yours. I have heard the saying that When a State is about to perish, there will be many new enactments in it.' Is your proceeding an illustration of it ?"

To this letter Tsze-ch'an returned the following reply, "As to what you say, I have not the talents nor the ability to act for posterity; my object is to save the present age. I cannot accept your instructions, but I dare not forget your great kindness."

'Sze Wăn-pih said, "The Ho (Fire) star has made its appearance. Is there going to be fire in Ching? Before the appearance of the Ho, it made use of fire to cast its punishment-tripods. If the Ho is an emblem of fire, must we not expect fire [in Ching]?" '].

Par. 3. The Chuen says:-Ke-sun Suh went to Tsin, to make our acknowledgments for the lands of Ke, [which Mow-e had given over to Loo]. The marquis gave him an entertainment at which there was more than the usual number of dishes. On seeing this, he retired, and sent an internuncius to say, "In its service of [your] great State, [our] small State, if it can [only] escape measures of punishment, does not seek for any gifts. I should get no more than three rounds of the cup. But now there are more dishes than are sufficient for that, and I dare not accept [such distinction]-would it not be an offence if I did so?" Han Seuen-tsze said, “Our ruler intended to promote your joy;" but [Woo-tsze] replied, "It is what my ruler would not [accept]; how much less dare I, who am but as a menial servant of [your] ruler, listen to such an addition to his gift!" He then firmly requested that the additional dishes might be removed, and only when that was done did he return to the completion of the entertainment. The people of T'sin, out of respect to the knowledge of propriety [which he thus showed], made the [usual] offerings of friendship to him very large.

Par. 5. The Chuen says:-Lew, master of the eunuchs, of Sung was a favourite, but was hated by Tso, [the duke's] eldest son; and Hwa Hoh-pe undertook to kill him. Lew heard of it, dug a hole, killed a victim and buried [its blood], with the tablets [of a covenant] over it." He then informed the duke, saying, "Hoh-pe is about to bring back the fugitive (Hwa Shin; see on IX. xvii. 6) and his family, and has made a covenant to that effect in the northern suburbs." The duke sent to see, and [the evidence] was found, on which he drove out Hwa Hoh-pe, who fled to Wei.

'On this, Hwa Hae (Younger brother of Hohpe) wished to get the office of master of the Right in the room [of Hoh-pe], and by agreement with the eunuch Lew, came and gave confirmatory evidence, saying that he had heard of his brother's purpose for a long time; so the duke gave him the appointment. [Having received this], he went to see the master of the Left, who said to him, "A fellow like you is sure to come to ruin. You have ruined the members of your own House. What part have you in men, and what part have men in you? The ode (She, III. ii. ode X. 7) says,

" The circle of relatives is like a wall.
Do not let your wall be destroyed;
Do not, solitary, be consumed with terrors.'

You have reason to live in such terror!"'
[We have here two narratives:-

1st. In the 6th month, on Ping-seuh, a fire broke out in Ching (See the conclusion of the narrative after par. 2).'

2d. The Kung-tsze K'e-tsih went to Tsin,— to return the visit of Han-tsze. As he was passing by [the capital of] Ching, Han Hoo, Kung-sun Keaou, and Yew Keih followed the earl to pay him the compliments of the journey at Cha; but he declined and would not presume to see them. [The earl], however, earnestly begged that he would do so, [which he did], behaving [to the earl] as if he were having an interview with [his own king]. [Afterwards] he had a private audience of [the earl], with eight of his chariots [as his offering]; he saw Tsze-p'e, as if he were seeing the highest minister [of Ts'oo], with an offering of 6 horses; Tsze-ch'an, with 4; and Tszet'ae-shuh with 2. He forbade his foragers, grooms, and fuel-collectors to go into the fields. No trees were to be cut down for fuel; no grain nor vegetables were to be gathered; no houses were to be unroofed; there was to be no violent begging. He made a declaration that whoever should violate his orders, if he were an officer, he should be dismissed, and if he were a smaller man, he should be reduced still lower. His men were to exercise no oppression where they lodged; hosts should not be troubled by their guests. In going and returning he observed these rules. The three ministers of Ching all knew that he would [yet] be king [of Ts'oo].

'When Han Seuen-tsze went to Ts'oo, they did not meet him; and now when the Kung-tsze K'e-tsih was come to the borders of Tsin, the marquis intended in the same way not to meet him. Shuh-heang, however, said, "Ts'oo is perverse, and we are correct:-why should we imitate its perversity? The ode (She, II. vii. ode IX. 2) says,

'What you teach

The people all imitate.'

Let us follow our own way; should we imitate the perversity of others? The Shoo says, 'The sage forms a pattern.' Instead of taking good men for our pattern, shall we find it in men who are perverse? If an ordinary man do what is good, the people will take him for their pattern; how much more will they do so in the case of the ruler of a State!"

"The marquis of Tsin was pleased, and sent to meet the envoy accordingly '].

Par. 6. This sacrifice was offered because, as Tso says, there was now a drought.'

Par. 7. The Chuen says:-E-ts'oo, of Seu came on a complimentary visit to Ts'oo, where he was seized by the viscount; but he effected his escape and returned home. The viscount, fearing that Seu would revolt, sent Wei Seeh to invade it, when a body of men from Woo went to its aid. On this, Tsze-tang, the chief minister, led a force and invaded Woo. He collected his troops at Yu-chang, and halted at Kau-k'e. The men of Woo defeated his army at Fangchang, taking prisoner K'e-tsih, director of the palace stables. Tsze-tang laid the blanie [of the defeat] on Wei Seeh, and put him to death.'

Par. 8. Tso says this was a complimentary visit, and to offer Loo's condolences on the defeat [sustained from Woo].

Par. 9. The Chuen says:-'In the 11th month, the marquis of Ts'e went to Tsin, to ask