Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/376

 350 FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS. .[1856,

you may not be thwarted by the cares and temp tations of life. Depend on it, now is the ac cepted time, and probably you will never find yourself better disposed or freer to attend to your culture than at this moment. When They who inspire us with the idea are ready, shall not we be ready also ?

I do not remember anything which Confucius has said directly respecting man s &quot; origin, pur pose, and destiny.&quot; He was more practical than that. He is full of wisdom applied to human relations, to the private life, the family, government, etc. It is remarkable that, accord ing to his own account, the sum and substance of his teaching is, as you know, to do as you would be done by.

He also said (I translate from the French), &quot; Conduct yourself suitably towards the persons of your family, then you will be able to instruct and to direct a nation of men.&quot;

&quot; To nourish one s self with a little rice, to drink water, to have only his bended arm to sup port his head, is a state which has also its satis faction. To be rich and honored by iniquitous

bought back the unsalable first edition from his publisher, Munroe. In a letter of October 31, to which the above is a reply, he mentions taking- a walk with Charles Newcomb, then of Providence, now of London, one of the Dial contributors, and a special friend of Emerson ; then inquires about Confu cius, the Hindoo philosophers, and Swedenborg.