DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73713#0032
28
THE WORKS OF
I agree with you that it is very ill done to speak
with little consideration of a person so respec-
table as Mr. Wattelet (or any other) of whom
the same Winkelman wrote me a thousand eu-
logies when he knew him at Rome. If I could
possess the talent of writing well, I would give
reasons and fadts, and teach things useful, with-
out losing myself so as to contradict any one;
because it appears to me that one might write a
good book without saying such and such a per-
fon is deceived; and lastly if you can prove to
me that ssander is an honest thing, then I will
agree that it is of little consequence the man-
ner in which one attacks the reputation of one's
neighbour; and I add that sarcasm, and insult,
are the worst styles of complaining and blaming,
and from whence results always the worst evil
on him who uses it.
As to the questions between Winkelman and
Wattelet, it appears to me that the last had no mo-
tive for what he said, since we always hold for good
the most beautiful ancient statues ; and I believe if
you would with to speak in good faith you would
agree, that the hero proposed by Wattelet is more
a comedian than an ancient statue; and if I may
speak with sincerity, I believe, that were you not
ill disposed agairdt Winkelman you would not
have fallen into that sophism to prove with rea-
sons contrary to Wattelet that he was in the
right, because you, being of the profession, know
as well as me that the character of heroes or
of Demigods is of true beauty, and some-
what superior to human nature, and that this
THE WORKS OF
I agree with you that it is very ill done to speak
with little consideration of a person so respec-
table as Mr. Wattelet (or any other) of whom
the same Winkelman wrote me a thousand eu-
logies when he knew him at Rome. If I could
possess the talent of writing well, I would give
reasons and fadts, and teach things useful, with-
out losing myself so as to contradict any one;
because it appears to me that one might write a
good book without saying such and such a per-
fon is deceived; and lastly if you can prove to
me that ssander is an honest thing, then I will
agree that it is of little consequence the man-
ner in which one attacks the reputation of one's
neighbour; and I add that sarcasm, and insult,
are the worst styles of complaining and blaming,
and from whence results always the worst evil
on him who uses it.
As to the questions between Winkelman and
Wattelet, it appears to me that the last had no mo-
tive for what he said, since we always hold for good
the most beautiful ancient statues ; and I believe if
you would with to speak in good faith you would
agree, that the hero proposed by Wattelet is more
a comedian than an ancient statue; and if I may
speak with sincerity, I believe, that were you not
ill disposed agairdt Winkelman you would not
have fallen into that sophism to prove with rea-
sons contrary to Wattelet that he was in the
right, because you, being of the profession, know
as well as me that the character of heroes or
of Demigods is of true beauty, and some-
what superior to human nature, and that this