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LIFE 
 
 
 MORAL AXIOMS 
 
 CONFUCIUS. 
 
 BY MARCENUS R. K. WRIGHT. 
 
 BATTLE CREEK, MICH.: 
 
 PL T BLISHED FOB THE ATJTHOB 
 
 1870. 
 
CONFUCIUS. 
 
THE 
 
 MORAL APHORISMS 
 
 (* *** .' AXD 
 
 Terseological Teachings 
 
 CONFUCIUS, 
 
 THE SAPIENT CHINESE PHILOSOPHER, 
 
 WHO LIVED FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-ONE YEARS BEFORE 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN ERA, AND WHOSE WISE PRECEPTS 
 
 HAVE LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION UPON ALL 
 
 SUBSEQUENT CIVILIZED NATIONS. 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED 
 
 A CORRECT LIKENESS OP THE GREAT PHILOSOPHER, 
 
 A SHORT SKETCH OF HIS LIFE. 
 
 H- 
 
 
 
 BATTLE CREEK, MICH. : 
 
 PtTBLISHED IFOIR, TUS ATJTHOB. 
 1S70. 
 

 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by 
 
 MARCENUS R. K. WRIGHT, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the United States District Court, for the 
 
 Western District of Michigan. 
 
 Review & Herald Steam Press. 
 
TO 
 
 
 ADMIRE GOODNESS, 
 
 ^.YD DESIRE TO FOLLOW A LIFE WELL COMMENDED FOR 
 
 ITS REPRESENTATION OF WORTHY DEEDS AND 
 
 EXEMPLARY CONDUCT AMONG 3IEN, 
 
 THIS LITTLE VOLUME 
 
 IS MOST KESPECTrULLY DEDICATED, 
 
 The Author 
 
REVIEWER'S PREFACE. 
 
 In presenting a newly-revised edition of the 
 time-honored Precepts of Confucius to the public, 
 we hope to meet with the approval of the admirers 
 of that wise and truth-loving ancient philosopher 
 and political economist. Our author lived the life 
 of a just and noble man, and left a heritage of 
 personal greatness behind him, in his moral essays, 
 which Chinese admiration still upholds as the only 
 worthy standard of justice, by which all men 
 should be governed in the pursuit of those mutual 
 relations and duties which pertain to human exist- 
 ence and happiness. 
 
 The aphorisms of Confucius are worthy of the 
 highest recognition and commendation from all 
 well-inclined and thoughtful men, and are only 
 equaled by the precepts of the great Christian 
 Master who rested the superstructure of his moral 
 philosophy upon the identical " Golden Kule" 
 which is the basic principle of Confucianism. 
 
 The object of re-arranging and newly wording 
 
6 Reviewer's Preface. 
 
 the sentiments embodied in the maxims of our 
 author at the present time, is to be found in the 
 increased demand for a high moral literature, of 
 which Confucius is acknowledged to be a disciple 
 in the wisest light of mind. 
 
 The author has accumulated facts and data 
 during many years past, with the ultimate design 
 of enlarging and improving the little volume of 
 wise sayings which have been translated from the 
 Chinese of Kongkfu-tse, and which found a cast- 
 about existence in England many years ago, and 
 subsequently in very imperfect form by the pres- 
 ent authority in America. 
 
 The life of the sage of Lu, as herein presented, 
 is newly written and modified to conform to more 
 recent historic disclosures, and facts derived from 
 encyclopedian sources ; while the portrait of Con- 
 fucius is taken from the illustrated work of Pau- 
 thier, which is the only veritable key to the 
 manners, customs, literature, and opinions, of the 
 ancient Chinese. 
 
 When a great and good man makes his debut 
 upon the stage of human experience, and lives a 
 life of unimpugned justice and honor, it becomes 
 our duty, as admirers or advocates of the princi- 
 ples which he taught, to frankly acknowledge our 
 
Reviewer's Preface* 7 
 
 indebtedness therefor, as well as to understand 
 the personal peculiarities which distinguished oiir 
 esteemed exemplar above the ordinary condition 
 of men. 
 
 The social and political systems of China are 
 founded upon the methodical aphorisms of the Le- 
 tting and Ta-heOj the two principal books of the 
 Confucian Philosophy, which is professed by all 
 her greatest men, and accepted as the principal 
 belief of all the educated classes, 
 
 Confucius was a pungent maximist of unexcep- 
 tionable character, and has been the worthy re- 
 cipient of the laudations of his numerous country- 
 men during the period of twenty-five centuries 
 which have intervened since his decease. The 
 fullness of his love of justice, as manifested in 
 his exemplary life and teachings, has no equal in 
 the annals of moralistic history. His wondrous 
 adoration of the principle of goodness may. be re- 
 garded as almost a miraculous expression of human 
 wisdom, and his worship of the Omnipotent Arch- 
 itect of nature, as the highest and noblest form of 
 rationalistic veneration. 
 
 When we contemplate the vast amount of time 
 which separates us from the originator of the most 
 astute civil and religious philosophy ever given to 
 
8 Reviewer's Preface. 
 
 mankind, and remember the disadvantages which 
 then interposed to cancel his claim to superior 
 discernment and sagacity as a teacher and coun- 
 sellor of his nation, -we may not only hold the 
 " light of hope" in our own hands, as the cher- 
 ished sentiment of the future, but regarding the 
 sage precepts of Confucius as both timely and ac- 
 ceptable to the literature of the age, we may ex- 
 perience an ever-increasing thankfulness for his 
 success as the redeemer of the Mongolian race* 
 
LIFE OF CONFUCIUS. 
 
 The celebrated Chinese sage who bore the name 
 of Kong, meaning master or teacher, or Kong-fu- 
 tse, as given by his disciples, and afterward Lat- 
 inized into Confucius by certain Jesuit missiona- 
 ries who resided in China during the latter part 
 of the seventeenth century, was born at Shang- 
 ping, near the town of Tseuse, in the petty king- 
 dom of Lu, on the 19th day of June, B. c. 551. 
 
 His mother, whose name was Yan-she, and who 
 is said to have sprung from the illustrious family 
 of Yen, used to call her son by the singular name 
 of Kieu — which signifies, in the Mongolian lan- 
 guage, a "little hillock" or protuberance — be- 
 cause he had an unusual elevation on the top of 
 his forehead, in the region of comparison, benevo- 
 lence, and love of nature, as defined by modern 
 phrenologists. Various prophecies and forerun- 
 ners of his birth and destiny, as we are told, are 
 to be found in the annals of Chinese literature, 
 and his worldly coming and career are said to 
 have been revealed by the seers of earlier ages ; 
 but this is a question as improbable, in the light 
 of reflection, as the uncertainty of many similar 
 prophetic disclosures concerning men and things 
 in other times, and among other nations, and may 
 be received with a wise allowance in favor of ab- 
 solute knowledge. 
 
 A renowned pedigree has been attributed to 
 Confucius by his disciples, who derive his origin 
 
10 Life of Confucius. 
 
 from Ho-ang-ti, a distinguished monarch who is 
 said to have reigned in China 2000 years before 
 the Christian era, or cotemporaneously with the 
 fourth and sixth Egyptian Dynasties under the 
 rule of the younger Pharaohs. His father, whose 
 name was Shuh-le-ang-ho, died when Confucius 
 was only three years old. But Yan-she, his lov- 
 ing mother, extended to him her watchful care, 
 and he received from her hand that attention and 
 training which, associated with his naturally well- 
 inclined disposititon, soon gave assurance of a 
 manhood wherein indications of unusual mental 
 qualities were presented. From his earliest years, 
 he manifested an extraordinary love for intellect- 
 ual pursuits, and displayed a deep and abiding 
 interest in, and veneration for, the time-honored 
 laws of his native country. 
 
 Philosophic gravity, moral rectitude, and con- 
 siderate deportment, marked his conduct when a 
 boy, and won for him that extollation which was 
 so characteristic of his entire life. He was grave 
 and serious, yet pleasant, in his appearance, and 
 took but little delight in playing and running 
 about for amusement and pastime as was the habit 
 of most boys of his own age. 
 
