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. Tsze-lu then inquired of Chieh-ni, who said to him, 'Who
are you, sir?' He answered, 'I am Chung Yu.' 'Are you not the
disciple of K'ung Ch'iu of Lu?' asked the other. 'I am,' replied he,
and then Chieh-ni said to him, 'Disorder, like a swelling flood,
spreads over the whole empire, and who is he that will change its
state for you? Than follow one who merely withdraws from this
one and that one, had you not better follow those who have
withdrawn from the world altogether?' With this he fell to covering
up the seed, and proceeded with his work, without stopping.
4. Tsze-lu went and reported their remarks, when the Master
observed with a sigh, 'It is impossible to associate with birds and
beasts, as if they were the same with us. If I associate not with
these people,-- with mankind,-- with whom shall I associate? If
right principles prevailed through the empire, there would be no
use for me to change its state.'
CHAP. VII. 1. Tsze-lu, following the Master, happened to fall
behind, when he met an old man, carrying across his shoulder on a
staff a basket for weeds. Tsze-lu said to him, 'Have you seen my
master, sir!' The old man replied, 'Your four limbs are
unaccustomed to toil; you cannot distinguish the five kinds of
grain:-- who is your master?' With this, he planted his staff in the
ground, and proceeded to weed.
2. Tsze-lu joined his hands across his breast, and stood before
him.
3. The old man kept Tsze-lu to pass the night in his house,
killed a fowl, prepared millet, and feasted him. He also introduced
to him his two sons.
4. Next day, Tsze-lu went on his way, and reported his
adventure. The Master said, 'He is a recluse,' and sent Tsze-lu back
to see him again, but when he got to the place, the old man was
gone.
5. Tsze-lu then said to the family, 'Not to take office is not
righteous. If the relations between old and young may not be
neglected, how is it that he sets aside the duties that should be
observed between sovereign and minister? Wishing to maintain his
personal purity, he allows that great relation to come to confusion.
A superior man takes office, and performs the righteous duties
belonging to it. As to the failure of right principles to make
progress, he is aware of that.'
CHAP. VIII. 1. The men who have retired to privacy from the
world have been Po-i, Shu-ch'i, Yu-chung, I-yi, Chu-chang, Hui of
Liu-hsia, and Shao-lien.
2. The Master said, 'Refusing to surrender their wills, or to
submit to any taint in their persons;-- such, I think, were Po-i and
Shu-ch'i.
3. 'It may be said of Hui of Liu-hsia, and of Shao-lien, that
they surrendered their wills, and submitted to taint in their
persons,
but their words corresponded with reason, and their actions were
such as men are anxious to see. This is all that is to be remarked in
them.
4. 'It may be said of Yu-chung and I-yi, that, while they hid
themselves in their seclusion, they gave a license to their words;
but, in their persons, they succeeded in preserving their purity,
and, in their retirement, they acted according to the exigency of the
times.
5. 'I am different from all these. I have no course for which I
am predetermined, and no course against which I am
predetermined.'
CHAP. IX. 1. The grand music master, Chih, went to Ch'i.
2. Kan, the master of the band at the second meal, went to
Ch'u. Liao, the band master at the third meal, went to Ts'ai. Chueh,
the band master at the fourth meal, went to Ch'in.
3. Fang-shu, the drum master, withdrew to the north of the
river.
4. Wu, the master of the hand drum, withdrew to the Han.
5. Yang, the assistant music master, and Hsiang, master of the
musical stone, withdrew to an island in the sea.
CHAP. X. The duke of Chau addressed his son, the duke of Lu,
saying, 'The virtuous prince does not neglect his relations. He does
not cause the great ministers to repine at his not employing them.
Without some great cause, he does not dismiss from their offices
the members of old families. He does not seek in one man talents
for every employment.'
CHAP. XI. To Chau belonged the eight officers, Po-ta, Po-
kwo, Chung-tu, Chung-hwu, Shu-ya, Shu-hsia, Chi-sui, and Chi-kwa.