15

Voltaire

King Frederick once sent an enigmatic letter to Voltaire. It read:

p                 6
——–   à   ———
Venez            100

Voltaire’s reply only contained two letters:

G a.

You have to take into account the size and position of all elements of this correspondence and to keep in mind that the exchange took place in French to arrive at the correct reading.
Frederick wrote;
“Venez sous (below) p à cent (100) sous (below) six (6).”
“Venez souper à Sanssouci.” (Come to sup at Sanssouci.)

Voltaire answered:
“G grand (large, i. e. upper case), a petit (small, i. e. lower case).”
„J‘ai grand appétit“ (I have great appetite.)

The famous philosopher Voltaire spent three years at Frederick’s court in Sanssouci. However, he never inhabited the room known as the “Voltairezimmer“ (Voltaire’s chamber).