 It is also said of Confucius that his knowledge 
 was intuitive ; and that he seemed to arrive at 
 just and legitimate conclusions with wondrous 
 ease, while yet the faculties of his mind were 
 hardly released from the insecurity of infancy. 
 But his unexampled and exalted goodness was the 
 distinguishing trait of his character, and his fidel- 
 ity to a just decision of mind was always upper- 
 most and unflinching. He esteemed, and confided 
 in, his relatives, and made it his duty to receive 
 the counsel and follow the advice of his grand- 
 
Life of Confucius. 11 
 
 father, who was then living in the kingdom of 
 Lu, at a very advanced age, and who was re- 
 garded by all who knew him as a man in the ex- 
 ercise of worthy sobriety, probity, and honor. 
 
 It is related by one of the biographers of Con- 
 fucius, that when he was a boy in his fifth year 
 of age, being in the presence of his grandfather 
 whom he heard sighing, he approached him with 
 happy consideration and a full heart, and said, 
 "May I presume, without being deprived of your 
 respect, to inquire into the occasion of your sor- 
 row ? Perhaps you regard your posterity as likely 
 to degenerate, and wander from the exercise of 
 that virtue and desirable righteousness which you 
 so much admire." Whereupon Coum-tse, for such 
 was his grandfather's name, being somewhat sur- 
 prised at the sympathy and precocity of thought 
 manifested by the young philosopher, very quietly 
 replied, "What suggested that thought in your 
 mind, my dear boy ? and where have you learned 
 to think and speak so wisely ?" " From yourself," 
 answered Confucius. "I usually regard your con- 
 versation, and I have many times heard you re- 
 mark that it is a duty a son owes to his ancestors, 
 to support their virtuous habits and good name, 
 or he proves himself unworthy of a record in the 
 annals of their fame." 
 
 After the death of his grandfather, Confucius 
 became the pupil of Tcem-se, a renowned thinker 
 and scholar of his time. Under the guidance of 
 so wise a tutor, he soon made a surprising ad- 
 vancement in the matter of his studies. The sub- 
 ject of primitive history, or the antiquity of his 
 race, was made the theme of interesting consider- 
 ation and remark, and he considered it as the 
 
12 Life of Confucius. 
 
 source from which was to be derived much valua- 
 ble information. 
 
 His stubborn regard for the ancients often 
 caused him serious disputes and difficulties ; and 
 it is related that upon one occasion, when only in 
 his sixteenth year of age, he came very near los- 
 ing his life in consequence of engaging in a dis- 
 cussion — concerning certain Chinese books which 
 treated of the subject of antiquity— with a bigoted 
 person of high rank and quality, who insisted that 
 they were obscure, and unworthy of the time em- 
 ployed in their consideration. " The books which 
 you despise," said Confucius, " are full of profound 
 knowledge, which is not to be obtained without 
 desire and the relinquishment of unwise preju- 
 dice. The subordination of spirits by which the 
 ignorant are made dependent upon the cohorts of 
 the Imperial Register, may seem best to the sor- 
 did and indifferent, but to the liberal and the just, 
 however poor, the righteousness of ancient sim- 
 plicity and sobriety is no longer a question of 
 doubt. Only a short time since, an ordinary per- 
 son with whom I was in conversation expressed 
 similar sentiments to those which you have uttered. 
 At that I was not surprised ; but I am astonished 
 that one of your rank and learning should qualify 
 your opinions as one of the lowest of the people." 
 
 Confucius was subject to reprehension for his 
 conversation with a peer of the realm, in the light 
 of individual impertinence, and was threatened 
 with severe penalties if he persisted in a continu- 
 ance of such discussions. 
 
 At the age of nineteen he received the ap- 
 pointment of inspector of the corn-marts, and be- 
 came very much distinguished by the manifesta- 
 tion of great industry and energy in suppressing 
 
Life of Confucius. 13 
 
 fraud and dishonesty in trade, and by the timely 
 introduction of desirable order and integrity into 
 all the business relations over which he held con- 
 trol. 
 
 At the age of nineteen years, he was married ; 
 but at the end of four years released himself from 
 matrimonial life, as it is said, that he might be 
 free from all household incumbrances and connec- 
 tions, and at liberty to propagate his already 
 widely-known philosophy throughout the empire. 
 He is reported, by his biographers, to have lived 
 contentedly with his wife w^hile it was her happi- 
 ness to be his consort, and refused himself the 
 privilege of keeping concubines, which was then 
 the common custom of his country, because he 
 believed it objectionable in the light of a wise un- 
 derstanding of Nature's intention. 
 
 Confucius received the appointment of inspect- 
 or-general of pastures and flocks ; and the result 
 of the judicious measures which he instituted to 
 regulate the production of live stock, which was 
 then an important and profitable occupation for 
 the husbandman, and a direct source of revenue 
 to the government, was clearly manifest in the 
 improvement and progress made in the cultivation 
 of the country, and in the condition of the people. 
 
 The mother of our moral hero died when he 
 was in his twenty-third year ; and, owing to his 
 affectionate regard for her, and the ancestral fam- 
 ily from which she derived her name, he allowed 
 his excessive grief to interfere for a time with the 
 discharge of his administrative duties ; and finally, 
 in obedience to a well-considered determination 
 of mind, he resigned the functions of his office 
 altogether, and gave himself up to solemn retire- 
 ment, which was the first important act marking 
 
14 Life of Confucius. 
 
 his career as a pure-minded and honest philoso- 
 pher. 
 
 In conformity to a custom which had long been 
 held in derision by many of his countrymen, and 
 which had been derived from very remote periods, 
 he made the ceremony of the burial of his mother 
 the occasion of great splendor, as well as solem- 
 nity, a deviation from the prevailing quiet method, 
 which struck his courtiers and fellow-citizens with 
 equal wonder and astonishment, but which they 
 appeared better satisfied to accept than to reject. 
 And, as a consequence of their satisfaction, it 
 soon became the habit of the people to honor the 
 interment of the dead with ostentatious display, 
 in accordance with ancient rites and ceremonies. 
 Thus the example which he offered in his native 
 province, being made the subject of general sur- 
 prise and remark, was soon accepted by all the 
 neighboring States, and eventually became the 
 custom of the whole nation, with the exception of 
 the more indigent classes, and has continued to 
 be the practice up to the present time. 
 
 Confucius, having gained considerable knowl- 
 edge in regard to antiquities, and, having formed 
 an extensive acquaintance with men, began to be 
 accepted as a wise authority in regard to the past, 
 and as such, ventured to communicate his opin- 
 ions to the people. He advocated the necessity 
 of ceremonial homage, and a manifestation of 
 kindly respect for the departed, either in the 
 dwelling-house of the mourners, or at the place of 
 burial. From his recognition and recommenda- 
 tion of this ancestral usage, sprang the anni- 
 versary feasts which have ever since distinguished 
 the Chinese as a nation. 
 
 During the three years subsequent to the death 
 
Life of QonfuciuB. 15 
 
 of his mother, he passed his time in close con- 
 finement and solitude, and engaged in the pursuit 
 of philosophic studies. While thus retired from 
 the trials, troubles, and business cares, which had 
 devolved upon him in his performance of public 
 obligations, he is said to have thoroughly reflected 
 upon the subject of moral precepts and princi- 
 ples, tracing them to their source as divinely in- 
 stituted, regarding them as exampled in nature, 
 and inseparably associated therewith as the holy 
 expression of the Omnific Being, whose wise pur- 
 poses could only be known as deeply inlaid in the 
 incessant activities and material evidences of out- 
 ward existence. 
 
 Feeling imbued with these opinions, and enter- 
 taining a comprehensive sense of the duties and 
 requirements which they indiscriminately impose 
 upon all men ; and, being impressed with a con- 
 viction of the necessity of aiding his countrymen 
 to a more perfect knowledge of the " better way 
 of life," he concluded to make them the unvary- 
 ing rule and essential motive of all his actions ; 
 and, as a consequence of such determination, his 
 career was ever after marked by practical illus- 
 trations of the ethical system of philosophy which 
 he taught. 
 
 At the present time all the kingdoms of the 
 Chinese empire repose upon the rule of the em- 
 peror. But, during the time of Confucius, every 
 province was an independent State, being gov- 
 erned by laws of its own choice, and by a prince 
 of its own selection. Hence it not unfrequently 
 happened that the imperial authority proved in- 
 sufficient to keep them within the sphere of their 
 allegiance, and to the performance of those mu- 
 tual duties and obligations which the Republican 
 
10 Life of Confucius. 
 
 State owes to the head of the nation. And more 
 especially was this the case at the time of which 
 we speak, owing to the existence of that luxuri- 
 ousness of habit, love of pleasure., and general 
 dissoluteness of manners, Yfhich prevailed in the 
 several courts of the interior provinces. 
 
