“Theypretend，“asIhear，“thattheversesofKabirhavefourdifferentsenses；illusion，spirit，intellect，andtheexotericdoctrineoftheVedas“；butinthispartoftheworlditisconsideredagroundforcomplaintifaman’swritingsadmitofmorethanoneinterpretation。WhileEnglandendeavorstocurethepotato-rot，willnotanyendeavortocurethebrain-rot，whichprevailssomuchmorewidelyandfatally？
IdonotsupposethatIhaveattainedtoobscurity，butIshouldbeproudifnomorefatalfaultwerefoundwithmypagesonthisscorethanwasfoundwiththeWaldenice。Southerncustomersobjectedtoitsbluecolor，whichistheevidenceofitspurity，asifitweremuddy，andpreferredtheCambridgeice，whichiswhite，buttastesofweeds。Thepuritymenloveislikethemistswhichenveloptheearth，andnotliketheazureetherbeyond。
SomearedinninginourearsthatweAmericans，andmodernsgenerally，areintellectualdwarfscomparedwiththeancients，oreventheElizabethanmen。Butwhatisthattothepurpose？A
livingdogisbetterthanadeadlion。Shallamangoandhanghimselfbecausehebelongstotheraceofpygmies，andnotbethebiggestpygmythathecan？Leteveryonemindhisownbusiness，andendeavortobewhathewasmade。
Whyshouldwebeinsuchdesperatehastetosucceedandinsuchdesperateenterprises？Ifamandoesnotkeeppacewithhiscompanions，perhapsitisbecausehehearsadifferentdrummer。Lethimsteptothemusicwhichhehears，howevermeasuredorfaraway。
Itisnotimportantthatheshouldmatureassoonasanappletreeoranoak。Shallheturnhisspringintosummer？Iftheconditionofthingswhichweweremadeforisnotyet，whatwereanyrealitywhichwecansubstitute？Wewillnotbeshipwreckedonavainreality。Shallwewithpainserectaheavenofblueglassoverourselves，thoughwhenitisdoneweshallbesuretogazestillatthetrueetherealheavenfarabove，asiftheformerwerenot？
TherewasanartistinthecityofKouroowhowasdisposedtostriveafterperfection。Onedayitcameintohismindtomakeastaff。Havingconsideredthatinanimperfectworktimeisaningredient，butintoaperfectworktimedoesnotenter，hesaidtohimself，Itshallbeperfectinallrespects，thoughIshoulddonothingelseinmylife。Heproceededinstantlytotheforestforwood，beingresolvedthatitshouldnotbemadeofunsuitablematerial；andashesearchedforandrejectedstickafterstick，hisfriendsgraduallydesertedhim，fortheygrewoldintheirworksanddied，buthegrewnotolderbyamoment。Hissinglenessofpurposeandresolution，andhiselevatedpiety，endowedhim，withouthisknowledge，withperennialyouth。AshemadenocompromisewithTime，Timekeptoutofhisway，andonlysighedatadistancebecausehecouldnotovercomehim。BeforehehadfoundastockinallrespectssuitablethecityofKouroowasahoaryruin，andhesatononeofitsmoundstopeelthestick。BeforehehadgivenitthepropershapethedynastyoftheCandaharswasatanend，andwiththepointofthestickhewrotethenameofthelastofthatraceinthesand，andthenresumedhiswork。BythetimehehadsmoothedandpolishedthestaffKalpawasnolongerthepole-star；
anderehehadputontheferuleandtheheadadornedwithpreciousstones，Brahmahadawokeandslumberedmanytimes。ButwhydoI
staytomentionthesethings？Whenthefinishingstrokewasputtohiswork，itsuddenlyexpandedbeforetheeyesoftheastonishedartistintothefairestofallthecreationsofBrahma。Hehadmadeanewsysteminmakingastaff，aworldwithfullandfairproportions；inwhich，thoughtheoldcitiesanddynastieshadpassedaway，fairerandmoregloriousoneshadtakentheirplaces。
Andnowhesawbytheheapofshavingsstillfreshathisfeet，that，forhimandhiswork，theformerlapseoftimehadbeenanillusion，andthatnomoretimehadelapsedthanisrequiredforasinglescintillationfromthebrainofBrahmatofallonandinflamethetinderofamortalbrain。Thematerialwaspure，andhisartwaspure；howcouldtheresultbeotherthanwonderful？
Nofacewhichwecangivetoamatterwillsteadussowellatlastasthetruth。Thisalonewearswell。Forthemostpart，wearenotwhereweare，butinafalseposition。Throughaninfinityofournatures，wesupposeacase，andputourselvesintoit，andhenceareintwocasesatthesametime，anditisdoublydifficulttogetout。Insanemomentsweregardonlythefacts，thecasethatis。Saywhatyouhavetosay，notwhatyouought。Anytruthisbetterthanmake-believe。TomHyde，thetinker，standingonthegallows，wasaskedifhehadanythingtosay。“Tellthetailors，“
