The Analects of Confucius | Page 9

men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.' CHAP.
XVIII. The Master said, 'In serving his parents, a son may remonstrate with them, but
gently; when he sees that they do not incline to follow his advice, he shows an increased
degree of reverence, but does not abandon his purpose; and should they punish him, he
does not allow himself to murmur.'
CHAP. XIX. The Master said, 'While his parents are alive, the son may not go abroad to
a distance. If he does go abroad, he must have a fixed place to which he goes.' CHAP.
XX. The Master said, 'If the son for three years does not alter from the way of his father,
he may be called filial.' CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'The years of parents may by no
means not be kept in the memory, as an occasion at once for joy and for fear.' CHAP.
XXII. The Master said, 'The reason why the ancients did not readily give utterance to
their words, was that they feared lest their actions should not come up to them.' CHAP.
XXIII. The Master said, 'The cautious seldom err.'
CHAP. XXIV. The Master said, 'The superior man wishes to be slow in his speech and
earnest in his conduct.' CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'Virtue is not left to stand alone.
He who practises it will have neighbors.' CHAP. XXVI. Tsze-yu said, 'In serving a prince,
frequent remonstrances lead to disgrace. Between friends, frequent reproofs make the
friendship distant.'
BOOK V. KUNG-YE CH'ANG.
CHAP. I. 1. The Master said of Kung-ye Ch'ang that he might be wived; although he was
put in bonds, he had not been guilty of any crime. Accordingly, he gave him his own
daughter to wife. 2. Of Nan Yung he said that if the country were well governed
he would not be out of office, and if it were ill-governed, he would escape punishment
and disgrace. He gave him the daughter of his own elder brother to wife. CHAP. II. The
Master said of Tsze-chien, 'Of superior virtue indeed is such a man! If there were not
virtuous men in Lu, how could this man have acquired this character?' CHAP. III.
Tsze-kung asked, 'What do you say of me, Ts'ze? The Master said, 'You are a utensil.'
'What utensil?' 'A gemmed sacrificial utensil.'
CHAP. IV. 1. Some one said, 'Yung is truly virtuous, but he is not ready with his tongue.'
2. The Master said, 'What is the good of being ready with the tongue? They who
encounter men with smartnesses of speech for the most part procure themselves hatred. I
know not whether he be truly virtuous, but why should he show readiness of the tongue?'
CHAP. V. The Master was wishing Ch'i-tiao K'ai to enter on official employment. He
replied, 'I am not yet able to rest in the assurance of THIS.' The Master was pleased.
CHAP. VI. 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 Master said, 'Yu is fonder of daring than I am. He does not exercise his

judgment upon matters.' CHAP. VII. 1. Mang Wu asked about Tsze-lu, whether he was
perfectly virtuous. The Master said, 'I do not know.' 2. He asked again, when the Master
replied, 'In a kingdom of a thousand chariots, Yu might be employed to manage the
military levies, but I do not know whether he be perfectly virtuous.' 3. 'And what do you
say of Ch'iu?' The Master replied, 'In a city of a thousand families, or a clan of a hundred
chariots, Ch'iu might be employed as governor, but I do not know whether he is perfectly
virtuous.' 4. 'What do you say of Ch'ih?' The Master replied, 'With his sash girt and
standing in a court, Ch'ih might be employed to converse with the visitors and guests, but
I do not know whether he is perfectly virtuous.'
CHAP. VII. 1. The Master said to Tsze-kung, 'Which do you consider superior, yourself
or Hui?' 2. Tsze-kung replied, 'How dare I compare myself with Hui? Hui hears one point
and knows all about a subject; I hear one point, and know a second.' 3. The Master said,
'You are not equal to him. I grant you, you are not equal to him.' CHAP. IX. 1. Tsai Yu
being asleep during the daytime, the Master said, 'Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall
of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. This Yu!-- what is the use of my reproving
him?' 2. The Master said, 'At first, my way with men was to hear their words, and give
them