Ce volume contient plusieurs textes importants de Voltaire composes en 1766/1767: la "Relation de la mort du chevalier La Barre", qui fait partie de la lutte voltairienne contre l'infame; les "Lettres a Son Altesse Monseigneur le prince de ***", dans lesquelles Voltaire fait l'apologie de certains ecrivains 'antichretiens', precurseurs de l'esprit philosophique; et "Les Honnetetes litteraires", un 'compendium de traits d'erudition, de droiture et de charite'.

This volume brings together a group of works which have never been edited before, and makes an important contribution to the study of Voltaire and music history. Voltaire's role as a courtier during this period was a complex one, as he sought to serve at both the French and Prussian courts; the names of the addressees of the verse written at this time show the numerous contacts made by Voltaire during his travels abroad and particularly during his postings to Berlin and the Hague. On his return to France in 1743, his attention turned to the court at Versailles, and there followed two royal commissions, "La Princesse de Navarre" and "Le Temple de la gloire", both written in collaboration with Rameau with whom Voltaire had a stormy working relationship. Although neither work received the critical acclaim Voltaire had hoped for, the first did secure for him the position of historiographe du roi and is integral to his ongoing experimentation in comic drama.

In mid-July 1765, Voltaire produced a twenty-page pamphlet entitled "Questions sur les miracles a M. le professeur Cla*** par un proposant", hoping at best for a reply from the said pastor, little thinking that it would lead to the publication eleven months later, in May 1766, of a 232-page volume entitled "Collection des lettres sur les miracles", composed of various short writings from the period. Voltaire's series of twenty imaginary letters might at first glance be seen as one chronological sequence, as superficial as the fickle and fleeting question they address. But the "Collection" is at the same time an attack on Christianity; an attack on John Turberville Needham, a new anti-philosophical adversary for Voltaire; and a political wrangle which questions the relationship between church authorities and civil government, challenged by the situation in Switzerland at the time.

Les 'Vies privees', ecrits scandaleux destines a detruire l'image officielle de personnes distinguees, ou, plus rarement, ecrits louangeurs pour sauver une reputation, offrent des perspectives nouvelles sur l'evolution des rapports entre domaines publics et prives. Ces textes rares ou mal connus sont un temoignage capital sur l'histoire de l'opinion publique dans la France pre- et post-revolutionnaire et sur la constitution du genre de la biographie. Apres des recherches minutieuses menees dans des bibliotheques en France et a l'etranger, les editeurs proposent la premiere vue d'ensemble de ces 'Vies'. Un 'Dictionnaire' rassemble les notices, classees par ordre alphabetique des noms des personnages evoques, presentant l'analyse de chacune des 'Vies' recensees - des figures majeures, de la fin de l'Ancien regime et de la Restauration, rois et reines, membres de la famille de Napoleon, mais aussi des ministres, des prelats, et des brigands. Il est precede par un essai, intitule Vie privee et politique, qui etudie le phenomene editorial, litteraire et ideologique de ces textes. Ces 'Vies', souvent fantaisistes et caricaturales, ouvrent des perspectives nouvelles sur la manipulation de l'opinion par le recit au dix-huitieme siecle: le 'storytelling' des medias de nos jours n'est guere nouveau.

1739-1741 were stressful but highly creative years for Voltaire, his output ranging from science to polemic, from politics to poetry. Scientific research remains at the forefront, with Voltaire championing Newton's theories despite the opposition of the scientific establishment. Voltaire was in this period anxious to consolidate his reputation, and his continuing reflections on the nature of a literary career led to the publication of both his personalised "Memoire du sieur de Voltaire" and more general reflections on literary quarrels in "Memoire sur le satire". Public quarrels had become an integral part of the 'Republic of Letters' and Voltaire's disillusionment is clear in "Lettres sur les inconvenients attaches a la litterature". His verse ranges from crude satire to some of his most touching lyric poetry in the "Stances a Madame Du Chatelet". Altogether, this collection brings together the complex and contrasting works of a complex and flexible writer.