 Confucius, being wisely persuaded that the peo- 
 ple could never be happy so long as avarice, am- 
 bition, voluptuousness, and false policy, reigned 
 among them, resolved to advocate a rigid system 
 of morality ; and, consequently, he commenced 
 to instruct them in the noble precepts of philos- 
 ophy which he so deeply cherished. He inspired 
 his followers with a love for temperance, sobriety, 
 justice, and other virtues, a contempt for riches 
 and outward pomp, and induced them to fashion 
 their lives to accord with a more acceptable mag- 
 nanimity of mind. He everywhere objected to 
 the practice of dissimulation and insincerity, and 
 used all the means at his command to redeem his 
 people from a life of pleasure and extremeisms. 
 He was everywhere well received, and as univers- 
 ally beloved. His extensive knowledge and great 
 wisdom enabled him to cope with his adversaries, 
 and his integrity, and the splendor of his virtues, 
 secured him that acceptance and respect which he 
 had little anticipated. Kings were governed by 
 his counsel, and the people reverenced him as a 
 saint. He was favored with several high offices 
 in the magistracy of government, but never ac- 
 cepted them from a motive of personal ambition 
 or preferment, but always with a view of reform- 
 ing a corrupt State, and amending the laws of his 
 country, for the purpose of improving the condi- 
 tion of its people ; a fact made doubly certain by 
 his resignation of those offices as soon as he per- 
 
Life of Confucius. 17 
 
 ceived that his service therein was no longer use- 
 ful to them. He corrected many frauds and 
 abuses in the mercantile trade, and reduced the 
 weights and measures provided for the sale of the 
 various products of the soil to a fixed and uniform 
 standard. He inculcated fidelity and candor 
 among men, as needful to all happy social rela- 
 tions, and exhorted the women to chastity and 
 simplicity of manners. By methods thus em- 
 ployed, he succeeded in producing a general 
 reformation, and establishing such concord and 
 unanimity of feeling and opinion, that the people 
 of the whole kingdom seemed imbued with a 
 higher respect for just and noble principles. 
 
 Some of the neighboring princes began to mani- 
 fest symptoms of decided jealousy, believing that 
 the emperor, under the counsels of such a man 
 as Confucius, would soon render himself too pow- 
 erful, as against the local interests of the magis- 
 trates of the nation, and as a supporter of those 
 radical improvements and changes in the laws of 
 the land, which they regarded as obnoxious and 
 insecure, and which they feared might be recom- 
 mended and too hastily urged upon the people of 
 the several States. Alarmed at this condition of 
 affairs, and knowing that the sympathies of the king 
 were confided to the decisions of Confucius, the 
 governor of Tsi, being a man of artful political 
 inclinations, and much opposed to progressive re- 
 forms, resolved to assemble his ministers, and take 
 into consideration the question of the important 
 changes which were being effected throughout the 
 country, and to thereby determine whether some 
 measures might not be adopted to stay their 
 progress. 
 
 2 
 
18 Life of Confucius. 
 
 The assembly was called, and after long and 
 serious deliberation, resolved upon the following 
 contemptible and debasing expedient, as the only 
 means left them by which to thwart the continu- 
 ally-increasing influence and power of the advanc- 
 ing politico-moral philosophy : They employed 
 the services of a large number of young and 
 beautiful syrens, who had received instruction 
 from their infancy in the arts of singing and 
 dancing, and who were complete mistresses of all 
 the charms and accomplishments which might at- 
 tract attention and captivate the heart. Under 
 the pretext of an embassy, these coquettish Chi- 
 nese Bayaderes were presented to the king of Lu, 
 and to the grandees of his court, and were re- 
 ceived with marked favor and respect. The art- 
 ful machinations conceived and projected in the 
 council convened by Tsi, were thus early brought 
 to public notice, and in a great measure succeeded 
 in staying the advancement of those redemptory 
 principles which were everywhere being accepted 
 with such favor by the people. The duties per- 
 taining to the administration of government were 
 soon neglected, and little was thought of, with the 
 exception of inventing additional pleasures, and 
 means of entertaining fair strangers. In short, 
 nothing was regarded, for some months, but feast- 
 ing, dancing, and shows ; and the court of the 
 kingdom of Lu became wholly involved in luxury 
 and pleasure. 
 
 Confucius had foreseen all this, and endeavored 
 to thwart the accomplishment of so injurious an 
 example, by advising the king to object to the in- 
 auguration of so low and debasing a series of fes- 
 tivities ; and he earnestly labored to expose the 
 delusion which had been imposed upon him and 
 
Life of Confucius. 19 
 
 his courtiers, and endeavored, by every honest 
 means to bring thern back to the exercise of rea- 
 son and their duty. But passion reigned trium- 
 phant ; and all his efforts to redeem them from 
 the mischief into which they had but too willingly 
 fallen, proved wholly useless and ineffectual. The 
 honor and severity of the philosopher were obliged 
 to yield to the overbearing fashion of the court, 
 controlled as it was by the unjust plans and con- 
 nivance of the bitterest enemies of reform. Con- 
 sidering his own safety and happiness, therefore, 
 he immediately released himself from his employ- 
 ment, and, leaving his native State, sought to find 
 in other kingdoms, minds and dispositions better 
 prepared to accept and advocate his moral doc- 
 trines. 
 
 He journeyed through the provinces of Lun, 
 Guci, and Tson ; but meeting with unexpected dif- 
 ficulties, and finding many obstacles in the way of 
 his success, he realized the inability of man to 
 hastily fashion the inclinations of a people to suit 
 the better purposes of human life. As a natural 
 consequence of the indifference manifested by many 
 of the nobility, and the temporarily-increasing tend- 
 ency in certain quarters to suppress the advance- 
 ment of free thought and liberal principles, as 
 well as the growing disposition to engage in de- 
 structive pleasures and amusements, disruptions, 
 rebellions, wars, and tumults, soon raged through- 
 out the empire. 
 
 Thus Confucius was made aware that, for a 
 time, the propagation of his cherished philosophy 
 would be attended with many trials and difficul- 
 ties. Men gave themselves no time to listen to 
 the teachings of their moral master or his follow- 
 ers. Indeed, they had no preference for so doing, 
 
20 Life of Confucius. 
 
 being rather inclined to worldly ambition, avarice, 
 and corrupt manners. Hence he often met with 
 ill-treatment, abuse, and reproachful language, at 
 the hands of the populace, who were urged on in 
 their malicious conduct, and evil purposes, by the 
 ruling magistrates and the more immediate officers 
 of their appointment. 
 
 'To such an extent, at one time, were these in- 
 trigues carried, that it is historically certain that 
 very serious conspiracies were formed against his 
 life ; to which may be added the fact that his de- 
 terminate purpose to advocate the moral senti- 
 ments which he deemed essential to the welfare of 
 the people, and advance his principles of philoso- 
 phy throughout the empire of his native continent, 
 had necessitated unlooked-for expenditures ; and 
 in the absence of a proper attention to his indi- 
 vidual interests, he had become reduced to the ex- 
 tremest poverty. Some philosophers among his 
 cotemporaries were so affected by this terrible 
 state of affairs, that they rusticated themselves 
 into the mountains and deserts as the only places 
 where they could secure pqace and happiness. 
 Confucius was many times requested to follow 
 their examnle, and retire from the confusion and 
 insecurity which surrounded him. But, "lama 
 man, said he, " and cannot exclude myself from the 
 society of men, to consort with wild beasts. Bad 
 as the times are, I shall do all I can to recall men 
 to virtue ; for in virtue we may find safety and 
 repose ; and if mankind would earnestly embrace 
 it, and submit themselves to its disciplining influ- 
 ence, they would need no instruction from me or 
 any one else, to aid them in securing that hoped- 
 for wisdom and felicity which cancels every mis- 
 chief and misery in life." "It is the duty of 
 
Life of Confucius. 21 
 
 every man," continued he, "first to perfect him- 
 self, and then to aid in perfecting others. Human 
 nature came to us as an unavoidable inheritance ; 
 and it is only in the subjugation of our evil pas- 
 sions and demoralizing propensities, that we are.; 
 enabled to find that happy and harmonious condi- 
 tion of life which we all so much desire to enjoy, 
 and which is the only real security against social 
 wrongs, personal injustice, or national distrust. | 
 Love your neighbor as yourself. Let reason be 
 the guide and rule of your conduct. Speak pru- 
 dently, and behave worthily, upon all occasions, 
 and let your example be so set before all men, 
 that their approval of it may hold them to a love 
 of its practical continuance ; and the cause of our 
 despair and disagreement will be obliterated, while 
 well-to-do inclinations and individual progress will 
 mark our peace and prosperity, and guarantee us 
 that satisfaction in the success of our teachings, 
 which, in the present disordered social state, it is 
 as impossible to secure as it is unwise to expect." 
 
