"The learned official," said Tsz-chang, "who when he sees danger ahead
will risk his very life, who when he sees a chance of success is mindful
of what is just and proper, who in his religious acts is mindful of the
duty of reverence, and when in mourning thinks of his loss, is indeed a
fit and proper person for his place."

Again he said, "If a person hold to virtue but never advance in it, and
if he have faith in right principles and do not build himself up in
them, how can he be regarded either as having such, or as being without
them?"

Tsz-hia's disciples asked Tsz-chang his views about intercourse with
others. "What says your Master?" he rejoined. "He says," they replied,
"'Associate with those who are qualified, and repel from you such as are
not,'" Tsz-chang then said, "That is different from what I have learnt.
A superior man esteems the worthy and wise, and bears with all. He makes
much of the good and capable, and pities the incapable. Am I eminently
worthy and wise?--who is there then among men whom I will not bear with?
Am I not worthy and wise?--others will be minded to repel me: I have
nothing to do with repelling them."

Sayings of Tsz-hia:--

"Even in inferior pursuits there must be something worthy of
contemplation, but if carried to an extreme there is danger of
fanaticism; hence the superior man does not engage in them.

"The student who daily recognizes how much he yet lacks, and as the
months pass forgets not what he has succeeded in learning, may
undoubtedly be called a lover of learning.

"Wide research and steadfast purpose, eager questioning and close
reflection--all this tends to humanize a man.

"As workmen spend their time in their workshops for the perfecting of
their work, so superior men apply their minds to study in order to make
themselves thoroughly conversant with their subjects.

"When an inferior man does a wrong thing, he is sure to gloss it over.

"The superior man is seen in three different aspects:--look at him from
a distance, he is imposing in appearance; approach him, he is gentle and
warm-hearted; hear him speak, he is acute and strict.

"Let such a man have the people's confidence, and he will get much work
out of them; so long, however, as he does not possess their confidence
they will regard him as grinding them down.

"When confidence is reposed in him, he may then with impunity administer
reproof; so long as it is not, he will be regarded as a detractor.

"Where there is no over-stepping of barriers in the practice of the
higher virtues, there may be freedom to pass in and out in the practice
of the lower ones."

Tsz-yu had said, "The pupils in the school of Tsz-hia are good enough at
such things as sprinkling and scrubbing floors, answering calls and
replying to questions from superiors, and advancing and retiring to and
from such; but these things are only offshoots--as to the root of things
they are nowhere. What is the use of all that?"

When this came to the ears of Tsz-hia, he said, "Ah! there he is
mistaken. What does a master, in his methods of teaching, consider first
in his precepts? And what does he account next, as that about which he
may be indifferent? It is like as in the study of plants--classification
by _differentiae_. How may a master play fast and loose in his methods
of instruction? Would they not indeed be sages, who could take in at
once the first principles and the final developments of things?"

Further observations of Tsz-hia:--

"In the public service devote what energy and time remain to study.
After study devote what energy and time remain to the public service.

"As to the duties of mourning, let them cease when the grief is past.

"My friend Tsz-chang, although he has the ability to tackle hard things,
has not yet the virtue of philanthropy."

The learned Tsang observed, "How loftily Tsz-chang bears himself!
Difficult indeed along with him to practise philanthropy!"

Again he said, "I have heard this said by the Master, that 'though men
may not exert themselves to the utmost in other duties, yet surely in
the duty of mourning for their parents they will do so!'"

Again, "This also I have heard said by the Master: 'The filial piety of
Mang Chwang in other respects might be equalled, but as manifested in
his making no changes among his father's ministers, nor in his father's
mode of government--that aspect of it could not easily be equalled.'"

Yang Fu, having been made senior Criminal Judge by the Chief of the Mang
clan, consulted with the learned Tsang. The latter advised him as
follows: "For a long time the Chiefs have failed in their government,
and the people have become unsettled. When you arrive at the facts of
their cases, do not rejoice at your success in that, but rather be sorry
for them, and have pity upon them."

Tsz-kung once observed, "We speak of 'the iniquity of Chau'--but 'twas
not so great as this. And so it is that the superior man is averse from
settling in this sink, into which everything runs that is foul in the
empire."

Again he said, "Faults in a superior man are like eclipses of the sun or
moon: when he is guilty of a trespass men all see it; and when he is
himself again, all look up to him."

Kung-sun Ch'an of Wei inquired of Tsz-kung how Confucius acquired his
learning.

Tsz-kung replied, "The teachings of Wan and Wu have not yet fallen to
the ground. They exist in men. Worthy and wise men have the more
important of these stored up in their minds; and others, who are not
such, store up the less important of them; and as no one is thus without
the teachings of Wan and Wu, how should our Master not have learned? And
moreover what permanent preceptor could he have?"

Shuh-sun Wu-shuh, addressing the high officials at the Court, remarked
that Tsz-kung was a greater worthy than Confucius.

Tsz-fuh King-pih went and informed Tsz-kung of this remark.

Tsz-kung said, "Take by way of comparison the walls outside our houses.
My wall is shoulder-high, and you may look over it and see what the
house and its contents are worth. My Master's wall is tens of feet high,
and unless you should effect an entrance by the door, you would fail to
behold the beauty of the ancestral hall and the rich array of all its
officers. And they who effect an entrance by the door, methinks, are
few! Was it not, however, just like him--that remark of the Chief?"

Shuh-sun Wu-shuh had been casting a slur on the character of Confucius.

"No use doing that," said Tsz-kung; "he is irreproachable. The wisdom
and worth of other men are little hills and mounds of earth:
traversible. He is the sun, or the moon, impossible to reach and pass.
And what harm, I ask, can a man do to the sun or the moon, by wishing to
intercept himself from either? It all shows that he knows not how to
gauge capacity."

Tsz-k'in, addressing Tsz-kung, said, "You depreciate yourself. Confucius
is surely not a greater worthy than yourself."

Tsz-kung replied, "In the use of words one ought never to be
incautious; because a gentleman for one single utterance of his is apt
to be considered a wise man, and for a single utterance may be accounted
unwise. No more might one think of attaining to the Master's perfections
than think of going upstairs to Heaven! Were it ever his fortune to be
at the head of the government of a country, then that which is spoken of
as 'establishing the country' would be establishment indeed; he would be
its guide and it would follow him, he would tranquillize it and it would
render its willing homage: he would give forward impulses to it to which
it would harmoniously respond. In his life he would be its glory, at his
death there would be great lamentation. How indeed could such as he be
equalled?"