'Prayer has been made to the spirits of the upper and lower worlds.'" The Master said, "My praying has been for a long time."

The Master was mild, and yet dignified; majestic, and yet not fierce; respectful, and yet easy.

The subjects of which the Master seldom spoke were -profitableness, and also the appointments of Heaven, and perfect virtue.

A man of the village of Tă-heang said, "Great indeed is the philosopher K'ung! His learning is extensive, and yet he does not render his name famous by any particular thing."

There were four things from which the Master was entirely free. He had no foregone conclusions, no arbitrary predeterminations, no obstinacy, and no egotism.

When the Master saw a person in a mourning dress, or any one with the cap and upper and lower garments of full dress, or a blind person, on observing them approaching, though they were younger than himself, he would rise up, and if he had to pass by them, he would do so hastily.*

Shuh-sun Woo-shuh having spoken revilingly of Chungne,† Tsze-Kung said, "It is of no use doing so. "Chung-ne cannot be reviled. The talents and virtues of other men are hillocks and mounds, which may be stept over. Chung-ne is the sun or moon, which it is not possible to step over. Although a man may wish to cut himself off from the sage, what harm can he do to the sun or

*Such consideration did he show to those who were in mourning, and suffering misfortunes.

† Chung-ne was the marriage name of Confucius.

moon? He only shows that he does not know his own capacity."*

"Our Master cannot be attained to, just in the same way as the heavens cannot be gone up to by the steps of a stair."

"Were our Master in the position of the prince of a State, or the chief of a Family, we should find verified the description which has been given of a sage's rule :—he would plant the people, and forthwith they would be established; he would lead them on, and forthwith they would follow him; he would make them happy, and forthwith multitudes would resort to his dominions; he would stimulate them, and forthwith they would be harmonious. While he lived, he would be glorious. When he died, he would be bitterly lamented. How is it possible for him to be attained to?"

Formerly, when Confucius died, after three years had elapsed, his disciples collected their baggage, and prepared to return to their several homes. But on entering to take their leave of Tsze-kung, as they looked towards one another, they wailed, till they all lost their voices. After this they returned to their homes, but Tsze-kung went back, and built a house for himself on the altarground, where he lived alone other three years, before he returned home.

WHAT CONFUCIUS SAYS OF HIMSELF.

The Master said, “I will not be afflicted at men's not

*Confucius is like the sun or moon, high above the reach of depreciation.

knowing me; I will be afflicted that I do not know men."

"At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning.

"At thirty, I stood firm.

"At forty, I had no doubts.

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At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven.

"At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth.

"At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right."

The Master said, "Sin, my doctrine is that of an allpervading unity." The disciple Tsăng replied "Yes."

The Master went out, and the other disciples asked, saying, "What do his words mean?" Tsang said, "The doctrine of our Master is, to be true to the principles of our nature, and the benevolent exercise of them to others. This and nothing more."

The Master said, "A transmitter and not a maker, believing in and loving the ancients, I venture to compare myself with our old P'ang."

"The silent treasuring up of knowledge, learning without satiety, and instructing others without being wearied -what one of these things belongs to me?"

"The leaving virtue without proper cultivation; the not thoroughly discussing what is learned; not being able to move towards righteousness of which a knowledge is gained; and not being able to change what is not good-these are the things which occasion me solicitude."

"Extreme is my decay. For a long time I have not creamed, as I was wont to do, that I saw the duke of Chow."

OF THA

UNIVER

"From the man bringing his bundle of dried flesh for my teaching upwards, I have never refused instruction to any one."

"I do not open up the truth to one who is not eager to get knowledge, nor help out any one who is not anxious to explain himself. When I have presented one corner of a subject to any one, and he cannot from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my lesson."

The Master said to Yen Yuen: "When called to office, to undertake its duties; when not so called, to lie reired: it is only I and you who have attained to this."

"With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my pended arm for a pillow-I have still joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness, are to me as a floating cloud."

"I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.

"When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them—their bad qualities, and avoid them."

"There may be those who act without knowing why. I do not do so. Hearing much, and selecting what is good, and following it; seeing much, and keeping it in memory: this is the second style of knowledge."

"I admit people's approach to me without committing myself as to what they may do when they have retired. Why must one be so severe? If a man purify himself to wait upon me, I receive him so purified, without guaranteeing his past conduct."

"If I have any errors, people are sure to know them." "In letters, I am, perhaps, equal to other men, but

the character of the superior man, carrying out in his conduct what he professes, is what I have not yet attained to."

"If Heaven had wished to let the cause of truth perish, then I, a future mortal, should not have had such a relation to that cause. While Heaven does not let the cause of truth perish, what can the people of K'wang do to me?"*

A high officer asked Tsze-Kung saying, "May we not say that your master is a sage? How various is his ability!"

Tsze-Kung said, "Certainly Heaven has endowed him unlimitedly. He is about a sage. And, moreover, his ability is various."

The Master heard of the conversation and said, "Does the high officer know me? When I was young my condition was low, and therefore I acquired my ability in many things, but they were mean matters. Must the su

perior man have such variety of ability? He does not need variety of ability."

Laou said, "The Master said, 'Having no official employment, I acquired many arts.""

The Master said, "Am I indeed possessed of knowledge? I am not knowing. But if a mean person, who appears quite empty-like, ask anything of me, I set it forth from one end to the other, and exhaust it."

"Abroad, to serve the high ministers and officers; at home, to serve one's father and elder brothers; in all

He here identifies himself with the line of the great sages, to whom Heaven has intrusted the instruction of men. We are also reminded of the saying, "Man is immortal till his work is donc."