ORIGINAL

DE GROOT AAN VONDEL

1632, 7/17 Augustus.

Seer geleerde, en treffelyke vrundt,

U. Ed. bedenkinge, die deselve genomen heeft over het dicht ter occasie van myn vertrek, vinde ik goedt. Seer qualyk soude de ergernisse gemydt hebben konnen werden, ende lichtelyk soude men hem selve quaedt doen sonder my goedt te doen. Ik oordeele ook dat U. E. tot een volkomen Poema een bequaem sub- ject bedacht heeft, van den tocht van Constantyn na Rome ’t welk soo grooten gewicht heeft medegebraght in de saeken van de werelt. De Grieken roemen Constantyn seer hoogh ende noemen hem den Apostelen gelyk. My dunkt, dat hy geen quaedt Prins en is geweest sedert hy de Christelyke Religie heeft aengenomen: maer gelyk de Christenen hem tot den hemel verheffen soo sie ik dat Zosimus een blint yveraer in ’t Heidensch geloof, alles op- soekt, dat hy kan met recht met onrecht om hem te doen klein achten. Doch U. E. seit wysselyk dat het der Poeten recht is de fouten over te sien, ofte niet te geloven van de geenen die sy nemen tot stoffe van heur lof en tot een voorbeelt van deucht.

TRANSLATION

DE GROOT TO VONDEL

August 7/17, 1632

Dear learned and remarkable friend,

I find your thoughts on the poem written for the occasion of my departure to be good. It would have been very difficult to avoid causing offense, and it would have been easy to harm oneself without doing me any good. I also believe that you have chosen a suitable subject for a complete poem, the journey of Constantine to Rome, which has had such a significant impact on world affairs.

The Greeks praise Constantine highly and call him equal to the Apostles. I think he was not a bad prince since he adopted the Christian religion. However, just as Christians elevate him to the heavens, I see that Zosimus, a blind zealot of the pagan faith, seeks out everything he can, rightly or wrongly, to belittle him. But you wisely say that it is the poet's right to overlook or not believe the faults of those they choose as subjects of their praise and as examples of virtue.

Metadata

  • Sender: Hugo de Groot
  • Recipient: Joost van den Vondel
  • Subject: Feedback on a poem and discussion on Constantine's journey to Rome
  • Send Date: 1632
  • Location: Unknown
  • Geolocation: Unknown
  • Language: nl
  • Summary: Hugo de Groot expresses his approval of Vondel's considerations regarding a poem written on the occasion of de Groot's departure. He discusses the potential for causing offense and praises Vondel's choice of subject for a complete poem, the journey of Constantine to Rome, highlighting its significance in world affairs. De Groot reflects on Constantine's reputation among Christians and pagans, noting the poet's right to overlook faults in their subjects.