Suspect Tecumseh quote

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Jon and list members: The same author, Ernest Thompson Seton,
published a book with a section presenting "THE TEACHINGS OF WABASHA
I" in 1912. The teachings in 1912 overlap the later longer version
that you referenced, but I have not performed a detailed comparison.

Title: The Book of Woodcraft and Indian Lore
Author: Ernest Thompson Seton
Publisher: Doubleday Page and Company
Year: 1912

http://books.google.com/books?id=Y_g1AAAAMAAJ&q=%22of+Wabasha%22#v=snippet&


[Here are some examples of overlaps:]

(Begin excerpt)
In the day of his strength no man is fat. Fat is good in a beast, but
in a man it is disease and comes only of an evil life.
(End excerpt)

(Begin excerpt)
Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes wise men turn fools.
Neither touch food nor taste drink that robs the body of its power or
the spirit {of its vision}.
(End excerpt)

[The text in braces has been added to the later version].

I am using the version of "The Gospel of Red Man" given at the
following link in the comparison. This text is in Google Books preview
mode:

http://books.google.com/books?id=aABmgeR4C1cC&

Garson

On Wed, Mar 13, 2013 at 6:51 PM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Suspect Tecumseh quote
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> For Garson:
>
> In 1936 the naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton (and Julia Moss Seton)
> published a multipage passage beginning with these words:
>
> "So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.
> Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and
> demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify
> all things in your life. ..."  (_The Gospel of the Red Man_, pp. 60ff.)
>
> Seton called it "The Teachings of Wabasha," but he wrote that it was "Also
> ascribed to Tecumseh, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Wovoka."
>
> The action thriller _Act of Valor_ (2012) closes with a slightly edited
> version. The first line at least has been quoted frequently, usually
> credited to Tecumseh.
>
> But where did Seton get it? Hathi & GB show nothing before 1936.
>
> JL
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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