ple will cease to
discuss public matters."

"For five generations," he said, "the revenue has departed from the
ducal household. Four generations ago the government fell into the hands
of the high officials. Hence, alas! the straitened means of the
descendants of the three Hwan families."

"There are," said he, "three kinds of friendships which are profitable,
and three which are detrimental. To make friends with the upright, with
the trustworthy, with the experienced, is to gain benefit; to make
friends with the subtly perverse, with the artfully pliant, with the
subtle in speech, is detrimental."

Again, "There are three kinds of pleasure which are profitable, and
three which are detrimental. To take pleasure in going regularly through
the various branches of Ceremonial and Music, in speaking of others'
goodness, in having many worthy wise friends, is profitable. To take
pleasure in wild bold pleasures, in idling carelessly about, in the too
jovial accompaniments of feasting, is detrimental."

Again, "Three errors there be, into which they who wait upon their
superior may fall:--(1) to speak before the opportunity comes to them to
speak, which I call heedless haste; (2) refraining from speaking when
the opportunity has come, which I call concealment; and (3) speaking,
regardless of the mood he is in, which I call blindness."

Again, "Three things a superior should guard against:--(1) against the
lusts of the flesh in his earlier years while the vital powers are not
fully developed and fixed; (2) against the spirit of combativeness when
he has come to the age of robust manhood and when the vital powers are
matured and strong, and (3) against ambitiousness when old age has come
on and the vital powers have become weak and decayed."

"Three things also such a man greatly reveres:--(1) the ordinances of
Heaven, (2) great men, (3) words of sages. The inferior man knows not
the ordinances of Heaven and therefore reveres them not, is unduly
familiar in the presence of great men, and scoffs at the words of
sages."

"They whose knowledge comes by birth are of all men the first in
understanding; they to whom it comes by study are next; men of poor
intellectual capacity, who yet study, may be added as a yet inferior
class; and lowest of all are they who are poor in intellect and never
learn."

"Nine things there are of which the superior man should be mindful:--to
be clear in vision, quick in hearing, genial in express