is wisdom?

The Master said, To know men.

Fan Ch'ih did not understand.

The Master said, Lift up the straight, put by the crooked, and crooked
men will grow straight.

Fan Ch'ih withdrew, and seeing Tzu-hsia, said to him, The Master saw
me and I asked him what wisdom is. He answered, Lift up the straight,
put by the crooked, and crooked men will grow straight. What did he
mean?

How rich a saying! said Tzu-hsia. When Shun[122] had all below heaven
he chose Kao-yao from the many, lifted him up, and the men without
love fled. When T'ang[123] had all below heaven, he chose Yi-yin[124]
from the many, lifted him up, and the men without love fled.

[Footnote 122: An emperor of the golden age.]

[Footnote 123: The founder of the Shang, or Yin, dynasty.]

[Footnote 124: T'ang's chief minister. Yi-yin said, Whomsoever I
serve, is he not my lord? Whomsoever I rule, are they not my people?
He came in when there was order, and came in too when there were
tumults. He said, When Heaven begat the people, the man that first
understood was sent to waken those slow to understand, and the man
that first woke was sent to waken those slow to wake. I am he that
woke first among Heaven's people. With the help of the Way, I shall
wake the people! For man or wife, of all the people below heaven, to
have missed the blessings of Yao and Shun was the same, he thought, as
if he himself had pushed him into the ditch. The burden he shouldered
was the weight of all below heaven. (Mencius, Book X, chapter 1.)]

23. Tzu-kung asked about friends.

The Master said, Talk faithfully to them, and guide them well. If this
is no good, stop. Do not bring shame upon thee.

24. Tseng-tzu said, A gentleman gathers friends by culture, and stays
love with friendship.

BOOK XIII

1. Tzu-lu asked how to rule.

The Master said, Go before; work hard.

When asked to say more, he said, Never flag.

2. When he was steward of the Chi, Chung-kung asked how to rule.

The Master said, Let officers act first; overlook small faults, lift
up brains and worth.

Chung-kung said, How shall I get to know brains and worth to lift them
up?

Lift up those thou dost know, said the Master; and those thou dost not
know, will other men pass by?

3. Tzu-lu said, The lord of Wei[125] waits for you, Sir, to govern.
How shall ye begin?

Surely, said the Master, by putting names right.

Indeed, said Tzu-lu, that is far-fetched, Sir. Why put them right?