bosom, and leaves his country to confusion?' Confucius replied, 'No.' Can he be called wise, who is anxious to be engaged in public employment, and yet is constantly losing the opportunity of being so?" Confucius again said, No.' The days and months are passing away; the years do not wait for us.' Confucius said, 'Right; I will go into office.' CHAP. II. The Master said, 'By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.' CHAP. III. The Master said, 'There are only the wise of the highest class, and the stupid of the lowest class, who cannot be changed.' Chi Hwan, a prisoner, and, in 501, he is driven | MEN ARE CHIEFLY OWING TO HABIT. 性, it is as a is to be taken as the remark of Yang Ho, and a supplied before H.; Hil, in the dictionary, and by the old interpreters, is here explained, as in the translation, by, 'to wait for.' 近. After it has been acted on by external things, then who practises what is good, becomes the superior man; and he who practises what is not good, becomes the mean man :-men become 相遠 practice forms, as it were, a second nature. He most of the differences among men are owing -No doubt, it is true that many-perhaps habit. This chapter is incorporated with the San Tsze Ching at its commencement. 3. ONLY TWO CLASSES WHOM PRACTICE CANNOT CHANGE. This is a sequel to the last chapter with which it is incorporated in Ho Yen's edition. The case of the T would seem to be incon sistent with the doctrine of the perfect good2. THE DIFFERENCES IN THE CHARACTERS OF ness of the moral nature of all men. Modern 子闔戲 學君昔雞聲國 shi. 子者 山耳偃! 偃用 之 之易道也 路擾言使則 刀 欲之 子 往。山 不以 bai 末召 是也愛諸子而聞 也子人夫游笑 前日小子對曰歌 言二人曰曰割之 Roo CHAP. IV. 1. The Master having come to Wu-ch'ăng, heard there the sound of stringed instruments and singing. 2. Well pleased and smiling, he said, 'Why use an ox-knife to kill a fowl?’ 3. Tsze-yû replied, 'Formerly, Master, I heard you say,-" When the man of high station is well instructed, he loves men; when the man of low station is well instructed, he is easily ruled." 6 4. The Master said, My disciples, Yen's words are light. What I said was only in sport.’ CHAP. V. I. Kung-shan Fu-zdo, when he was holding Pi, and in an attitude of rebellion, invited the Master to visit him, who was rather inclined to go. 2. Tsze-lû was displeased, and said, Indeed you cannot go! Why must you think of going to see Kung-shan?' commentators, to get over the difficulty, say 3rd tone) 爾, smilingly.’‘An ox-knife,’a that they are the 自暴者 and 自棄者 large instrument, and not necessary for the of Mencius, IV. Pt. I. x. death of a fowl. Confucius intends by it the 4. HOWEVER SMALL THE SPHERE OF GOVERNMENT, high principles of government employed by THE HIGHEST INFLUENCES OF PROPRIETIES AND MUSIC SHOULD BE EMPLOYED. 1. Wû-ch'ang was Tsze-yû. 3. 君子 and 小人 are here in. in the district of Pi. Tsze-yù appears as the dicative of rank, and not of character. 易使, are easily employed,' i.e. 安分從上, string of a musical instrument,' used here for they rest in their lot, and obey their superiors.' stringed instruments generally. In the 備 4.二三子, as in VII. xxiii, et ad. Observe we read, The town was named wa(武), the force of the final 耳, = 'only.’ 6 from its position, precipitous and favourable 5. THE LENGTHS TO WHICH CONFUCIUS WAS INto military operations, but Tsze-yû had been able, by his course, to transform the people, and CLINED TO GO, TO GET HIS PRINCIPLES CARRIED INTO make them change their mail and helmets for PRACTICE. Kung-shan Fu-zao, called also Kung was stringed instruments and singing. This was shan Fi-niû (狃), by designation 子洩, what made the Master glad.' 2.(read Incan, a confederate of Yang Ho (ch. i), and according 有得信子關其豈 功忠敏七日子為 惠信惠矣 能張東 哉 之之 也。 則則 則恭請 卷請行問周 日何 足人則問五仁乎有夫必 以 任不 之者於 使焉每日 人敏寛恭天子 則則寛下孔 用召公 我我山 者者氏 吾而之 3. The Master said, ' Can it be without some reason that he has invited ME? If any one employ me, may I not make an eastern Châu ? CHAP. VI. Tsze-chang asked Confucius about perfect virtue. Confucius said, 'To be able to practise five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue.' He begged to ask what they were, and was told, 'Gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness. If you are grave, you will not be treated with disrespect. If you are generous, you will win all. If you are sincere, people will repose trust in you. If you are earnest, you will accomplish much. If you are kind, this will enable you to employ the services of others.' to K'ung Ân-kwo, and the, it was after to Fu-zão, while its reference below is more the imprisonment by them, in common, of Chi general. The 我in用我and 吾 are em Hwan, that Fû-zão sent this invitation to Con- phatic. The original seat of the Châu dynasty ciples and government of Wan and Wû in Lû, fucius. Others make the invitation subsequent lay west from Lu, and the revival of the printo Ho's discomfiture and flight to Ch'i. See the 歴代統表, B. C. 501. We must conclude, with Tsze-lû, that Confucius ought not to have thought of accepting the invitation of such a man. 2. The first and last 之 are the verb.末=無·末之也已=There or even in Pi, which was but a part of it, might make an eastern Châu, so that Confucius would perform the part of king Wăn.