Nicolaas Beets

Nicolaas Beets (13 September 1814 – 13 March 1903) was a Dutch theologian, writer and poet. He published also under the pseudonym Hildebrand.

Quotes

• "Het botsen der gevoelens," zegt men vaak,
  "Kan voeren tot het ware van de zaak".
  Maar waar vooroordeel met vooroordeel strijdt,
     Wat is het — dan verlies van tijd!
  • "The clash of feelings," it is often said,
    "Can lead to the truth of the matter."
    But where prejudice fights with prejudice,
       What is it then — a waste of time!
  • Winterloof. Late Gedichten, 1884–1887 (Leiden: A. W. Sijthoff, 1887), p. 35: Du choc des opinions naquit la vérité (title of poem, taken from Charles-Pierre Colardeau)