The Four Seasons
Pursue Their Courses, And All Things Are Continually Being Produced,
But Does Heaven Say Anything?'
CHAP. XX.
Zu Pei wished to see Confucius, but Confucius
declined, on the ground of being sick, to see him. When the bearer
of this message went out at the door, (the Master) took his lute and
sang to it, in order that Pei might hear him.
CHAP. XXI. 1. Tsai Wo asked about the three years' mourning
for parents, saying that one year was long enough.
2. 'If the superior man,' said he, 'abstains for three years from
the observances of propriety, those observances will be quite lost.
If for three years he abstains from music, music will be ruined.
3. 'Within a year the old grain is exhausted, and the new grain
has sprung up, and, in procuring fire by friction, we go through all
the changes of wood for that purpose. After a complete year, the
mourning may stop.'
4. The Master said, 'If you were, after a year, to eat good rice,
and wear embroidered clothes, would you feel at ease?' 'I should,'
replied Wo.
5. The Master said, 'If you can feel at ease, do it. But a
superior man, during the whole period of mourning, does not enjoy
pleasant food which he may eat, nor derive pleasure from music
which he may hear. He also does not feel at ease, if he is
comfortably lodged. Therefore he does not do what you propose.
But now you feel at ease and may do it.'
6. Tsai Wo then went out, and the Master said, 'This shows
Yu's want of virtue. It is not till a child is three years old that it is
allowed to leave the arms of its parents. And the three years'
mourning is universally observed throughout the empire. Did Yu
enjoy the three years' love of his parents?'
CHAP. XXII. The Master said, 'Hard is it to deal with him, who
will stuff himself with food the whole day, without applying his
mind to anything good! Are there not gamesters and chess players?
To be one of these would still be better than doing nothing at all.'
CHAP. XXIII. Tsze-lu said, 'Does the superior man esteem
valour?' The Master said, 'The superior man holds righteousness to
be of highest importance. A man in a superior situation, having
valour without righteousness, will be guilty of insubordination; one
of the lower people having valour without righteousness, will
commit robbery.'
CHAP. XXIV. 1. Tsze-kung said, 'Has the superior man his
hatreds also?' The Master said, 'He has his hatreds. He hates those
who proclaim the evil of others. He hates the man who,
being in a low station, slanders his superiors. He hates those who
have valour merely, and are unobservant of propriety. He hates
those who are forward and determined, and, at the same time, of
contracted understanding.'
2. The Master then inquired, 'Ts'ze, have you also your
hatreds?' Tsze-kung replied, 'I hate those who pry out matters, and
ascribe the knowledge to their wisdom. I hate those who are only
not modest, and think that they are valourous. I hate those who
make known secrets, and think that they are straightforward.'
CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'Of all people, girls and servants
are the most difficult to behave to. If you are familiar with them,
they lose their humility. If you maintain a reserve towards them,
they are discontented.'
CHAP. XXVI. The Master said, 'When a man at forty is the
object of dislike, he will always continue what he is.'
BOOK XVIII. WEI TSZE.
CHAP. I. 1. The Viscount of Wei withdrew from the court. The
Viscount of Chi became a slave to Chau. Pi-kan remonstrated with
him and died.
2. Confucius said, 'The Yin dynasty possessed these three men
of virtue.'
CHAP. II. Hui of Liu-hsia being chief criminal judge, was
thrice dismissed from his office. Some one said to him, 'Is it not yet
time for you, sir, to leave this?' He replied, 'Serving men in an
upright way, where shall I go to, and not experience such a thrice-
repeated
dismissal? If I choose to serve men in a crooked way, what
necessity is there for me to leave the country of my parents?'
CHAP. III. The duke Ching of Ch'i, with reference to the
manner in which he should treat Confucius, said, 'I cannot treat him
as I would the chief of the Chi family. I will treat him in a manner
between that accorded to the chief of the Chi, and that given to the
chief of the Mang family.' He also said, 'I am old; I cannot use his
doctrines.' Confucius took his departure.
CHAP. IV. The people of Ch'i sent to Lu a present of female
musicians, which Chi Hwan received, and for three days no court
was held. Confucius took his departure.
CHAP. V. 1. The madman of Ch'u, Chieh-yu, passed by
Confucius, singing and saying, 'O FANG! O FANG! How is your
virtue degenerated! As to the past, reproof is useless; but the future
may still be provided against. Give up your vain pursuit. Give up
your vain pursuit. Peril awaits those who now engage in affairs of
government.'
2. Confucius alighted and wished to converse with him, but
Chieh-yu hastened away, so that he could not talk with him.
CHAP. VI. 1. Ch'ang-tsu and Chieh-ni were at work in the field
together, when Confucius passed by them, and sent Tsze-lu to
inquire for the ford.
2. Ch'ang-tsu said, 'Who is he that holds the reins in the
carriage there?' Tsze-lu told him, 'It is K'ung Ch'iu.' 'Is it not K'ung
Ch'iu of Lu?' asked he. 'Yes,' was the reply, to which the other
rejoined, 'He knows the ford.'
3.
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