particularly reserved all my obligation to himself! How instantly do I
beg of his holy compassion that I may never owe a real thanks to
anyone. O happy liberty in which I have thus far lived! May it
continue with me to the last. I endeavor to have no need of any one."

When Emerson, in his old age, had his house injured by fire, his
friends contributed funds to repair it and to send him to England. The
gift was proffered graciously and accepted gratefully.]

[Footnote 468: Buddhist. A follower of Buddha, a Hindoo religious
teacher of the fifth century before Christ.]


NATURE

[Footnote 469: Nature. Emerson's first published volume was a little
book of essays, entitled _Nature_, which appeared in 1836. In the
years which followed, he thought more deeply on the subject and,
according to his custom, made notes about it and entries in his
journals. In the winter of 1843 he delivered a lecture on _Relation to
Nature_, and it is probable that this essay is built up from that. The
plan of it, however, had been long in his mind: In 1840 he wrote in
his journal: "I think I must do these eyes of mine the justice to
write a new chapter on Nature. This delight we all take in every show
of night or day or field or forest or sea or city, down to the lowest
particulars, is not without sequel, though we be as yet only wishers
and gazers, not at all knowing what we want. We are predominated here
as elsewhere by an upper wisdom, and resemble those great discoverers
who are haunted for years, sometimes from infancy, with a passion for
the fact, or class of facts in which the secret lies which they are