the very cornerstone of good government and national prosperity. In the
Book of Rites, which forms a part of the Confucian Canon, and contains
rules not only for the performance of ceremonies but also for the
guidance of individual conduct, the following passage occurs: "With the
slayer of his father, a man may not live under the same sky; against
the slayer of his brother, a man must never have to go home to fetch a
weapon; with the slayer of his friend, a man may not live in the same
state." Being now duly admitted among the works which constitute the
Confucian Canon, the above-mentioned Book of Rites enjoys an authority
to which it can hardly lay claim on the ground of antiquity. It is a
compilation made during the first century B.C., and is based, no doubt,
on older existing documents; but as it never passed under the editorship
of either Confucius or Mencius, it would be unfair to jump to the
conclusion that either of these two sages is in any way responsible
for, or would even acquiesce in, a system of revenge, the only result of
which would be an endless chain of bloodshed and murder. The Chinese are
certainly as constant in their hates as in their friendships. To use a
phrase from their own language, if they love a man, they love him to the
life; if they hate a man they hate him to the death. As we have already
noted, the Old Philosopher urged men to requite evil with good; but
Confucius, who was only a mortal himself, and knew the limitations
of mortality, substituted for an ideal doctrine the more practical
injunction to requite evil with justice. It is to be feared that the
Chinese people fall short in practice even of this lower standard. "Be
just to your enemy" is a common enough maxim; but one for which only a
moderate application can be claimed.

It has often been urged against the Chinese that they have very little
idea of time. A friendly Chinaman will call, and stay on so persistently
that he often outstays his welcome. This infliction is recognized and
felt by the Chinese themselves, who have certain set forms of words by
which they politely escape from a tiresome visitor; among their vast
stores of proverbs they have also provided one which is much to the
point: "Long visits bring short compliments." Also, in contradiction of
the view that time is no value to the Chinaman, there are many familiar
maxims which say, "Make every inch of time your own!" "Half-an-hour is
worth a thousand ounces of silver,