Voltaire to Jean Le Rond d'Alembert - 1774 June 4
June 1774
1 Mr de Chambon whom I do not know, whom
2 I do not want to know until he has your endorsement,
3 has sent two copies of his small panegyric to Raton
4 He says that he made the same dispatch to Bertrand. Yet
5 only Bertrand is able to judge this work.
6 Raton says that he is too old, too sick, too
7 little knowledgeable of transcendental geometry, to
8 dare express his judgment on such
9 thorny calculations. If Bertrand wants to send to him the unknown factors
10 and the equations Raton will be much obliged to him. These
11 are real brainteasers. The brain of the old patient
12 is too weak to take pains to do such research.
13 He tenderly embraces Bertrand with his two
14 front paws, and he will remain as long he can
15 on his two hind paws.
J.[1]
[1] This last initial is difficult to determine, since it does not look like “V” even though it should be. It may be the initial of the copyist.
