the design of them all may be embraced in one sentence: 'Have no depraved thoughts."

"See what a man does.

"Mark his motives.

"Examine in what things he rests.

“How can a man conceal his character? "How can a man conceal his character!"

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If

a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others."

Tsze-chang was learning with a view to official emolu

ment.

The Master said, “Hear much, and put aside the points of which you stand in doubt, while you speak cautiously at the same time of the others; then you will afford few occasions for blame. See much, and put aside the things which seem perilous, while you are cautious at the same time in carrying the others into practice; then you will have few occasions for repentance. When one gives few occasions for blame in his words, and few occasions for repentance in his conduct, he is in the way to get emolument."

"He who acts with a constant view to his own advantage will be much murmured against.”

"A man should say, I am not concerned that I have no place; I am concerned how I may fit myself for one. I am not concerned that I am not known; I seek to be worthy to be known.”

"Can men refuse to assent to the words of strict admonition? But it is reforming the conduct because of them which is valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words of gentle advice? But it is unfolding their

aim which is valuable. If a man be pleased with these words, but does not unfold their aim, and assents to these, but does not reform his conduct, I can really do nothing with him.”

"Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you have

faults, do not fear to abandon them."

"The commander of the forces of a large State may be carried off, but the will of even a common man cannot be taken from him."

WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE,

Fan Ch'e asked what constituted wisdom. The Master said, "To give one's self earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom." He asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration: this may be called perfect virtue."

"The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills. The wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful, the virtuous are longlived."

Tsze-chang asked what constituted intelligence. The Master said, "He with whom neither slander, that gradually soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh, are successful, may be called intelligent indeed. Yea, he with whom neither soaking slan5*

der,* nor startling statements are successful, may be called far-seeing."

The Master said, "Yew, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it: this is knowledge."

PROPRIETY.

The Master said, "Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness."

"There are three principles of conduct, which the man of high rank should consider specially important: that in his deportment and manner he keep from violence and heedlessness; that in regulating his countenance he keep near to sincerity; and that in his words and tones he keep far from lowness and impropriety. As to such matters as attending to the sacrificial vessels, there are the proper officers for them."

The philosopher Tsăng said, "I daily examine myself on three points: whether in transacting business for others I may have been not faithful; whether in intercourse with friends I may have been not sincere ; whether I may have not mastered and practiced the instructions of my teacher."

*Slander soaks into the mind as water into low and marshy places, where it becomes stagnant and offensive.

The philosopher Yew said, "In practicing the rules of propriety, a natural ease is to be prized. In the ways prescribed by the ancient kings, this is the excellent quality, and in things small and great we follow them."

TRUTHFULNESS AND SINCERITY.

The Master said, "I do not know how a man without truthfulness is to get on. How can a large carriage be made to go without the cross-bar for yoking the oxen to, or a small carriage without the arrangement for yoking the horses?"

"For a man to sacrifice to a spirit which does not belong to him, is flattery."

"To see what is right and not to do it, is want of courage.'

"Man is born for uprightness. If a man lose his uprightness, and yet live, his escape from death is the effect of mere good fortune.” *

"They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it, and they who love it are not equal to those who find pleasure in it."

Tsze-chang asked how a man might conduct himself, so as to be everywhere appreciated.

The Master said, “Let his words be sincere and truthful, and his actions honorable and careful; such conduct may be practiced among the rude tribes of the South or

* An important truth struggles here for expression, but only finds it imperfectly. Without uprightness the end of man's existence is not fulfilled, but his preservation in such case is not merely a fortunate accident.

the North. If his words be not sincere and truthful, and his actions not honorable and careful, will he, with such conduct, be appreciated, even in his neighborhood? "When he is standing, let him see those two things, as it were, fronting him. When he is in a carriage, let him see them attached to the yoke. Then may he subsequently carry them into practice." Tsze-chang wrote these counsels on the end of his

sash.

The Master said, "Even in my early days, a historiographer would leave a blank in his text,* and he who had a horse would lend him to another to ride. Now, alas! there are no such things."

The Master said, "Fine words, an insinuating appearance, and excessive respect-Tso-K'ew Wing was ashamed of them. I also am ashamed of them. To conceal resentment against a person, and appear friendly with him-Tso-K'ew Wing was ashamed of such conduct. I also am ashamed of it."

Yen Yuen and Ke Loo being by his side, the Master said to them, "Come, let each of you tell his wishes."

Tsze-loo said, "I should like, having chariots and horses, and light fur dresses, to share them with my friends; and though they should spoil them, I would not be displeased."

Yen Yuen said, "I should like not to boast of my excellence, nor to make a display of my meritorious deeds.”

Tsze-loo then said, "I should like, sir, to hear your wishes." The Master said, "They are, in regard to the

* Anciently the historiographer recorded only what was true, and did not draw upon imagination from "fear of spoiling the story."