The Master said of Kung-ye Ch'ang that he might be wived; althoughhe was put in bonds, he had not been guilty of any crime. Accordingly,he gave him his own daughter to wife.
Of Nan Yung he said that if the country were well governed he wouldnot be out of office, and if it were in governed, he would escapepunishment and disgrace. He gave him the daughter of his own elderbrother to wife.
The Master said of Tsze-chien, "Of superior virtue indeed is sucha man! If there were not virtuous men in Lu, how could this man haveacquired this character?"Tsze-kung asked, "What do you say of me, Ts'ze!" The Master said,"You are a utensil." "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 who encounter men with smartness of speech for the most partprocure themselves hatred. I know not whether he be truly virtuous,but why should he show readiness of the tongue?"The Master was wishing Ch'i-tiao K'ai to enter an official employment.
He replied, "I am not yet able to rest in the assurance of this."The Master was pleased.
The Master said, "My doctrines make no way. I will get upon a raft,and float about on the sea. He that will accompany me will be Yu,I dare say." Tsze-lu hearing this was glad, upon which the Mastersaid, "Yu is fonder of daring than I am. He does not exercise hisjudgment upon matters."Mang Wu asked about Tsze-lu, whether he was perfectly virtuous. TheMaster said, "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, butI do not know whether he be perfectly virtuous.""And what do you say of Ch'iu?" The Master replied, "In a city ofa thousand families, or a clan of a hundred chariots, Ch'iu mightbe employed as governor, but I do not know whether he is perfectlyvirtuous.""What do you say of Ch'ih?" The Master replied, "With his sash girtand standing in a court, Ch'ih might be employed to converse withthe visitors and guests, but I do not know whether he is perfectlyvirtuous."The Master said to Tsze-kung, "Which do you consider superior, yourselfor Hui?"Tsze-kung replied, "How dare I compare myself with Hui? Hui hearsone point and knows all about a subject; I hear one point, and knowa second."The Master said, "You are not equal to him. I grant you, you are notequal to him."Tsai Yu being asleep during the daytime, the Master said, "Rottenwood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive thetrowel. This Yu,-what is the use of my reproving him?"The Master said, "At first, my way with men was to hear their words,and give them credit for their conduct. Now my way is to hear theirwords, and look at their conduct. It is from Yu that I have learnedto make this change."The Master said, "I have not seen a firm and unbending man." Someone replied, "There is Shan Ch'ang." "Ch'ang," said the Master, "isunder the influence of his passions; how can he be pronounced firmand unbending?"Tsze-kung said, "What I do not wish men to do to me, I also wish notto do to men." The Master said, "Ts'ze, you have not attained to that."Tsze-kung said, "The Master's personal displays of his principlesand ordinary descriptions of them may be heard. His discourses aboutman's nature, and the way of Heaven, cannot be heard."When Tsze-lu heard anything, if he had not yet succeeded in carryingit into practice, he was only afraid lest he should hear somethingelse.
Tsze-kung asked, saying, "On what ground did Kung-wan get that titleof Wan?"The Master said, "He was of an active nature and yet fond of learning,and he was not ashamed to ask and learn of his inferiors!-On thesegrounds he has been styled Wan."The Master said of Tsze-ch'an that he had four of the characteristicsof a superior man-in his conduct of himself, he was humble; in servinghis superior, he was respectful; in nourishing the people, he waskind; 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 asat 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 representationsof duckweed on the small pillars above the beams supporting the rafters.-Ofwhat sort was his wisdom?"Tsze-chang asked, saying, "The minister Tsze-wan thrice took office,and manifested no joy in his countenance. Thrice he retired from office,and manifested no displeasure. He made it a point to inform the newminister of the way in which he had conducted the government; whatdo you say of him?" The Master replied. "He was loyal." "Was he perfectlyvirtuous?" "I do not know. How can he be pronounced perfectly virtuous?"Tsze-chang proceeded, "When the officer Ch'ui killed the prince ofCh'i, Ch'an Wan, though he was the owner of forty horses, abandonedthem and left the country. Coming to another state, he said, 'Theyare here like our great officer, Ch'ui,' and left it. He came to asecond state, and with the same observation left it also;-what doyou say of him?" The Master replied, "He was pure." "Was he perfectlyvirtuous?" "I do not know. How can he be pronounced perfectly virtuous?"Chi Wan thought thrice, and then acted. When the Master was informedof it, he said, "Twice may do."The Master said, "When good order prevailed in his country, Ning Wuacted the part of a wise man. When his country was in disorder, heacted the part of a stupid man. Others may equal his wisdom, but theycannot equal his stupidity."When the Master was in Ch'an, he said, "Let me return! Let me return!
The little children of my school are ambitious and too hasty. Theyare accomplished and complete so far, but they do not know how torestrict and shape themselves."The Master said, "Po-i and Shu-ch'i did not keep the former wickednessesof men in mind, and hence the resentments directed towards them werefew."The Master said, "Who says of Weishang Kao that he is upright? Onebegged some vinegar of him, and he begged it of a neighbor and gaveit 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 ofthem. To conceal resentment against a person, and appear friendlywith him;-Tso Ch'iu-ming was ashamed of such conduct. I also am ashamedof it."Yen Yuan and Chi Lu being by his side, the Master said to them, "Come,let each of you tell his wishes."Tsze-lu said, "I should like, having chariots and horses, and lightfur clothes, to share them with my friends, and though they shouldspoil them, I would not be displeased."Yen Yuan said, "I should like not to boast of my excellence, nor tomake a display of my meritorious deeds."Tsze-lu then said, "I should like, sir, to hear your wishes." TheMaster said, "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 couldperceive his faults, and inwardly accuse himself."The Master said, "In a hamlet of ten families, there may be foundone honorable and sincere as I am, but not so fond of learning."