Thoreau’s Lectures Before Walden: Lecture 16

The lecturer spoke at considerable length of society, men, manners, travelling, clothing, etc., often ‘bringing down the house’ by his quaint remarks. Now and then there was a hard hit at the vices and follies of mankind, which ‘told’ with considerable effect. There were hits, too, not remarkably hard….
 From the details which he gave of indoor life, we should suppose that his housekeeping was in rather a primitive style. Compared with this, Robinson Crusoe must have fared sumptuously every day. We know of no benefit likely to accrue to society from it, other than that yeast is a superfluous article.
 The experience of the lecturer had taught him that a man may live very comfortably by six weeks labor per annum. Probably this is no new thing to many, for there is a good deal of living with less labor than that, though perhaps questionable independence.
 He concluded with some remarks about the benevolent and reforming spirit of the day, of which he seemed to entertain a very poor opinion. Much of it was described as a moral simoon from whose approach he should flee for dear life. No immediate diminution to the numbers of our benevolent societies need be apprehended. Neither may a material alteration in their character be anticipated from an infusion of the ideal reforming spirit described.
 We believe that concerning this lecture there are various opinions in the community. With all deference to the sagacity of those who can see a great deal where there is little to be seen—hear much where there is hardly anything to be heard—perceive a wonderful depth of meaning where in fact nothing is really meant, we would take the liberty of expressing the opinion that a certain ingredient to a good lecture was, in some instances, wanting.

The lecture on Wednesday evening was delivered by Henry S. Thoreau of Concord, as he announced, on the subject of economy. We conceived his object to be an attempt to prove that there is no necessity for mankind to labor but a small portion of their time, to earn the necessaries of life; and to show how their moral, intellectual and physical condition may be improved. In his introduction, which was somewhat long, he attacked with keen but good natured sarcasm, the customs and fashions of the present age, and ridiculed with much force the folly of men, who voluntarily undertake labors more than Herculean, and absolutely interminable, in pursuit of an object that can be attained with comparatively little cost and exertion.
 To illustrate his theory, he gave a humorous account of his doings, during a period of more than two years, spent in seclusion, on the shores of a pond in Concord. This sketch of a hermit’s life was highly entertaining, being interspersed with beautiful descriptions of natural scenery, well told anecdotes, many philosophical digressions, and quaint sentiments[.] He proved by his experiment that a man can build a house with his own hands, in a few months, that will afford him all the shelter, warmth and comfort a mortal actually needs, at an expense of only about twenty-five or thirty dollars; that good, wholesome food, sufficient for one hermit can be procured for four cents a week; that to pay all the needful expenses of such a life, it is necessary to labor only six weeks in a year. The remainder of his time may be devoted to reading, and the development of his moral and intellectual nature.
 We would not object to live on Mr. Thoreau’s plan a year or two, but in the present state of society, its general adoption would be rather impracticable, had men a taste for it; but only the ardent devoted lover of nature could endure it three weeks. Mr. Thoreau and a few other men in the world, can despise the pleasures of society, worship God out doors in old clothes, can hear his voice in the whistling or gently sighing wind, and read eloquent sermons from the springing flowers; but the great mass of men do, and, will always laugh at such pursuits.
 The lecturer’s remarks on the actual cost of living, were not at all startling,—there are, we have been often told, families of eight or ten souls in this town, who live a year on one hundred and fifty dollars, which falls considerably within Mr. T.’s estimate. We were pleased with his observations on philanthropy; doing good, he said, does not agree with his constitution; and if he should see a man coming towards his house with such intentions towards himself, he would run for his life.—There are many people in this world whose spiritual constitutions seem to lack all the elements of good, and when they undertake to be philanthropic, if they do not burn buildings in heaven and make deserts on earth, or commit any other havoc, ascribed to Phaethon by Mr. Thoreau, and not mentioned in Ovid,—they scorch the souls of the hapless victims of their charity, and exert an influence fatal as the Sirce, on whatever they approach.
 Mr. Thoreau’s lecture certainly lacked system, and some of his flights were rather too lofty for the audience; but in originality of thought, force of expression, and flow of genuine humor, he has few equals. His frequent and apposite classical allusions allowed that he is well versed in ancient lore, and possesses a retentive memory. His style and enunciation—alternately dwelling on, and jerking out his words—are decidedly Emersonian, and it is evident that in this respect, he is an imitator; a consideration which always detracts much from the force of genius: the affectation of another’s style creates in the mind feelings akin to those which arise on beholding an ambitious urchin dressed in his father’s coat and boots. We guess Mr. Thoreau often relieved the “tedium” of his secluded life by frequent intercourse with his neighbor, Mr. Emerson. Some of the lecturer’s Latin Antitheses, and quaint puns, we fear, were not exactly appreciated; and many local allusions might have been omitted, having no interest for a Gloucester audience.
 On the whole, though the lecture was entertaining and original, it was not calculated to do much good, and we think may be considered rather a literary curiosity, than a practical dissertation on economy.