l years more to live," said he, "and after fifty years'
study of the 'Book of Changes' I might come to be free from serious
error."

The Master's regular subjects of discourse were the "Books of the
Odes" and "History," and the up-keeping of the Rules of Propriety. On
all of these he regularly discoursed.

The Duke of Shih questioned Tsz-lu about Confucius, and the latter did
not answer.

Hearing of this, the Master said, "Why did you not say, He is a man
with a mind so intent on his pursuits that he forgets his food, and
finds such pleasure in them that he forgets his troubles, and does not
know that old age is coming upon him?"

"As I came not into life with any knowledge of it," he said, "and as
my likings are for what is old, I busy myself in seeking knowledge
there."

Strange occurrences, exploits of strength, deeds of lawlessness,
references to spiritual beings--such-like matters the Master avoided
in conversation.

"Let there," he said, "be three men walking together: from that number
I should be sure to find my instructors; for what is good in them I
should choose out and follow, and what is not good I should modify."

On one occasion he exclaimed, "Heaven begat Virtue in me; what can man
do unto me?"

To his disciples he once said, "Do you look upon me, my sons, as
keeping anything secret from you? I hide nothing from you. I do
nothing that is not manifest to your eyes, my disciples. That is so
with me."

Four things there were which he kept in view in his
teaching--scholarliness, conduct of life, honesty, faithfulness.

"It is not given to me," he said, "to meet with a sage; let me but
behold a man of superior mind, and that will suffice. Neither is it
given to me to meet with a good man; let me but see a man of
constancy, and it will suffice. It is difficult for persons to have
constancy, when they pretend to have that which they are destitute of,
to be full when they are empty, to do things on a grand scale when
their means are contracted!"

When the Master fished with hook and line, he did not also use a net.
When out with his bow, he would never shoot at game in cover.

"Some there may be," said he, "who do things in ignorance of what they
do. I am not of these. There is an alternative way of knowing things,
viz.--to sift out the good from the many things one hears, and follow
it; and to keep in memory the many things one sees."

Pupils from Hu-hiang were difficult to speak with. One yout