E-text prepared by David Edwards, Carol Ann Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 36825-h.htm or 36825-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/36825/pg36825-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/36825/36825-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://www.archive.org/details/tabletsamos00alcorich TABLETS by A. BRONSON ALCOTT "For curious method expect none, essays for the most part not being placed as at a feast, but placing themselves as at an ordinary." _Thomas Fuller._ Boston Roberts Brothers 1868. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by A. Bronson Alcott, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. Electrotyped and Printed by Alfred Mudge & Son, No. 34 School St., Boston. CONTENTS. BOOK I.--PRACTICAL. I. THE GARDEN. PAGE. 1 Antiquity 5 2 Ornaments 11 3 Pleasures 14 4 Orchard 20 5 Sweet Herbs 25 6 Table Plants 28 7 Rations 36 8 Economies 41 9 Rural Culture 48 II. RECREATION. 1 The Fountains 59 2 The Cheap Physician 65 III. FELLOWSHIP. 1 Hospitality 69 2 Conversation 75 IV. FRIENDSHIP. 1 Persons 81 2 Woman 88 3 Family 92 4 Children 95 V. CULTURE. 1 Modern Teaching 103 2 Socratic Dialectic 108 3 Pythagorean Discipline 113 4 Mother Tongue 118 VI. BOOKS. 127 VII. COUNSELS. 1 Religious 139 2 Personal 145 3 Political 148 4 Soul's Errand 151 BOOK II.--SPECULATIVE. I. INSTRUMENTALITIES. 1 Tendencies 159 2 Method 162 3 Man 166 II. MIND. 1 Ideas 173