 Thus, although he had withdrawn himself from 
 kings and palaces, he did not cease to travel about 
 the country as a teacher and adviser of the peo- 
 ple. His disciples were chiefly confined to the 
 nobility, and the social circles of the educated 
 and aristocratic, although he had numerous adher- 
 ents among the lower classes. 
 
 He is said to have had seven thousand disciples 
 who were earnest advocates and exemplars of his 
 moral doctrines ; and seventy-two of this number 
 were distinguished above the rest by their superior 
 attainments, while twelve were particularly noted 
 for their comprehensive views and more perfect 
 knowledge of all the details of his philosophy. 
 He divided his disciples into four classes, who in- 
 
22 Life of Confucius. 
 
 terested themselves — respectively in accordance 
 with their capacity — in the propagation of the 
 moral doctrines which he everywhere enunciated. 
 The first class were advised to improve their minds 
 by meditation, and purify their hearts by virtue, 
 and thereby fashion a righteous example for the 
 benefit of others. The second class were to cul- 
 tivate the faculty of reason, making their lives 
 conform to the decisions of logical inference, as 
 presented in the practical requirements of life, 
 and the arguments of elegant and persuasive dis- 
 course. The study of the third class was to be 
 confined to an understanding and explanation of 
 the rules of good government, that the Mandarins 
 might be instructed in the duties pertaining to 
 public affairs, and fill their offices with trust and 
 honor. The fourth class were concerned in the 
 advocacy of the principles of morality, and their 
 delivery to the common people in a concise and 
 acceptable form. These were the zealous disci- 
 ples, of the least number, who were regarded as 
 the wise apostles of the Confucian school, and 
 who linked their career in closest unity of purpose 
 with that of its distinguished founder. 
 
 Six hundred of his disciples were dispatched 
 into various portions of the empire at different 
 times, to reform the prevailing objectionable man- 
 ners of the populace. And, not satisfied with 
 benefiting his own country, he contemplated the 
 propagation of his opinions in foreign lands ; but, 
 owing to the difficulty of interpreting his thoughts 
 into the language of other nations, his advancing 
 years, and other timely reasons, these projected 
 schemes seem to have ultimated in no practical 
 benefit to himself or others, and were soon forgot- 
 ten in view of the many duties which accumulated 
 
Life of Confucius. 28 
 
 upon his hands, as the father of the most worthy 
 and noted philosophy developed during the ear- 
 lier periods of Chinese history, or ever known to 
 mankind. 
 
 The life of Confucius is marked by the purest 
 practical habits, and nothing may be added to the 
 just, moral principles "which he represented in his 
 daily dealings with men. In his advocacy of 
 " wise precepts," he seemed to speak rather as 
 an exponent of a studied system of morality than 
 as an inspired teacher or revelator; and, although 
 his ideas of practical justice and morality were as 
 pure and perfect as any that were ever uttered by 
 the sages of the past, it is not our province to 
 determine how far or how much of his teachings 
 are to be regarded as intuitive, or attributable to 
 " influx of thought " from interior or psychologic 
 sources. In his rigorous abstemiousness, in his 
 great sobriety and solemnity of manners, in his 
 contempt of riches^ and what are commonly de- 
 nominated the " goods of life," and in his con- 
 tinual attention and watchfulness over his own 
 actions and conduct, and, above all, in his exceed- 
 ing humility, modesty, and courtesy, Confucius 
 stands conspicuous as the unyielding moral phil- 
 osopher who has no equal in the annals of na- 
 tional history, and who is worthily entitled to the 
 credit of being regarded as the most acceptable 
 axiomatic teacher of wise opinions whom the 
 world has ever known. 
 
 In his life he was ever a sorrowing child of 
 nature, and was frequently known to weep over 
 the mistakes and follies of mankind. During the 
 latter part of his earthly career, he became most 
 deeply saddened and dejected, owing to the im- 
 possibility of succeeding to the extent of his de- 
 
24 Life of Confucius. 
 
 sire in arousing his countrymen from the immoral 
 languor into which they had fallen as a result of 
 unwise counsel, evil rulers, and the discords which 
 then prevailed throughout the empire. 
 
 A few days before his final illness, he remarked 
 to his disciples, with tears in his eyes, that he 
 was considerably unhappy in consequence of the 
 disorders which existed in his native land. " The 
 evidences," said he, V of my effort to remove the 
 mischievous hindrances to human advancement 
 and progress are little regarded, and the moral 
 principles which w T e have labored so earnestly to 
 make the aegis of social defense, and the standard of 
 good government, are, for the time being, in a 
 great measure placed under the ban of artful sur- 
 veillance. The kings reject my maxims ; and 
 since I am no longer useful to my kinsmen, I 
 pray to be released from further, cares and trials. 
 And as I feel my indebtedness to nature, I expe- 
 rience no greater happiness than when contem- 
 plating the prospect of my speedy release from 
 the present solicitous condition of existence.' ' 
 
 Confucius grew weaker day by day, until at 
 length he completely failed of his bodily strength, 
 and, becoming lethargic, slept himself into un- 
 consciousness of outward life," dying in the year 
 478 B. c.,- in the seventy-third year of his age. 
 
 When Nagi-cong, who was then the ruling sov- 
 ereign in the kingdom of La, first heard of his 
 death, it is said that he could not restrain his 
 inclination to w T eep. " The Tien is not satisfied 
 with me," said he, " since it has taken away my 
 Confucius/' Immediately after his demise, and 
 surprising as it may appear in view of the demor- 
 alization of his cotemporaries, Confucius began to 
 be lamented, and his name, which was on every 
 
Life of Confucius. 25 
 
 tongue, was adorned with golden commendation. 
 Temples were soon built in the several provinces 
 to accommodate the learned who gathered therein 
 at stated seasons to pay him that homage which 
 was justly due to his great wisdom and exceeding 
 goodness. Upon many edifices raised to his 
 honor in the empire are characteristic inscriptions 
 in the symbols of the Chinese language, which 
 are dedicatory, and signify, " To the Wise Teach- 
 er," "To the Noble Sage," "To the Blessed 
 Saint," "To the Tutor of Emperor and Kings," 
 and " To the Honored Renderer of Moral Pre- 
 cepts." His sepulcher was raised near the city of 
 Keo-fou, on the banks of the river Su, where his 
 inclinations led him to assemble his disciples 
 many times during the period of his life, for the 
 purpose of deliberation, consultation, and the 
 furtherance of that good work which had engaged 
 his undivided attention for so many years. 
 
 Confucius was a reformer of the most positive 
 school ; and his system of philosophy is the most 
 deeply imbedded in, as well as the most faithful 
 expression of, the Chinese mind. His great am- 
 bition was confined to the re-establishment of the 
 religion of his ancestors, which he regarded as 
 pure and exemplary ; and in this opinion he was 
 well sustained by the evidences which had been 
 transmitted through many generations, from the 
 time of the monarchial reign of Hoang-ti, up- 
 ward of two thousand years before the Christian 
 era. 
 
 His teachings are justly entitled to the merit 
 of being considered as compounded of worthy 
 religious sentiments and well-organized philosoph- 
 ical considerations, including a vein of spiritual 
 thought as based upon logical deductions and in- 
 
26 Life of Confucius. 
 
 ference, presented in the Jan-za of nature. 
 His system was more confined to social and polit- 
 ical interests and requirements, and to the imme- 
 diate wants and needs of his people and his 
 country, than to the inculcation of the theological 
 tenets. In fact, his belief concerning the future 
 life and the demands of the spiritual part of man, 
 were questions more regarded as a matter for pri- 
 vate reflection and the decisions of individual 
 judgment, than as subjects of special and of ma- 
 lignant debate. He attached no personality to 
 Deity as disconnected with the manifestations of 
 nature, and in his effort to fathom the mysteries 
 associated with the existence of God, he resolved 
 to consider the subject of his being as inscrutible 
 as it was infallible. The all-pervading element of 
 divine life, which was the cause of the ever-pres- 
 ent law, order, and intelligence, displayed in the 
 creations of the outward world, was denominated 
 Shang-te, which literally signifies the essence, 
 or, in other words, the Spirit of Omnipotence, as 
 conditioned in, and exhibited through, the instru- 
 mentality of the material elements and compounds 
 of the visible universe ; and the Tien, or firmament, 
 was supposed to be the external emblem or coun- 
 terpart of his being. 
 
