Letter 021 London, 10 August 1874
Dear Theo,
鈥淵e judge after the flesh; I judge no man.鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> 鈥淗e that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her.鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> So keep to your own ideas, and if you doubt whether they are right, test them with those of Him who dared to say, 鈥淚 am the truth,鈥?or with those of some very human person, Michelet, for instance鈥?p style="line-height:25px;text-indent:32px"> Virginity of soul and impurity of body can go together. You know the 鈥淢argaret at the Fountain,鈥?by Ary Scheffer, is there a purer being than that girl 鈥渨ho loved so much鈥?
鈥淟eys n鈥檈st pas un imitateur mais un semblable鈥?[Leys is not an imitator but a similar one] is a true saying that struck me too. One might say the same of Tissot鈥檚 pictures, of his 鈥淲alk in the Snow,鈥?鈥淲alk on the Ramparts,鈥?鈥淢arguerite in Church,鈥?etc.
With the money I gave you, you must buy Alphonse Karr鈥檚 Voyage autour de mon jardin. Be sure to do that 鈥?I want you to read it.
Anna and I walk every evening. Autumn is coming fast and that makes nature more serious and more intimate still. We are going to move to a house quite covered in ivy; I will soon write more from there.
Compliments to anyone who may inquire after me.
Vincent