-After all, the sage did not go to Pi. 6. FIVE THINGS THE PRACTICE OF WHICH CON STITUTES PERFECT VIRTUE. is no going there. Indeed there is not’何 under heaven' is simply =‘anywhere.’信 於天下,'in 必公山氏之之也, (why must there be goingto(之here=to)that such is the force of氏) Kung-shan ?' 3- 夫召我者 則人任任, in 4th tone, is explained (by Chi Hsi by 倚仗‘to rely upon,’a mean ing of the term not found in the dictionary. is to be taken here as referring expressly See XX. i. 9. 也涅磨有往佛不 夫} 也肸善子 日佛 館 焉不不 不不言 如以者曰昔 昔肸 磷也 之中君親者召。 也哉焉能繫而不合 不不 牟子於由 日 畔不 bik shik 不匏白白子入身 往 食瓜乎乎然之也為諸子 CHAP. VII. 1. Pî Hsî inviting him to visit him, the Master was inclined to go. said,Master, 2. Tsze-lú said, 'Master, formerly I have heard you say, "When a man in his own person is guilty of doing evil, a superior man will not associate with him." Pi Hsi is in rebellion, holding possession of Chung-mau; if you go to him, what shall be said ?? 3. The Master said, Yes, I did use these words. But is it not said, that, if a thing be really hard, it may be ground without being made thin ? Is it not said, that, if a thing be really white, it may be steeped in a dark fluid without being made black? 4. Am I a bitter gourd! How can I be hung up out of the way of being eaten?' 7. CONFUCIUS, INCLINED TO RESPOND TO THE AD- taken interrogatively, as in the translation. VANCES OF AN UNWORTHY MAN, PROTESTS AGAINST Compare chap. v; but the invitation of Pi Hsi was subsequent to that of Kung-shan Fû-zão, and after Confucius had given up office in Lû. I. 佛(read Pi) Hsi was commandantof Chung Ping's paraphrase is—人豈不日,do not men say?”堅乎云云,‘Is a thing hard, then,' &c. Nich is explained-'black earth in water, which may be used to dye a black colour.' The application of these strange pro mâu, for the chief of the Chão family, in the State verbial sayings is to Confucius himself, as, from of Tsin. 2. 親於其身為不善者, his superiority, incapable of being affected by -'he who himself, in his own person, does what is not good’不入,一according to K'ung Ân-kwo, =不入其國, does not evil communications. 4. This paragraph is variously explained. By some, 匏瓜 is taken as the name of a star; so that the meaning is Am I like such and such a star, to be hung enter his State;' according to Chû Hsi, it = up, &c.?' But we need not depart from the 不入其黨, does not enter his party., There were two places of the name of Chungmâu, one belonging to the State of Chăng, and proper meaning of the characters Chù Hsi, with Ho Yen, takes actively:-'A gourd can be hung up, because it does not need But I must go about, north, south, the other to the State of Tsin (晉), which is to eat. that intended here, and is referred to the east, and west, to get food.' This seems to me very unnatural. The expression is taken pas present district of 湯陰, department of 彰 sively, as in the translation, in the 日講, 德, in Ho-nan province. 3. 不日 is to be and other Works. 蔽蔽蔽蔽蔽吾 蔽也狂 學 吾語女好仁不好學其 六蔽矣乎對日未也 字日由也女聞六言 其其其其其其 CHAP. VIII. 1. The Master said, 'Yû, have you heard the six words to which are attached six becloudings?" Yû replied, 'I have not.' 2. 'Sit down, and I will tell them to you. 3. There is the love of being benevolent without the love of learning;--the beclouding here leads to a foolish simplicity. There is the love of knowing without the love of learning;-the beclouding here leads to dissipation of mind. There is the love of being sincere without the love of learning;-the beclouding here leads to an injurious disregard of consequences. There is the love of straightforwardness without the love of learning;- the beclouding here leads to rudeness. There is the love of boldness without the love of learning; the beclouding here leads to insubordination. There is the love of firmness without the love of learning;-the beclouding here leads to extravagant conduct.' I. 8. KNOWLEDGE, ACQUIRED BY LEARNING, IS NECESSARY TO THE COMPLETION OF VIRTUE, BY PRESERVING THE MIND FROM BEING BECLOUDED. ·六言是六字,The six 言 are six characters;' see the They are, therefore, the benevolence, knowledge, sincerity, straightforwardness, boldness, and firmness, mentioned below, all virtues, but yet each, when pursued without discrimination, tending to be cloud the mind. 蔽-遮掩,‘to cover and screen;' the primary meaning of it is said to be 小草,‘small plants.’2. 居 = 'sit down.' Tsze-lû had risen, according to the rules of propriety, to give his answer; see the Li Chi, I. Sect. I. iii. 4. 21; and Confucius tells him to re sume his seat. 3. give here the paraphrase on the first virtue and its beclouding, which may illustrate the manner in which the whole paragraph is developed :-' In all matters, there is a perfectly right and unchangeable principle, which men ought carefully to study, till they have thoroughly examined and apprehended it. Then their actions will be without error, and their virtue may be perfected. For instance, loving is what rules in benevolence. It is certainly a beautiful vir tue, but if you only set yourself to love men, and do not care to study to understand the principle of benevolence, then your mind will be beclouded by that loving, and you will be following a man into a well to save him, so that both he and you will perish. Will not this be foolish simplicity?' |