 Confucius employed language which would 
 seem to imply that Shang-te possessed a majestic 
 intelligence, and exercised a noble authority in 
 his government ; and he is represented as impos- 
 ing a corrective influence, which some have inter- 
 preted to signify direct punishment for evil-doing, 
 but which, taking the common explanation of the 
 best educated Chinese scholars, is rendered in a 
 very different sense, and would involve redemption 
 through the trials, tribulations, and lessons of life. 
 
Life of Confucius. 27 
 
 His thoughts were confined to an indefinite con- 
 ception of man's immortality ; and while he be- 
 lieved in the existence of angels or intercessory 
 spirits, his knowledge of the real relation of the 
 interior to the external world, seems to have been 
 limited or obscured by his greater attention to that 
 philosophy or system of moral teachings, which 
 he regarded as more directly essential or applica- 
 ble to the demands of human life. He recognized 
 the future, not as demanding our fear or humilia- 
 tion, but rather our love and reverence ; and our 
 transmundane interests he held as strictly condi- 
 tioned in immortal success, or that life which was 
 hoped for, or presumed to be held in abeyance of 
 divine purpose. 
 
 Confucius may only be considered as a wise 
 moralist, who was ever inclined to be just : 'and to 
 represent that fullness of manly habit which is 
 seldom a characteristic of men. Unlike Christ or 
 the apostles, he entrenched himself in the deep 
 channels of Nature's outward demands, in the ad- 
 vocacy of needed reforms, rather than appeal to 
 the spiritual or future interests of the soul, as a 
 source of human improvement. The abstract idea, 
 which formerly found a prominent place in human 
 belief, of a creation organized out of nothing, by 
 an infinite and eternal Being, with the object, that 
 his greatness and glory might be seen and known, 
 in the magnificence of all eternal symbols, by those 
 intelligent creatures whom in his condescension he 
 had deigned to create, is unknown to the Con- 
 fucian system of ethical doctrines. He considered 
 nature as a self-poised, self-sustaining mechanism, 
 stupendous in its interests, and perfect in its de- 
 sign for the accomplishment of those ultimate ends 
 intended in its organic construction. He had in- 
 
28 Life of Confucius. 
 
 dulbitable confidence in Nature, and believed that 
 the existence of all things was secured in a flux 
 and reflux of form from all eternity, and were 
 fashioned by laws permanently adherent in matter, 
 or indissolubly associated therewith. 
 
 Thus it was his penchant to regard nature as well 
 worthy of sincere and conscientious thought, and 
 its invisible Author as a pervading element of 
 life, existing in all objects to the desirable end of 
 those diversified relations which are everywhere 
 manifest to the observant senses. Those idealistic 
 considerations which are so characteristic of minds 
 particularly imbued with spiritual comprehension, 
 were either less prominently marked as a peculi- 
 arity of his mental organization; or else as a con- 
 sequence of the multiplied demands made upon 
 his time, as an exponent of moral principles, he 
 hedged in those thoughts which are wont to wan- 
 der through eternity, and, repudiating all specula- 
 tive opinions, confined himself more strictly to the 
 establishment of those axiomatic rules, which are 
 the foundation of his ever-practical philosophy. 
 
 His chief labor was given to an effort to call the 
 minds of men to an improved condition of social 
 and political life. " I teach you," said Confucius, 
 " only those things which with diligence you might 
 learn yourselves ; the recognition of the three fun- 
 damental laws of relation between subject and sov- 
 ereign, father and child, husband and wife ; and 
 the five capital virtues — universal charity, impar- 
 tial justice, conformity to ceremonies and estab- 
 lished usages, rectitude of heart and mind, and 
 pure sincerity." 
 
 The Confucian system of moral edicts required 
 a strict observance of appointed obligations, and a 
 cultivation of kindly sympathies and sentiments. 
 
Life of Confucius. 20 
 
 The great virtues of charity, justice, and sincerity, 
 were regarded as the only needful religion, secur- 
 ing to the individual, peace, contentment, and hap- 
 piness, upon earth, and safety from harmful mo- 
 lestation in the life of the future. 
 
 Instead of entertaining objections to spiritual 
 faith and discipline, as modernly understood, and 
 as has been asserted by one of his biographers, if 
 not more, the probabilities are that in the absence 
 of all knowledge of Christianity, which in truth 
 had no existence until five hundred years subse- 
 quent to the time of Confucius, he taught the most 
 perfect system of philosophy which his understand- 
 ing enabled him to present, as a comprehensive 
 observer of men and nature, unprovided with mod- 
 ern experience or scientific aids. And while his 
 moral teachings may not, as they do not in the 
 opinion of many, reach the wants and demands of 
 our present spiritual condition, we are quite cer- 
 tain that, as a golden opportunity, the axiomatic 
 school of Confucian precepts furnishes an incen- 
 tive to the promotion of every desirable good in 
 human character, and leaves but little room for 
 the qualification of those privileges which apper- 
 tain to the pursuit of a just and noble life. 
 
 " Just as I am compelled to accept the mani- 
 festations and phenomena of the universe as sub- 
 stantial facts, although I am incompetent to fathom 
 the mystery of their origin ; so am I obliged to 
 observe and receive the phenomena of mind in the 
 same light of consideration. We find good and 
 evil, wisdom and ignorance, not only in contrast 
 as between man and man, but as well in our indi- 
 vidual characters ; the same man is both good and 
 bad, wise and unwise. It is impossible to avoid 
 these distinctions. The principle of righteousness 
 
SO w*' Life of Confucius. 
 
 is infiltrated in all nature, and we are forced to 
 recognize it as a paramount and redemptory power. 
 The all-abounding laws of creation, concerning 
 which we know but little more than that they are 
 realities, are governed by its influence, and yield 
 to its control, It is unsafe to entertain mean or 
 deceitful thoughts ; for when we offend our own 
 honor, or deride our own consciences, we immolate 
 our better conceptions of goodness^ justice, and 
 truth." 
 
 Confucius inculcated simple, yet comprehensive 
 rules of life, making them alike applicable to pri- 
 vate, as to public requirements. "Let all men," 
 said he, "fashion their lives to accord with the 
 sacred maxims, and make them applicable to the 
 domestic circles wherein they are the responsible 
 advisers ; and let them render to the imperial sov- 
 ereign, who acts as the father of his people, that 
 filial recognition and obedience which is privately 
 demanded by them of their children. We should 
 love, abide by, and honor, the emperor, as it is 
 his custom to love, respect, and venerate, his an- 
 cestors ; for, by so doing, we are assured of inter- 
 nal peace, social order, and national tranquillity." 
 
 Confucius advocated and favored a system of 
 general education ; and as a result of plans and 
 measures instituted under his counsel, self-sup- 
 porting schools were organized throughout the 
 limits of the empire, wherein the moral max- 
 ims of the philosopher were taught, and are still 
 imparted as needful to the success of good gov- 
 ernment and human happiness. 
 
 Confucianism appeals to "practical men." It 
 indorses and esteems those virtues which are be- 
 coming in the habits and manners of all citizens. 
 It lauds industry, sobriety, gentlemanly decorum, 
 
Life of Confucius. 31 
 
 and thoughtfulness. It recognizes toleration of 
 religious opinions, and counsels men to engage in 
 religious service as established from time imme- 
 morial, and as a source of piety and respect to 
 the Divine Being. It teaches the existence of 
 genii, or spirits, and recommends sacrificial regard 
 to their interest ; as to worship them is demanded, 
 as part of a needful solemnization, bearing on our 
 existence as inheritors of eternal life. 
 
