A Veszprém Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei 21. (Veszprém, 2000)

Ács Anna: Kazinczy Ferenc levele Pápay Sámuelhez. Egy irodalmi kibékítés története

literature. Although in the fight for language reform, he became an opponent of Kazinczy, their friendship was not broken. Pápay's point of view and sober arguments had an effect on Kazinczy. The background to the published letter was that Pápay, after the death of his friend József Takács, hoped for an opportunity to reconcile Sándor Kisfaludy, the highly respected leader of the writers of Transdanubia, and Kazinczy, thus to resolve the conflict between them which had lasted for more than a decade. The long, four-page reply is truly a short study, and for Kazinczy served as a publication forum, such as was not available at that time. In it speaks the scholarly writer, wishing to instruct and take on conflicts of principle, who once more defends his language reform views to his opponents - although the fight has officially come to an end. He excuses his own character traits, criticised by many, and leaves the judgement of values to posterity. In his judgement of Takács, the Kazinczy is seen who expresses his opinion, with no regard to authority or sensitivity, thus causing serious wounds. His own personal likes and dislikes are expressed in his letter, which spoke not only to the recipient, but also to the intelligentsia of Veszprém and district, providing numerous special additions to our knowledge of the literary public life of this region in the second decade of the 19

1 century. In the end, Pápay achieved his goal: we are informed in the last line of the letter, that Kazinczy offered the right hand of peace to Sándor Kisfaludy „as a funeral sacrifice by the grave of Takács." 136