6. On another occasion, Confucius on his travels saw two men working in the fields. He sent a disciple, the intrepid Chung Yu, to enquire for the ford.

When Chung Yu came up to the men, one of them said to him: "Who is he that is holding the reins in the carriage there?" Chung Yu answered, "It is Confucius." "Is it not Confucius of Lu," asked the man. "Yes," replied Chung Yu. "Then," rejoined the other, "he knows the ford."

Chung Yu then turned to the other of the two men, who said to him: "Who are you, sir?" "I am Chung Yu," replied Confucius' disciple. "Are you not a disciple of Confucius?" asked the man. "Yes," replied Chung Yu. Then the man said: "All men in the world are now in a hopeless drift: who can do anything to change it? Nevertheless, it is better to follow those who renounce the world altogether than to run after those who only run from one prince to another." After saying that, the man went on with his work on the field without stopping again to take any notice of Chung Yu's question.

When Chung Yu returned and reported what the man said, Confucius heaved a heavy sigh, and said, “I cannot live with the beasts of the field and birds of the air. If I do not live and associate with mankind, with

whom shall I go to live? Besides, if the world was in order, there would then be no need for one to do anything to change it."

7. On another occasion when Confucius was on his travels, a disciple, the intrepid Chung Yu, got separated from the party. Chung Yu met an old man carrying across his shoulders, on a staff, a basket for weeds. Chung Yu said to him, "Have you seen the Teacher sir?" The old man looked at him and replied gruffly, "Your body has never known toil and you cannot tell the difference between the five kinds of grain who is your Teacher?" With that, the old man planted his staff on the ground and fell to his work, weeding the ground. Chung Yu, however, laid his hands across his breast and respectfully waited.

Afterwards, the old man took Chung Yu to his home and made him pass a night in his house, killing a fowl and making millet pudding for him to eat. The old man also presented his two sons to Chung Yu.

The next day Chung Yu went on his way and, on rejoining Confucius, reported his adventure. 'He is a hermit," said Confucius, and sent Chung Yu back to see him; but when Chung Yu got to the place the old man was nowhere to be found.

When Chung Yu again returned, Confucius said, "It is not right to refuse to enter the public service. For if it is wrong to ignore the duties arising out of the relations between the members of a family, how is it right to ignore the duties a man owes to his sovereign and country. A man who withdraws himself from the world for no other reason than to show his personal purity of motive, is one who breaks up one of the greatest ties in the foundation of society. A good and wise man, on the other hand, who enters the public service, tries to carry out what he thinks to be right. As to the failure of right principles to make progress, he is well aware of that."

8. Confucius, speaking of six worthies, famous in ancient times as men who withdrew themselves from the world, remarked of two of them, Po Yi and Shuhts'i, that they withdrew from the world because they would not give up their high aims, and, in that way, had not to put up with dishonour to their persons; of two others who finally also withdrew from the world, Confucius remarked that they gave up high aims and put up with dishonour to their persons, but in whatever they said were found reasonable and, in whatever they did, were found commendable; finally, of the last two of the six worthies, Confucius remarked that they lived

strictly as recluses and refused altogether to hold communication with the world, but they were pure in their lives and so, entirely secluding themselves from the world, they rightly used their discretion.

"As for myself," said Confucius, finally, "I act differently from those men I have mentioned above, I have no course for which I am predetermined, and no course against which I am predetermined."

9. [This section merely gives the names of the famous musicians and great artists of the time who, falling on a time of decay of art and failure of art patronage, had to wander scattered about from one State to another; one, it is said, went out over sea,-perhaps to Japan !]

10. The original Founder of the reigning house of Confucius' native State, who was known as our Lord of Chou, in his advice to his son and successor said: "A ruler should never neglect his near relations. He should never give his great ministers cause to complain that their advice is not taken. Without some great reason, he should never discard his old connections. He should never expect from a man that he will be able to do everything."

II. [This section merely gives the names of eight famous gentlemen of the time.]

CHAPTER XIX.

1. A disciple of Confucius remarked, "A gentleman in presence of danger should be ready to give up his life; in view of personal advantage, he should think of what is right; in worship, he should be devout and serious; in mourning, he should show heartfelt grief: the above is about the sum of the duties of a gentleman."

2. The same disciple remarked, "If a man holds fast to godliness without enlarging his mind; if a man believes in truth, but is not steadfast in holding to his principlessuch a man may as well leave such things alone."

3. The same disciple was on one occasion asked about friendship by the pupils of one of his fellow disciples. He answered by asking the pupils, "What did your teacher say on the subject?" "Our teacher," replied the pupils, "said, "Those whom you find good, make friends with; those whom you find not good, turn your back upon.'"

"That," replied Confucius' disciple who was asked, "is different from what I have been taught. A wise and good man honours worthy men and is tolerant to all men. He knows how to commend those