5 the master said of kung-ye ch'ang that he might be wived; although he wasput in bonds, he had not been guilty of any crime. accordingly, he gave him hisown daughter to wife. of nan yung he said that if the country were well governed he would not beout of office, and if it were in governed, he would escape punishment anddisgrace. he gave him the daughter of his own elder brother to wife. the master said of tsze-chien, "of superior virtue indeed is such a man! ifthere were not virtuous men in lu, how could this man have acquired thischaracter?" tsze-kung asked, "what do you say of me, ts'ze!" the master said, "you are autensil." "what utensil?" "a gemmed sacrificial utensil." some one said, "yung is truly virtuous, but he is not ready with histongue." the master said, "what is the good of being ready with the tongue? they whoencounter men with smartness of speech for the most part procure themselveshatred. i know not whether he be truly virtuous, but why should he showreadiness of the tongue?" the master was wishing ch'i-tiao k'ai to enter an official employment. hereplied, "i am not yet able to rest in the assurance of this." the master waspleased. the master said, "my doctrines make no way. i will get upon a raft, andfloat about on the sea. he that will accompany me will be yu, i dare say." tsze-lu hearing this was glad, upon which the master said, "yu is fonder of daringthan i am. he does not exercise his judgment upon matters." mang wu asked about tsze-lu, whether he was perfectly virtuous. the mastersaid, "i do not know." he asked again, when the master replied, "in a kingdom of a thousandchariots, yu might be employed to manage the military levies, but i do not knowwhether he be perfectly virtuous." "and what do you say of ch'iu?" the master replied, "in a city of a thousandfamilies, or a clan of a hundred chariots, ch'iu might be employed as governor,but i do not know whether he is perfectly virtuous." "what do you say of ch'ih?" the master replied, "with his sash girt andstanding in a court, ch'ih might be employed to converse with the visitors andguests, but i do not know whether he is perfectly virtuous." the master said to tsze-kung, "which do you consider superior, yourself orhui?" tsze-kung replied, "how dare i compare myself with hui? hui hears one pointand knows all about a subject; i hear one point, and know a second." the master said, "you are not equal to him. i grant you, you are not equalto him." tsai yu being asleep during the daytime, the master said, "rotten woodcannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. this yu,-what is the use of my reproving him?" the master said, "at first, my way with men was to hear their words, andgive them credit for their conduct. now my way is to hear their words, and lookat their conduct. it is from yu that i have learned to make this change." the master said, "i have not seen a firm and unbending man." some onereplied, "there is shan ch'ang." "ch'ang," said the master, "is under theinfluence of his passions; how can he be pronounced firm and unbending?" tsze-kung said, "what i do not wish men to do to me, i also wish not to doto men." the master said, "ts'ze, you have not attained to that." tsze-kung said, "the master's personal displays of his principles andordinary descriptions of them may be heard. his discourses about man's nature,and the way of heaven, cannot be heard." when tsze-lu heard anything, if he had not yet succeeded in carrying it intopractice, he was only afraid lest he should hear something else. tsze-kung asked, saying, "on what ground did kung-wan get that title ofwan?" the master said, "he was of an active nature and yet fond of learning, andhe was not ashamed to ask and learn of his inferiors!-on these grounds he hasbeen styled wan." the master said of tsze-ch'an that he had four of the characteristics of asuperior man-in his conduct of himself, he was humble; in serving his superior,he was respectful; in nourishing the people, he was kind; in ordering the people,he was just." the master said, "yen p'ing knew well how to maintain friendly intercourse.the acquaintance might be long, but he showed the same respect as at first." the master said, "tsang wan kept a large tortoise in a house, on thecapitals of the pillars of which he had hills made, and with representations ofduckweed on the small pillars above the beams supporting the rafters.-of whatsort was his wisdom?" tsze-chang asked, saying, "the minister tsze-wan thrice took office, andmanifested no joy in his countenance. thrice he retired from office, andmanifested no displeasure. he made it a point to inform the new minister of theway in which he had conducted the government; what do you say of him?" themaster replied. "he was loyal." "was he perfectly virtuous?" "i do not know. howcan he be pronounced perfectly virtuous?" tsze-chang proceeded, "when the officer ch'ui killed the prince of ch'i,ch'an wan, though he was the owner of forty horses, abandoned them and left thecountry. coming to another state, he said, 'they are here like our great officer,ch'ui,' and left it. he came to a second state, and with the same observationleft it also;-what do you say of him?" the master replied, "he was pure." "washe perfectly virtuous?" "i do not know. how can he be pronounced perfectlyvirtuous?" chi wan thought thrice, and then acted. when the master was informed of it,he said, "twice may do." the master said, "when good order prevailed in his country, ning wu actedthe part of a wise man. when his country was in disorder, he acted the part of astupid man. others may equal his wisdom, but they cannot equal his stupidity." when the master was in ch'an, he said, "let me return! let me return! thelittle children of my school are ambitious and too hasty. they are accomplishedand complete so far, but they do not know how to restrict and shape themselves." the master said, "po-i and shu-ch'i did not keep the former wickednesses ofmen in mind, and hence the resentments directed towards them were few." the master said, "who says of weishang kao that he is upright? one beggedsome vinegar of him, and he begged it of a neighbor and gave it to the man." the master said, "fine words, an insinuating appearance, and excessiverespect;-tso ch'iu-ming was ashamed of them. i also am ashamed of them. toconceal resentment against a person, and appear friendly with him;-tso ch'iu-ming was ashamed of such conduct. i also am ashamed of it." yen yuan and chi lu being by his side, the master said to them, "come, leteach of you tell his wishes." tsze-lu said, "i should like, having chariots and horses, and light furclothes, to share them with my friends, and though they should spoil them, iwould not be displeased." yen yuan said, "i should like not to boast of my excellence, nor to make adisplay of my meritorious deeds." tsze-lu then said, "i should like, sir, to hear your wishes." the mastersaid, "they are, in regard to the aged, to give them rest; in regard to friends,to show them sincerity; in regard to the young, to treat them tenderly." the master said, "it is all over. i have not yet seen one who could perceivehis faults, and inwardly accuse himself." the master said, "in a hamlet of ten families, there may be found onehonorable and sincere as i am, but not so fond of learning." |
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