saidhe，“toremembertomakeaknotintheirthreadbeforetheytakethefirststitch。“Hiscompanion’sprayerisforgotten。
Howevermeanyourlifeis，meetitandliveit；donotshunitandcallithardnames。Itisnotsobadasyouare。Itlookspoorestwhenyouarerichest。Thefault-finderwillfindfaultseveninparadise。Loveyourlife，poorasitis。Youmayperhapshavesomepleasant，thrilling，glorioushours，eveninapoorhouse。
Thesettingsunisreflectedfromthewindowsofthealmshouseasbrightlyasfromtherichman’sabode；thesnowmeltsbeforeitsdoorasearlyinthespring。Idonotseebutaquietmindmayliveascontentedlythere，andhaveascheeringthoughts，asinapalace。
Thetown’spoorseemtomeoftentolivethemostindependentlivesofany。Maybetheyaresimplygreatenoughtoreceivewithoutmisgiving。Mostthinkthattheyareabovebeingsupportedbythetown；butitoftenerhappensthattheyarenotabovesupportingthemselvesbydishonestmeans，whichshouldbemoredisreputable。
Cultivatepovertylikeagardenherb，likesage。Donottroubleyourselfmuchtogetnewthings，whetherclothesorfriends。Turntheold；returntothem。Thingsdonotchange；wechange。Sellyourclothesandkeepyourthoughts。Godwillseethatyoudonotwantsociety。IfIwereconfinedtoacornerofagarretallmydays，likeaspider，theworldwouldbejustaslargetomewhileI
hadmythoughtsaboutme。Thephilosophersaid:“Fromanarmyofthreedivisionsonecantakeawayitsgeneral，andputitindisorder；fromthemanthemostabjectandvulgaronecannottakeawayhisthought。“Donotseeksoanxiouslytobedeveloped，tosubjectyourselftomanyinfluencestobeplayedon；itisalldissipation。Humilitylikedarknessrevealstheheavenlylights。
Theshadowsofpovertyandmeannessgatheraroundus，“andlo！
creationwidenstoourview。“WeareoftenremindedthatiftherewerebestowedonusthewealthofCroesus，ouraimsmuststillbethesame，andourmeansessentiallythesame。Moreover，ifyouarerestrictedinyourrangebypoverty，ifyoucannotbuybooksandnewspapers，forinstance，youarebutconfinedtothemostsignificantandvitalexperiences；youarecompelledtodealwiththematerialwhichyieldsthemostsugarandthemoststarch。Itislifenearthebonewhereitissweetest。Youaredefendedfrombeingatrifler。Nomanloseseveronalowerlevelbymagnanimityonahigher。Superfluouswealthcanbuysuperfluitiesonly。Moneyisnotrequiredtobuyonenecessaryofthesoul。
Iliveintheangleofaleadenwall，intowhosecompositionwaspouredalittlealloyofbell-metal。Often，inthereposeofmymid-day，therereachesmyearsaconfusedtintinnabulumfromwithout。Itisthenoiseofmycontemporaries。Myneighborstellmeoftheiradventureswithfamousgentlemenandladies，whatnotabilitiestheymetatthedinner-table；butIamnomoreinterestedinsuchthingsthaninthecontentsoftheDailyTimes。
Theinterestandtheconversationareaboutcostumeandmannerschiefly；butagooseisagoosestill，dressitasyouwill。TheytellmeofCaliforniaandTexas，ofEnglandandtheIndies，oftheHon。Mr——ofGeorgiaorofMassachusetts，alltransientandfleetingphenomena，tillIamreadytoleapfromtheircourt-yardliketheMamelukebey。Idelighttocometomybearings——notwalkinprocessionwithpompandparade，inaconspicuousplace，buttowalkevenwiththeBuilderoftheuniverse，ifImay——nottoliveinthisrestless，nervous，bustling，trivialNineteenthCentury，butstandorsitthoughtfullywhileitgoesby。Whataremencelebrating？Theyareallonacommitteeofarrangements，andhourlyexpectaspeechfromsomebody。Godisonlythepresidentoftheday，andWebsterishisorator。Ilovetoweigh，tosettle，togravitatetowardthatwhichmoststronglyandrightfullyattractsme——nothangbythebeamofthescaleandtrytoweighless——notsupposeacase，buttakethecasethatis；totraveltheonlypathI
can，andthatonwhichnopowercanresistme。ItaffordsmenosatisfactiontocommercetospringanarchbeforeIhavegotasolidfoundation。Letusnotplayatkittly-benders。Thereisasolidbottomeverywhere。Wereadthatthetravelleraskedtheboyiftheswampbeforehimhadahardbottom。Theboyrepliedthatithad。
