was said of old that men of great ability are difficult to find. The saying is very true. The great men who lived during the period between the reigns of T'ang (the title of the Emperor Yao) and Yü (the title of Shun) have never been equalled. Among the ten great Public Servants mentioned above, there was one woman: so that there were really only nine great men.

"The House of Chou then had two-thirds of the Empire under them, while still acknowledging the sovereignty of the House of Yin. The moral greatness of the early Emperors of the House of Chou may be considered perfect.

21. Confucius remarked, "I have not been able to find a flaw in the character of the ancient Emperor, the Great Yü.47 He was extremely simple in his own food and drink, but lavish in what he offered in sacrifice. His ordinary clothing was coarse and poor, but when he went to worship he appeared in rich and appropriate robes. The palace where he lived was humble and mean, but he spared no expense in useful public works for the good of the people. In all this I cannot

find a flaw in the character of the Great Yü!"

47 See note 41, Section 18 of this Chapter.

1. Confucius in his conversation seldom spoke of interests, of religion or of morality.

2. A man of a certain place remarked, "Confucius is certainly a great man. He is a man of very extensive acquirements, but he has not distinguished himself in anything so as to make himself a name."

When Confucius heard of the remark, he said to his disciples, "Now what shall I take up to distinguish myself? Shall I take up driving or shall I take up archery? I think I will take up archery."

3. Confucius remarked, "Linen hats were considered good taste, but now people generally wear silk ones. The latter are less expensive; therefore I follow the general practice. It was considered correct form at one time to make your bow, as you enter, from the lower part of the room; but now the practice is to make your bow from the upper end of the room. The latter practice presumes too much; therefore I continue to make my bow from the lower part of the room."

4. There were four things from which Confucius was entirely free: He was free from self-interest, from prepossessions, from bigotry and from egoism.

5. On one occasion, when Confucius was in fear for his personal safety from the violence of men of a certain place, he said to those about him, "Be not afraid. Since the death of King Wan [who founded this civilisation] is not the cause of this civilisation with us here now? If God is going to destroy all civilisation in the world, it would not have been given to a mortal of this late generation to understand this civilisation. But if God is not going to destroy all civilisation in the world-what can the people of this place do to me?"

6. A minister of a certain State asked a disciple of Confucius, saying: Your teacher-he is a holy man, is he not? What a variety of acquirements he seems to possess." The disciple replied, "God has certainly been bountiful to him to make him a holy man. Besides he has himself acquired knowledge in many things."

When Confucius afterwards heard of the conversation, he remarked, "Does the minister know me ? When I was young, I was in a low position in life: therefore I had to acquire knowledge in many things;

but they were merely ordinary matters of routine. You think a wise and good man requires much knowledge to make him so; no, he does not require much."

A disciple also once remarked, "I have heard the Master say: 'I have not been called to act in public life; therefore I have had time to acquaint myself with many arts.'

7. Confucius once remarked to someone, "Do you think I have a great understanding? I have no great understanding at all. When an ordinary person asks my opinion on a subject, I myself have no opinion whatever of the subject; but by asking questions on the pros and cons, I get to the bottom of it.

8. Confucius was once heard to exclaim, "Ah, woe 's me. I do not see any signs either in heaven or on earth that we are near the end of the present period of disorder and anarchy and that we are about to inaugurate a new order of things in the world."

9. When Confucius met a person dressed in deep mourning, an officer in full uniform or a blind person, on their approach, although such persons were younger than himself, he would always stand up, and, when walking past them, he would respectfully quicken his steps."

10. A disciple, the favourite Yen Hui, speaking in admiration of Confucius' teaching, remarked: "The more I have looked up to it the higher it appears. The more I have tried to penetrate into it the more impenetrable it seems to be. When I have thought I have laid hold of it here, lo! it is there. But the Master knows admirably how to lead people on step by step. He has enlarged my mind with an extensive knowledge of the arts, while guiding and correcting my judgment and taste.

Thus I could not

But when I have

stop in my progress, even if I would. exhausted my efforts and thought I have reached it, the goal would still stand clear and distinct away from me, and I have no means of reaching it, make what efforts I will."

II. On one occasion, when Confucius was seriously sick, his disciple, the intrepid Chung Yu, made arrangements, in case of the decease of the sick man, that each of the disciples should assume the function of an officer in the household of a great noble. When Confucius came to know of what the disciple did, he, in a remission of his sickness, remarked: I have for this long while observed that Yu (Chung Yu) practises self-deception in his actions. To pretend to have public officers when I have none whom do I want to