MAGRITTE RENÉ: (1898-1967) Belgian Surrealist Painter. An interesting and philosophical letter written by Magritte A.L.S., `René Magritte´, two pages, 8vo, Brussels, 25th September 1961, in French. A very good content letter where Magritte refers first to the priests´ propaganda and later to the Nothingness concept, stating in part `A la suite d´une discussion à propos de mon texte ''La Voix du Mystère'', il faut craindre que le mystère don't je parle soit confondu avec celui don't les curés font leur propaganda: il m´a été dit qu´ils sauraient me convaincre que je suis ''un croyant'' comme ils l´entendent. Pour éviter cette erreur, cette horreur, il faudrait ajouter à mon texte: - qui ne correspond à aucune doctrine- dès le début. Nous aurons donc comme première phrase: Le mystère - qui ne correspond à aucune doctrine - n´est pas une possibilité…´ (Translation: ''Following a discussion about my text ''La Voix du Mystère'', it is to be feared that the mystery of which I am speaking is confused with that of which the priests make their propaganda: I have been told that they would know how to convince me that I am ''a believer'' as they understand it. To avoid this error, this horror, it would be necessary to add to my text: - which does not correspond to any doctrine - from the beginning. We will therefore have as a first sentence: The mystery - which does not correspond to any doctrine - is not a possibility…'') Further and referring to Nothingness, Magritte states `Je souhaite que vous écriviez ce que vous pensez du Néant. Vous devez pouvoir en dire ce que l´on ne sait pas encore. Comment le comprenez vous et comment le comprenez vous ''par rapport'' au mystère? Il s´agira peut-être de distinguer le Néant de celui qui sert à la propagande des curés de l´Orient? (Le Nirvana). Mais cette question est difficile, en ''distingant'' le Néant, on le determine déjà, on lui donne une forme qu´il ne saurait avoir étant le Néant? Je crois que ce que l´on ne sait pas encore du Néant nous est nécessaire´ (Translation: ''I want you to write what you think of the Nothingness. You must be able to say what we do not yet know. How do you understand it and how do you understand it ''in relation'' to the mystery? It will perhaps be a question of distinguishing the Nothingness from that which is used for the propaganda of the priests of the East? (Nirvana). But this question is difficult, by ''distinguishing'' the Nothingness, we already determine it, we give it a form that it could not have, being the Nothingness? I believe that what we do not yet know of Nothingness is necessary for us'') VG