Butpresentlythetraveller’shorsesankinuptothegirths，andheobservedtotheboy，“Ithoughtyousaidthatthisboghadahardbottom。““Soithas，“answeredthelatter，“butyouhavenotgothalfwaytoityet。“Soitiswiththebogsandquicksandsofsociety；butheisanoldboythatknowsit。Onlywhatisthought，said，ordoneatacertainrarecoincidenceisgood。Iwouldnotbeoneofthosewhowillfoolishlydriveanailintomerelathandplastering；suchadeedwouldkeepmeawakenights。Givemeahammer，andletmefeelforthefurring。Donotdependontheputty。Driveanailhomeandclinchitsofaithfullythatyoucanwakeupinthenightandthinkofyourworkwithsatisfaction——aworkatwhichyouwouldnotbeashamedtoinvoketheMuse。SowillhelpyouGod，andsoonly。Everynaildrivenshouldbeasanotherrivetinthemachineoftheuniverse，youcarryingonthework。
Ratherthanlove，thanmoney，thanfame，givemetruth。Isatatatablewherewererichfoodandwineinabundance，andobsequiousattendance，butsincerityandtruthwerenot；andIwentawayhungryfromtheinhospitableboard。Thehospitalitywasascoldastheices。Ithoughtthattherewasnoneedoficetofreezethem。Theytalkedtomeoftheageofthewineandthefameofthevintage；butIthoughtofanolder，anewer，andpurerwine，ofamoregloriousvintage，whichtheyhadnotgot，andcouldnotbuy。
Thestyle，thehouseandgroundsand“entertainment“passfornothingwithme。Icalledontheking，buthemademewaitinhishall，andconductedlikeamanincapacitatedforhospitality。Therewasamaninmyneighborhoodwholivedinahollowtree。Hismannersweretrulyregal。IshouldhavedonebetterhadIcalledonhim。
Howlongshallwesitinourporticoespractisingidleandmustyvirtues，whichanyworkwouldmakeimpertinent？Asifoneweretobeginthedaywithlong-suffering，andhireamantohoehispotatoes；andintheafternoongoforthtopractiseChristianmeeknessandcharitywithgoodnessaforethought！ConsidertheChinaprideandstagnantself-complacencyofmankind。Thisgenerationinclinesalittletocongratulateitselfonbeingthelastofanillustriousline；andinBostonandLondonandParisandRome，thinkingofitslongdescent，itspeaksofitsprogressinartandscienceandliteraturewithsatisfaction。TherearetheRecordsofthePhilosophicalSocieties，andthepublicEulogiesofGreatMen！
ItisthegoodAdamcontemplatinghisownvirtue。“Yes，wehavedonegreatdeeds，andsungdivinesongs，whichshallneverdie“——
thatis，aslongaswecanrememberthem。ThelearnedsocietiesandgreatmenofAssyria——wherearethey？Whatyouthfulphilosophersandexperimentalistsweare！Thereisnotoneofmyreaderswhohasyetlivedawholehumanlife。Thesemaybebutthespringmonthsinthelifeoftherace。Ifwehavehadtheseven-years’itch，wehavenotseentheseventeen-yearlocustyetinConcord。Weareacquaintedwithamerepellicleoftheglobeonwhichwelive。Mosthavenotdelvedsixfeetbeneaththesurface，norleapedasmanyaboveit。Weknownotwhereweare。Beside，wearesoundasleepnearlyhalfourtime。Yetweesteemourselveswise，andhaveanestablishedorderonthesurface。Truly，wearedeepthinkers，weareambitiousspirits！AsIstandovertheinsectcrawlingamidthepineneedlesontheforestfloor，andendeavoringtoconcealitselffrommysight，andaskmyselfwhyitwillcherishthosehumblethoughts，andbideitsheadfrommewhomight，perhaps，beitsbenefactor，andimparttoitsracesomecheeringinformation，IamremindedofthegreaterBenefactorandIntelligencethatstandsovermethehumaninsect。
Thereisanincessantinfluxofnoveltyintotheworld，andyetwetolerateincredibledulness。Ineedonlysuggestwhatkindofsermonsarestilllistenedtointhemostenlightenedcountries。
Therearesuchwordsasjoyandsorrow，buttheyareonlytheburdenofapsalm，sungwithanasaltwang，whilewebelieveintheordinaryandmean。Wethinkthatwecanchangeourclothesonly。
ItissaidthattheBritishEmpireisverylargeandrespectable，andthattheUnitedStatesareafirst-ratepower。WedonotbelievethatatiderisesandfallsbehindeverymanwhichcanfloattheBritishEmpirelikeachip，ifheshouldeverharboritinhismind。Whoknowswhatsortofseventeen-yearlocustwillnextcomeoutoftheground？ThegovernmentoftheworldIliveinwasnotframed，likethatofBritain，inafter-dinnerconversationsoverthewine。