 Soon after the death of Confucius, his philos- 
 ophy was adopted as the State religion, and his 
 maxims were gradually incorporated into the laws 
 of his native land. The entire literary class in 
 China soon accepted his system, and interested 
 themselves in the propagation of the principles 
 which he taught. He did not trust altogether to 
 the memory of his followers for the preservation 
 of his doctrines, but became the author of several 
 books, which were greatly admired by his country- 
 men for the fine moral sentiments which they con- 
 tained, and which their author, from motives of 
 modesty, was disinclined to receive any credit for. 
 He very ingeniously avoided accepting the merit 
 of the authorship of the precepts which he taught, 
 by saying that they were of ancient origin, and 
 that he had done nothing more than to collect 
 them from the wise translators, Yao and Chun, 
 who lived fifteen hundred years before his time. 
 
 The number of classical or canonical books 
 which he composed, is five ; and they are held in 
 the highest esteem, as containing a wise compila- 
 tion of ancient laws, manners, customs, and prac- 
 tices,, and are looked upon as the most perfect 
 rule of government. The first is called the Tih- 
 king, and is a treatise on ethics. The second is 
 the Shu-king, and consists of a history of the 
 
32 Life of Confucius, 
 
 deliberations, or advisory councils, which occurred 
 between Ya-ou, Shun, and other personages, who 
 were the ancient kings of the empire, and whose 
 maxims and actions were regarded with sincere 
 veneration. The third canonical book, termed 
 the Shi-king, consists of a compilation of three 
 hundred and eleven sacred songs or poems, which 
 are committed to memory by the Chinese, and re- 
 peated on sundry occasions, The Le-king, or 
 Book of Rites, is the foundation of Chinese man- 
 ners, prescribing ail the ceremonies to be observed 
 in the various relationships of life, reflecting upon 
 the cause of the security and stability of Chinese 
 habits, and the permanency of their government. 
 The Chun-tseen is a historical work confined to a 
 narration of events which occurred during his 
 own time, and those immediately preceding him. 
 
 Among other books written or compiled by 
 himself and his disciples, may be mentioned the 
 Ta-heo, or Great Study, a political work ; the 
 Shung-yung, or " The Invariable in the Mean," 
 a book devoted to teaching what is considered as 
 the " due medium," or " golden mean " in human 
 actions and conduct; the Tun-yu, or " Philosoph- 
 ical Dialogues," containing the recorded conver- 
 sations of Confucius ; and the Hi-tse, composed 
 by Ming-tsi, who died 817 years before Christ, 
 and who was a wise advocate of Confucianism. 
 The object of this work was to inculcate the 
 principles of philanthropic government. 
 
 To the works already mentioned we may also 
 add, the Hiao-king, or book containing admoni- 
 tions in regard to filial reverence, and the replies 
 of Confucius, made in answer to the questions of 
 his disciple Tseng, on the subject of those duties 
 which appertain to a just regard by the young for 
 
Life of Confucius. 83 
 
 the counsels of parents ; and the Sias-hio, a work 
 devoted to the interests of youthful education in 
 morals. 
 
 The Confucian school of philosophy was orig- 
 inally planted in the minds of the aristocratic and 
 educated classes of the Chinese Empire ; and its 
 author, unlike all other reformers, labored to im- 
 bed his sentiments in the super-stratums of society. 
 And while his success in this particular is as note- 
 worthy as it is wondrous, we cannot say of him 
 as of others, that he rose from poverty and obscu- 
 rity, making his reputation wholly on the merit of 
 the possession of marvelous talents. For although 
 his teachings may be received as a well-chosen 
 guide for all men, and his system of philosophy 
 as of the most unconstrained and practical kind, 
 the fact of his origin, as being in the line of the 
 nobility of his country, and holding eminent wealth 
 at his command, while it might not detract from 
 the value of the maxims which he delivered to his 
 people, must necessarily dispossess him of that 
 high privilege of renown which would have at- 
 tached to his name had his efforts rested on the 
 basis of menial domestic relations, purity, and 
 extraordinary mental ability. 
 
 Confucius cannot be said to have taught the 
 lesson of spirituality in human life, although 
 it is evident that he recognized the existence of 
 both good and mischievous spirit-beings, as did 
 his ancestors ; but he refused to countenance 
 their delivery to mankind as familiar messengers, 
 and only referred to them in the most reserved 
 manner. The questions which most interested 
 him, and to which he gave the most of his atten- 
 tion, were, " How shall I do my duty to my neigh- 
 
34 Life of Confucius. 
 
 bor" and "How can I best discharge the duty of 
 a virtuous citizen." The subject of the future 
 life was ever hidden in the solemn silence of his 
 own reflections, and, as he thought, was only to 
 be made practical in the great awarding kingdom 
 of Shang-te. 
 
 His motives were pure, and his habits were 
 just. He loved to contemplate the principle of 
 goodness as associated with, and reserved to, the 
 practical use of all men. If he possessed any 
 fault which we may discover, or if there is any 
 marked defect in his system of philosophy, it is 
 to be placed to the account of a forgetfulness, or 
 want of knowledge, that all nature is plunged 
 into opposite extremes as a means of self-correc- 
 tion, or cause of justice. 
 
 In his reasoning, he was the " plain man," 
 who never hoodwinked his opinions, but against 
 his worldly interests, engaged in fearless trials 
 against a contending opposition to the interests of 
 his Ma-da-un * philosophy. 
 
 Confucius was beloved and bemoaned by his 
 countrymen, and probably he has left a more last- 
 ing impression upon the minds of a greater num- 
 ber of his race, if not of the human family, as a 
 man or representative teacher of worthy morality, 
 than any person who ever lived, or whose name 
 has been handed down to us from the periods of 
 the past. His name is blazoned in the public 
 marts, on the banners of the self-supporting 
 schools, founded and perpetuated on his recom- 
 mendation, on the altars where the nobility and 
 common people meet to worship, "in the love of 
 justice," and on the monuments raised to his 
 memory in all portions of the empire. 
 
 * Amply genial. 
 
Life of Gonfucius. 35 
 
 A good example for all men, is justly entitled 
 to the patronage of all men. In his privilege of 
 life, he was upright, and serenely blessed. No 
 person has ever presented a nobler record to the 
 world, or any more justly entitled to universal 
 confidence. In his daily trials in life, he soberly 
 met all human abuse with patience, forbearance, 
 and fortitude. When in his final sorrows and 
 sufferings, he had attained the summit of the 
 high mountain of life, and could look down upon 
 the jargon and contention existing among men, 
 his highest ambition was still engrossed in a love 
 of well-doing, and in thinking that he might still 
 be of service to his people ; but nearing the ter- 
 mination of his outward career, and feeling his 
 pulse growing weaker as his end drew nearer, he 
 rose upon his pillow in the final dream of mind, 
 and said, " Who shall follow to support my 
 cause ?" When closing his eyes in unconsciousness 
 of all outward things, and ceasing to breathe, he 
 was attended by the "immortals," who conveyed 
 him onward to the next scene of his labors, in 
 the spirit-nation of Mongolians, in the Jung-gee 
 of the immortal world. 
 
CONFUCIAN 
 
 MORAL PRECEPTS. 
 
 The best method of obtaining intelligence con- 
 sists in an orderly cultivation of reason and mem- 
 ory, and the acquisition of a knowledge of things 
 rather than of words, by unceasing industry and 
 perseverance. 
 
 When once the mind is thus fixed upon medita- 
 tion, and yields to a desire for learning, it should 
 reflect concerning those things which pertain to 
 the self-hood of man, or to self-investigation. We 
 should endeavor to obtain some definite idea of 
 ourselves, and should observe with earnestness 
 whatever is presented for our consideration ; we 
 should examine everything with care, and weigh 
 all things in the balance of reason, then in con- 
 formity to a wise decision of mind, we may 
 arrive at the " golden mean" in all our acts 
 in life. 
 
 3. 
 
 For the improvement of the family circle the 
 parents should take essential care to properly 
 
Confucian Precepts. 37 
 
 qualify themselves in their habits and manners, 
 and so harmonize their words and actions, as to 
 neither offend good sense, or worthy complai- 
 sance. Neither should they in any way allow 
 themselves to become inedifying in the presence 
 of their children or domestics. In order to 
 attain to this exemplary condition of perfection, 
 we must strive to purify our thoughts, subdu- 
 ing our passions and unholy inclinations ; and en- 
 deavor to fashion our conduct in the avoidance 
 of contention, vice, misery, mischief, and crime. 
 
