and sacred use,"
was the answer.

Some one having observed of Yen Yung that he was good-natured towards
others, but that he lacked the gift of ready speech, the Master said,
"What need of that gift? To stand up before men and pour forth a stream
of glib words is generally to make yourself obnoxious to them. I know
not about his good-naturedness; but at any rate what need of that gift?"

When the Master proposed that Tsi-tiau K'ai should enter the government
service, the latter replied, "I can scarcely credit it." The Master was
gratified.

"Good principles are making no progress," once exclaimed the Master. "If
I were to take a raft, and drift about on the sea, would Tsz-lu, I
wonder, be my follower there?" That disciple was delighted at hearing
the suggestion; whereupon the Master continued, "He surpasses me in his
love of deeds of daring. But he does not in the least grasp the pith of
my remark."

In reply to a question put to him by Mang Wu respecting Tsz-lu--as to
whether he might be called good-natured towards others, the Master said,
"I cannot tell"; but, on the question being put again, he answered,
"Well, in an important State [10] he might be intrusted with the
management of the military levies; but I cannot answer for his good
nature."

"What say you then of Yen Yu?"

"As for Yen," he replied, "in a city of a thousand families, or in a
secondary fief, [11] he might be charged with the governorship; but I
cannot answer for his good-naturedness."

"Take Tsz-hwa, then; what of him?"

"Tsz-hwa," said he, "with a cincture girt upon him, standing as
attendant at Court, might be charged with the addressing of visitors and
guests; but as to his good-naturedness I cannot answer."

Addressing Tsz-kung, the Master said, "Which of the two is ahead of the
other--yourself or Hwui?" "How shall I dare," he replied, "even to look
at Hwui? Only let him hear one particular, and from that he knows ten;
whereas I, if I hear one, may from it know two."

"You are not a match for him, I grant you," said the Master. "You are
not his match."

Tsai Yu, a disciple, used to sleep in the daytime. Said the Master, "One
may hardly carve rotten wood, or use a trowel to the wall of a
manure-yard! In his case, what is the use of reprimand?

"My attitude towards a man in my first dealings with him," he added,
"was to listen to his professions and to trust to his conduct. My
attitude now is to listen to his professions, and to wa