a portrait of himself. He wanted to give the best one so that a copy might be taken from it, but the portrait is not a very good likeness and I begged the niece of m. Voltaire to convince him of the necessity to make an engraving of the portrait, she promised me this, advising me to wait for a few days.

Sometimes I listen to m. Voltaire's anecdotes about the French Court, but I do not venture to transmit them to your excellency — they are more curious than significant.

In addition he has told me of one episode — one of the strangest in the annals of the world if it turns out to be true. This is a detailed account of the wife of the tsarevich Alexis, in which it is affirmed that she is alive, and that she has enjoyed the protection of the queen-empress during the last five months, being resident in Brussels.

He wanted to send you this memoir and to write to m. Choiseul to find out whether it is true that this princess was in Paris in 1713, as it is alleged in the memoir, and that the king wrote about it to the queen of Hungary, who received her on condition that her incognito be preserved.

I shall await your instructions about all this, and likewise supplementary memoir for the History of Russia, of which the author frequently reminds me.

I have the honour to commit myself to your most gracious protection, remaining with the deepest and most sincere respect, my lord, your most humble and devoted servant.

Boris Saltikov