 To entertain feelings of distrust, love, or aver- 
 sity ; to will, desire, or admire ; we must necessa- 
 rily abide by the knowledge which we profess ; 
 and our impulses, whatever they may be, are 
 sure to be characterized by the quality and 
 amount of intelligence which we possess. 
 
 It is not to be expected that those who know 
 not how to govern themselves, or subdue their 
 own passions, can rightly direct, reform, or gov- 
 ern, others. And it is only those who most 
 struggle for individual improvement that are 
 likely to succeed in accomplishing so desira- 
 ble a purpose, or who may be depended upon 
 by others in the attainment of that " better con- 
 dition," which in our moments of sober reflection 
 we all yearn to enjoy. 
 
 6. 
 
 When we observe a worthy action in another, 
 we should not hesitate to make it our example, 
 or abide by it in practice. 
 
38 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 7. 
 
 When an opportunity presents itself for well- 
 doing, be earnest in taking immediate advantage 
 of it. 
 
 8. 
 
 Stay not thy endeavor to suppress or extirpate 
 vice. Always regard your own conduct with dis- 
 cernment and discretion, and keep a vigilant 
 watchfulness over all personal motives, actions, 
 and habits. 
 
 9. 
 
 Whatsoever is beneficial or honorable, is neces- 
 sarily advisable ; and, as virtue includes both of 
 these qualities, we are obligated in its admiration. 
 
 10. 
 
 To enjoy and practice virtue in all our actions 
 in life, is to ornament and embellish our manhood 
 and womanhood with the most desirable qualifica- 
 tions. 
 
 11. 
 
 To the mind, virtue communicates inexpressible 
 beauty and perfection ; to the body, it guarantees 
 health, a desirable form, and attractive features. 
 Virtue tranquilizes the heart, and makes ample 
 peace within. It produces a silent, secret joy, 
 calmness and serenity of mind, with an agreeable 
 and kindly appearance which wins the affection 
 of acquaintances, and secures the esteem of the 
 world. 
 
Confucian Precepts. 39 
 
 12. 
 
 The principal occupation of the mind should be 
 confined to self-investigation and correction. We 
 should endeavor to calm our passions, and hold 
 them under the control of reason. If we suffer 
 ourselves to become angry for some trifling cause, 
 or manifest impetuosity of disposition, we may 
 readily conclude that our condition is defective, 
 and that our standard of rectitude is still imper- 
 fect. 
 
 13. 
 
 If we look upon a person as unworthy of our 
 respect, owing to the manifestation of his defects, 
 and neglect to render justice to his better quali- 
 ties ; if we abandon ourselves to immoderate 
 joy, or submit to be overcome with excessive fear 
 or sorrow; it is justly to be concluded that we 
 have not yet attained to that state of personal 
 rectitude, or disposed harmony of mind, which 
 is so much to be desired, and which is the true 
 foundation of all human happiness. 
 
 14. 
 
 Let us observe moderation in all things, and 
 hold our passions in abeyance of reasonable re- 
 flection. 
 
 15. 
 
 Let us not blindly yield ourselves to impatience, 
 hastiness, or impetuosity ; but reserve our habits 
 and manners to that even-minded way, which is 
 both harmless and acceptable to others, and agree- 
 able to ourselves. 
 
40 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 16. 
 
 Parents should love each other, and should be 
 governed in their amity by worthy decisions of 
 mind, making their lives conform to evenness and 
 regularity of design. 
 
 IT. 
 
 A son may justly love a father ; but, when the 
 father is guilty of the perpetration of any great 
 wrong, or is actuated by unrighteous motives in 
 the pursuit of life, the son should not doubt the 
 propriety of properly remonstrating with his pa- 
 rent, or of acquainting him of his knowledge of 
 the fact, and of advising and counseling him to 
 accept the more commendable way. On the other 
 hand, if a son is inclined to vicious habits, it is 
 the duty of the father to advise and direct him in 
 all matters wherein he is likely to be improved or 
 benefited. 
 
 18. 
 
 A wise man will always consider his own defects, 
 and diligently labor to remove them. 
 
 19. 
 
 It is well to conform to the manner and temper 
 of others, only so far as the needful purposes of 
 life are concerned, in our daily dealings and so- 
 cial relations with men. Beyond this we should 
 reserve to ourselves that individual identity of 
 character which is wisely appointed to be our own, 
 
Confucian Precepts. 41 
 
 20. 
 
 We should never allow ourselves to become cor- 
 rupted by frivolous conversation, or the example 
 of careless and corrupt persons. 
 
 21. 
 
 "We should never obey the commands of others, 
 or imitate them, without mature reflection. 
 
 22. 
 
 In our needful association and intercourse with 
 those numerous persons who so unwisely deviate 
 from a worthy standard of moral rectitude, it is 
 better that we turn neither to the right nor left, 
 but follow that "'even way" which parries all 
 molestation, and wins all human sympathy. 
 
 23. 
 
 If a worthy person is chosen to fill some high 
 office in the gift of a people, in a country where 
 virtue is little regarded, and he still continues to 
 cling to his love of morality, or should he preserve 
 all those good habits which characterized his lifa 
 as a private citizen, refusing to submit to the in- 
 fluence of pride and vanity, then he may be re- 
 garded as a man justly entitled to individual 
 respect and national honor. 
 
 24. 
 
 There are some persons so egotistical in their 
 inclinations as to affect the possession of extraor- 
 dinary virtue. They pride themselves on the as- 
 sumption of marvelous goodness, and assume 
 
42 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 great complaisance in all their actions. " I shall 
 never be enamored with these glittering appear- 
 ances," says Confucius, " where vanity and self- 
 love have a more marked manifestation than even 
 virtue itself. I would only know and make prac- 
 tical that which it is necessary to know and make 
 practical, as appointed in the demands of every- 
 day life." 
 
 25. ' 
 
 There are four general rules, in accordance with 
 the requirements of which a good man should ad- 
 just his life: 
 
 26. 
 
 First, he should regard his father in the same 
 light of "wise intention," in the reception and 
 impartation of kindly advice and counsel, as he 
 would his son. 
 
 2T. 
 
 Second, when serving the interests of the State, 
 he should manifest the sar^e fidelity which he re- 
 quires of those who serve under him. 
 
 28. 
 
 Third, It is his duty to love and respect his 
 elder brother, in the same manner as he would ex- 
 pect his younger brother to do toward himself. 
 
 29. 
 
 Fourth, He should at all times love and re- 
 spect hk friends and acquaintances, as he would 
 have them love and respect him. 
 
Confucian Precepts. 43 
 
 30. 
 
 The good, wise, and thoughtful man, always ac- 
 quits himself of these duties with earnestness and 
 fidelity, however ordinary or unseemly they may 
 appear. If he becomes conscious of wrong-doing 7 
 or perceives that he has wandered from the " bet- 
 ter way," he rests not easy in his own mind, 
 until he has discerned the cause of his mistake, 
 and made his fault the subject of correction. If 
 he discovers that he has neglected an important 
 duty, he will spare no effort or labor which would 
 cancel his neglect, or accomplish the original pur- 
 pose, which through carelessness or inadvertancy 
 was omitted. He is moderate and reserved in his 
 conversation, and circumspect in his manners. 
 If he feels too great an inclination to social 
 converse, or realizes that he is more affluent of 
 words and ideas than those with whom he speaks, 
 he wisely restrains himself to the limit of needful 
 remark. He is so rigorous a censor of himself, that 
 he at all times endeavors to make his words and 
 his actions correspond. To attain to this condi- 
 tion of individual per^ction requires devotional 
 attention to personal habits and virtue. 
 
 31. 
 
 That love which is requisite for all men to pos- 
 sess, is compounded in our natures, and prompts 
 us alike to filial, parental, and universal, respect 
 for humankind. Our first duty is to love our par- 
 ents. This filial obedience nurtures our regard 
 for, and prompts us to the practical acceptance of, 
 that universal esteem which has for its object the 
 entire human family. From universal love comes 
 distributive justice, which prompts us to regard 
 
44 Qonfueian Precepts. 
 
 all men in the light of "wise understanding/' 
 and to render unto all ivhat is justly their due. 
 
 The difference which exists between the love 
 which we experience toward our parents, and that 
 which we feel toward others ; the difference be- 
 tween our regard for the good, the learned, and 
 the wise, and those who are ignorant, impetuous, 
 and degraded in life ; should be considered in the 
 light of justice, and characterized by a worthy 
 moderation in our likes and dislikes. 
 
 33. 
 
