Je vois, monsieur, par la lettre que vous avez reçue d’Amsterdam, et done vous m’avez envoyé copie, que vous vous avez fuit un violent ennemi; pour l’amour de Rousseau.
Autograph letter signed from Louis Racine to Dr. Heerckens, dated 29 March 1757.
Detailed Summary:
Racine writes that he sees from the letter Dr. Heerckens received from Amsterdam (which he sent Racine a copy of) that he has fled from a violent enemy because of his love for Rousseau. Racine advises him not to take Rousseau’s side so warmly because he must avoid literary quarrels. He advises Dr. Heerckens to let people think what they will of Rousseau in Amsterdam and to also let them condemn Racine for having defended him, with Racine adding that he is indifferent to these condemnations. He then references a letter in the journaux de Trévoux, stating that one may think of it what one will but everything in it is true. He ends by saying that if Dr. Heerckens has read the new edition of l’Histoire universelle by Voltaire then he will be indignant at the way in which Voltaire speaks of those who write Latin verse not as poets but as writers using a dead language.
The letter was sealed with red wax. The wax has caused some damage to the manuscript in the top left-hand corner of f.2r. The same folio features some minor staining in the upper half.
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Undecorated
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Sold at auction by Lombrail-Teucquam, 21 Avenue Balzac 94210 Saint-Maur-des-Fossés on 12 May 2022 (Lot 179).