The Analects of Confucius | Page 7

her eye! The plain ground for the colours?"' 2. The Master said, 'The business of laying
on the colours follows (the preparation of) the plain ground.' 3. 'Ceremonies then are a
subsequent thing?' The Master said, 'It is Shang who can bring out my meaning. Now I
can begin to talk about the odes with him.'
CHAP. IX. The Master said, 'I could describe the ceremonies of the Hsia dynasty, but Chi
cannot sufficiently attest my words. I could describe the ceremonies of the Yin dynasty,
but Sung cannot sufficiently attest my words. (They cannot do so) because of the
insufficiency of their records and wise men. If those were sufficient, I could adduce them
in support of my words.' CHAP. X. The Master said, 'At the great sacrifice, after the
pouring out of the libation, I have no wish to look on.' CHAP. XI. Some one asked the
meaning of the great sacrifice. The Master said, 'I do not know. He who knew its
meaning would find it as easy to govern the kingdom as to look on this;-- pointing to his
palm.
CHAP. XII. 1. He sacrificed to the dead, as if they were present. He sacrificed to the
spirits, as if the spirits were present. 2. The Master said, 'I consider my not being present
at the sacrifice, as if I did not sacrifice.' CHAP. XIII. 1. Wang-sun Chia asked, saying,
'What is the meaning of the saying, "It is better to pay court to the furnace than to the
south-west corner?"' 2. The Master said, 'Not so. He who offends against Heaven has
none to whom he can pray.'
CHAP. XIV. The Master said, 'Chau had the advantage of viewing the two past dynasties.
How complete and elegant are its regulations! I follow Chau.' CHAP. XV. The Master,
when he entered the grand temple, asked about everything. Some one said, 'Who will say
that the son of the man of Tsau knows the rules of propriety! He has entered the grand

temple and asks about everything.' The Master heard the remark, and said, 'This is a rule
of propriety.' CHAP. XVI. The Master said, 'In archery it is not going through the leather
which is the principal thing;-- because people's strength is not equal. This was the old
way.'
CHAP. XVII. 1. Tsze-kung wished to do away with the offering of a sheep connected
with the inauguration of the first day of each month. 2. The Master said, 'Ts'ze, you love
the sheep; I love the ceremony.' CHAP. XVII. The Master said, 'The full observance of
the rules of propriety in serving one's prince is accounted by people to be flattery.' CHAP.
XIX. The Duke Ting asked how a prince should employ his ministers, and how ministers
should serve their prince. Confucius replied, 'A prince should employ his minister
according to according to the rules of propriety; ministers should serve their prince with
faithfulness.' CHAP. XX. The Master said, 'The Kwan Tsu is expressive of enjoyment
without being licentious, and of grief without being hurtfully excessive.'
CHAP. XXI. 1. The Duke Ai asked Tsai Wo about the altars of the spirits of the land.
Tsai Wo replied, 'The Hsia sovereign planted the pine tree about them; the men of the
Yin planted the cypress; and the men of the Chau planted the chestnut tree, meaning
thereby to cause the people to be in awe.' 2. When the Master heard it, he said, 'Things
that are done, it is needless to speak about; things that have had their course, it is needless
to remonstrate about; things that are past, it is needless to blame.' CHAP. XXII. 1. The
Master said, 'Small indeed was the capacity of Kwan Chung!' 2. Some one said, 'Was
Kwan Chung parsimonious?' 'Kwan,' was the reply, 'had the San Kwei, and his officers
performed no double duties; how can he be considered parsimonious?' 3. 'Then, did
Kwan Chung know the rules of propriety?' The
Master said, 'The princes of States have a screen intercepting the view at their gates.
Kwan had likewise a screen at his gate. The princes of States on any friendly meeting
between two of them, had a stand on which to place their inverted cups. Kwan had also
such a stand. If Kwan knew the rules of propriety, who does not know them?' CHAP.
XXXII. The Master instructing the grand music-master of Lu said, 'How to play music
may be known. At the commencement of the piece, all the parts should sound together.
As it proceeds, they should be in harmony while severally distinct and flowing without
break, and thus on to the conclusion.'
CHAP. XXIV. The border warden at Yi requested to be introduced to the Master, saying,
'When men of superior virtue have come to this, I have