From Balthasar's aphorism

[qazwsx1234]

A noble nature, on the contrary, always knows how to find an excuse for failings, if not in the intention, at least from oversight.

Does this translation mean "a noble nature knows how to find an excuse for failings. Even if his tolerance is not what he intends, it is at least because of his oversight.?"

There are men of gloomy character who regard everything as faulty, not from any evil motive but because it is their nature to. They condemn all: these for what they have done, those for what they will do. This indicates a nature worse than cruel, vile Indeed. They accuse with such exaggeration that they make out of motes beams wherewith to force out the eyes. They are always taskmasters who could turn a paradise into a prison; if passion intervenes they drive matters to the extreme. A noble nature, on the contrary, always knows how to find an excuse for failings, if not in the intention, at least from oversight.

[Whosis]

I read it as criticism of the self. One is noble enough to find a reason he has failed, maybe not intentionally, but perhaps from error. Oversight I take to be ignorance while carrying onward, and intention is just that. I think my interpretation differs a bit from yours, but I think it can read that way. I read it that way because I sometimes have to be critical of my work.

Actually, I think maybe instead he's listing excuses for failings, two of which are intention and oversight. Another excuse for failing might be being a novice in an area that a person should otherwise have expertise. That would lead to failings. Another excuse might be strict human error. It doesn't sound noble itself, the aphorism, as an excuse is like a way out of accountability, which sounds more snide/selfish than noble. Maybe that's the meaning? What language is it translated from, and what work is it in?