sent a present of a pig to his
house. Confucius went to return his acknowledgments for it at a time
when he was not at home. They met, however, on the way.

He said to Confucius, "Come, I want a word with you. Can that man be
said to have good-will towards his fellow-men who hugs and hides his own
precious gifts and allows his country to go on in blind error?"

"He cannot," was the reply.

"And can he be said to be wise who, with a liking for taking part in the
public service, is constantly letting slip his opportunities?"

"He cannot," was the reply again.

"And the days and months are passing; and the years do not wait for us."

"True," said Confucius; "I will take office."

It was a remark of the Master that while "by nature we approximate
towards each other, by experience we go far asunder."

Again, "Only the supremely wise and the most deeply ignorant do not
alter."

The Master once, on his arrival at Wu-shing, heard the sound of stringed
instruments and singing. His face beamed with pleasure, and he said
laughingly, "To kill a cock--why use an ox-knife?"

Tsz-yu, the governor, replied, "In former days, sir, I heard you say,
'Let the superior man learn right principles, and he will be loving to
other men; let the ordinary person learn right principles, and he will
be easily managed.'"

The Master (turning to his disciples) said, "Sirs, what he says is
right: what I said just now was only in play."

Having received an invitation from Kung-shan Fuh-jau, who was in revolt
against the government and was holding to his district of Pi, the Master
showed an inclination to go.

Tsz-lu was averse to this, and said, "You can never go, that is certain;
how should you feel you must go to that person?"

"Well," said the Master, "he who has invited me must surely not have
done so without a sufficient reason! And if it should happen that my
services were enlisted, I might create for him another East Chow--don't
you think so?"

Tsz-chang asked Confucius about the virtue of philanthropy. His answer
was, "It is the being able to put in practice five qualities, in any
place under the sun."

"May I ask, please, what these are?" said the disciple.

"They are," he said, "dignity, indulgence, faithfulness, earnestness,
kindness. If you show dignity you will not be mocked; if you are
indulgent you will win the multitude; if faithful, men will place their
trust in you; if earnest, you will do something meritorious; an