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 watch his
conduct. My experience with Tsai Yu has led to this change.

"I have never seen," said the Master, "a man of inflexible firmness."
Some one thereupon mentioned Shin Ch[']ang, a disciple. "Ch[']ang,"
said he, "is wanton; where do you get at his inflexibleness?"

Tsz-kung made the remark: "That which I do not wish others to put upon
me, I also wish not to put upon others."