i.]

He answered, I cannot.

Alas! said the Master; dost thou think Mount T'ai less wise than Lin
Fang?

7. The Master said, A gentleman never strives with others. Or must he,
perhaps, in shooting? But then, as he bows and makes way in going up
or steps down to drink,[27] his strife is that of a gentleman.

[Footnote 27: The loser had to drink a cup of wine.]

8. Tzu-hsia asked, What is the meaning of:

Her cunning smiles,
Her dimples light,
Her lovely eyes,
So clear and bright,
All unadorned,
The background white.

Colouring, said the Master, is second to the plain ground.

Then good form is second, said Tzu-hsia.

Shang,[28] said the Master, thou hast hit my meaning! Now I can talk
of poetry to thee.

[Footnote 28: Tzu-hsia.]

9. The Master said, I can speak of the manners of Hsia; but as proof
of them Chi[29] is not enough. I can speak of the manners of Yin; but
as proof of them Sung is not enough. This is due to their dearth of
books and great men. If there were enough of these, I could use them
as proofs.

[Footnote 29: Chi was the homeland of the House of Hsia, Sung that of
the House of Yin.]

10. The Master said, After the drink offering at the Great Sacrifice,
I have no wish to see more.

11. One asked the meaning of the Great Sacrifice.

The Master said, I do not know. He that knew the meaning would
overlook all below heaven as I do this--and he pointed to his palm.

12. He worshipped as if those whom he worshipped were before him; he
worshipped the spirits as if they were before him.

The Master said: For me, to take no part in the sacrifice is the same
as not sacrificing.

13. Wang-sun Chia[30] said, What is the meaning of, It is better to
court the hearth-god than the god of the home?

[Footnote 30: Wang-sun Chia was minister of Wei, and had more
influence than his master. The hearth-god ranks below the god of the
home (the Roman _lares_), but since he sees all that goes on in the
house, and ascends to heaven at the end of the year to report what has
happened, it is well to be on good terms with him.]

Not so, said the Master. A sin against Heaven leaves no room for
prayer.

14. The Master said, Chou[31] looks back on two lines of kings. How
rich, how rich it is in art! I follow Chou.

[Footnote 31: The royal house of Chou, which was then ruling China.]

15. On going into the Great Temple the Master asked about everything.

One said, Who says that t