I do not remember anything which Confucius has said directly respecting man's "origin, purpose, and destiny." 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, according to his own account, the sum and substance of his teaching is, as you know, to do as you would be done by.

It is a great art to saunter !

It is remarkable that among all the preachers there are so few moral teachers. The prophets are employed in excusing the ways of men.

Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.

As in geology, so in social institutions, we may discover the causes of all past changes in the present invariable order of society.

The life of a good man will hardly improve us more than the life of a freebooter, for the inevitable laws appear as plainly in theinfringement as in the observance, and our lives are sustained by a nearly equal expense of virtue of some kind. The decaying tree, while yet it lives, demands sun, wind, and rain no less than the green one. It secretes sap and performs the functions of health. If we choose, we may study the alburnum only. The gnarled stump has as tender a bud as the sapling.

The Grecian are youthful and erring and fallen gods, with the vices of men, but in many important respects essentially of the divine race.