 We shall be unable to conform to the necessary 
 rules of life, if we neglect the three pre-eminent 
 virtues : prudence in reflection, which enables us 
 to distinguish between good and bad ; universal 
 love, w T hich has regard for the natural rights and 
 interests of all men ; and that firm resolution of 
 mind which prompts us to persevere in our ad- 
 herence to virtue and objections to vice. 
 
 34. 
 
 Some persons imagine that they are not capable of 
 acquiring virtue, neither of making morality prac- 
 ticable to themselves, whereas it is quite certain 
 that these qualities are attainable by all. And 
 no person who earnestly seeks them, need be de- 
 prived of the blessings which they confer. In- 
 deed, it is the impotence and inadvertancy of men 
 which causes them to neglect these interests, or 
 the acquisition of manly habits. 
 
Confucian Precepts, 45 
 
 35. 
 
 However stupid the individual, or however much 
 wanting in experience, if there exists a desire to 
 learn, and perseverance in study is not attended 
 with weariness or reluctance, the probability is 
 that the person is not far from a w r orthy prudence 
 in reflection, or success in the exercise of a wise 
 judgment. 
 
 36. 
 
 If a man, although imbued with strong feelings 
 of self-love, still earnestly endeavors to perform 
 good actions, and acquits himself in justice before 
 men, it may be inferred that he has in a measure 
 already secured the development of that principle 
 of " universal love " within himself, which will in- 
 duce him to follow the precepts of wisdom in well- 
 doing. 
 
 37. 
 
 If a man feels the sting of shame when he listens 
 to impure and uncivil conversation, or feels im- 
 pelled to withdraw from the presence of persons 
 of rude and unpolished manners, it may be safely 
 concluded that he is not far from that condition 
 or resolution of mind which unreservedly indorses 
 goodness, and as strongly objects to vice. 
 
 38. 
 
 When a person has deviated from the path of 
 integrity or uprightness, it should be his constant 
 effort to restore to himself that confidence which 
 he has lost in the principles of goodness and 
 honor ; by so doing, and by making just atone- 
 
46 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 ment through suffering and industry, he will inva- 
 riably release himself from further inclination in 
 the pursuit of wrong-doing, and rise to a desira- 
 ble condition in the practice of virtue. 
 
 39. 
 
 It is most essential that we examine all things 
 with a view to an exact analysis of their proper- 
 ties, qualities, appearances, and effects, for the 
 reason that among those things which are claimed 
 to be known, there are many concerning which 
 the question ever arises as to whether they are 
 perfectly known or not. Hence it becomes neces- 
 sary to examine them, and to weigh them carefully 
 in the light of every attendant circumstance, as 
 well as to consult the opinion of wise and expe- 
 rienced men thereon. 
 
 40. 
 
 Notwithstanding it may appear that we clearly 
 understand certain things, including our own na- 
 tures, still it is evident from the many mistakes 
 which we make, and our numerous transgressions 
 in life, that as individuals we are sadly imperfect, 
 and need to keep a constant vigilance over our 
 own acts. We should meditate not only concern- 
 ing our own condition, but as well in relation to 
 all surrounding objects and circumstances, being 
 ever watchful and attentive in spirit to the utmost 
 extent whereof we are capable. 
 
 41. 
 
 We should endeavor to apprehend things aright, 
 reflecting with clearness and precision upon all 
 
Confucian Precepts. 47 
 
 occasions, to the end that we may avoid all seri- 
 ous mistakes in our decisions of mind, concerning 
 good and bad, the true and the false, 
 
 42. 
 
 When once we have arrived at a just conclusion, 
 it is our duty to make our acts conform thereunto, 
 and earnestly, as well as unceasingly, endeavor to 
 execute, to the fullest extent of our ability, the 
 good resolution thus decided upon. 
 
 43. 
 
 If we undertake to perform a duty for another, 
 we should engage in it with the same determina- 
 tion and fidelity of purpose as if we were laboring 
 in our own service. 
 
 44. 
 
 When visiting with friends, or when in company 
 with worthy associates, regard them with marked 
 sincerity, and be not too reserved in your manifes- 
 tation of kindness and esteem. 
 
 45. 
 
 When a man is poor in purse, yet undiminished 
 in honor, or when a man is rich, yet humble, not- 
 withstanding he may be praise-worthy for the 
 rectitude which he manifests, still we cannot say 
 that he has attained the highest degree of vir- 
 tue, until he becomes absolved from all feelings 
 of impetuosity, cherishing neither hate, fear, mal- 
 ice, nor revenge. 
 
48 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 46. 
 
 He that is poor should be contented even in the 
 midst of his poverty. He that is rich should be 
 ever charitable, and mindful of well-doing. The 
 penurious and abject spirit does good only to cer- 
 tain persons, gratifies certain exclusive friendships. 
 Such dispense their means only with a view to 
 reaping a reward in material gain ; their objects 
 are essentially selfish. Whereas the good man is 
 actuated by generous motives, and qualifies his 
 dealings with men by the light of that wisdom and 
 universal love which holds for its object the inter- 
 ests of all mankind. 
 
 47. 
 
 We should be ever courteous and kind, even to 
 those who offend us, and especially when they ex- 
 hibit signs of sincere repentance. We should re- 
 gard them as if they were innocent of any offense ; 
 and, forgetting their imperfections, endeavor, by 
 rendering them aid and encouragement, to prompt 
 them to the pursuit of virtue. 
 
 48. 
 
 Bemoan not the departed with excessive grief. 
 Not to restrain thy sorrow, is to abandon all re- 
 flection, and become lost to a worthy decision of 
 mind. 
 
 49. 
 
 The wise man never allows himself to be wholly 
 overcome with despair. He rather considers it a 
 weakness than otherwise to yield to immoderate 
 despondency. 
 
Confucian Precepts. 49 
 
 50. 
 
 The good man never injures himself or others, 
 neither does he lack courage in any emergency. 
 He contemns injuries, gives no credence to re- 
 proachful insinuations, and ever refuses to listen 
 to ill reports. 
 
 51. 
 
 Punishment of crime should neither be too se- 
 vere nor too common ; if magistrates were good 
 men, and if none other were promoted to the 
 dignity of such offices, the common people would 
 reserve themselves to virtuous habits with greater 
 tenacity, because the government of the good and 
 wise is what all men naturally desire ; and when 
 we secure the rule of just and competent persons, 
 officers w 7 hom all can respect and esteem, we are 
 more willing to abide by approved principles, and 
 in our love of life conform to public approbation. 
 
 52. 
 
 Hypocrites, or those who profess one thing and 
 practice another, may be compared to professional 
 villains, who, in order to hide their intentions, 
 render themselves wise, and manifest great suav- 
 ity of manner and disposition during the day, that 
 they may the more effectually conceal the infamy 
 of those crimes which they perpetrate during the 
 night. 
 
 53. 
 
 Persons who yield to an abuse of their appe- 
 tites, and constantly indulge in luxurious habits, 
 4 
 
50 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 are unworthy of a rank among men, and are justly 
 entitled to be called " slaves of the passions/' and 
 " men of brutish inclinations." 
 
 51. 
 
 Ever make the example of the wise thy hope. 
 Never allow thyself to become discouraged. 
 Though thy task become laborious and difficult, 
 still continue to persevere. If you fail to accom- 
 plish the desirable object sought for, remember 
 that you have the recompense of a consciousness 
 of having made a commendable effort. 
 
 55. 
 
 That virtue which is attended with no serious- 
 ness, is little respected among men. 
 
 56. 
 
 It is our duty to constantly bear in mind the 
 important fact that we are frail, and are easily 
 led from the path of duty. Hence, should it be 
 our misfortune to overstep the bounds of propri- 
 ety, or wander from the righteous way, we should 
 not be too much disheartened, but endeavor to 
 rise again above the mischief into which we have 
 fallen, and secure ourselves from further offend- 
 ing against our individual peace and happiness. 
 
 57. 
 
 Make all thy promises in justice, and with a 
 due regard to their fulfillment ; for when we have 
 committed ourselves to any agreement, it is as un- 
 safe as it is ungenerous, to neglect our duty, or 
 retract our word. 
 
Confucian Precepts. 51 
 
 58. 
 
 In conferring homage upon any person, be not 
 overgenerous in its bestowal, 
 
 59. 
 
 There is stupidity and negligence in too little 
 suavity, and a want of generosity in not properly 
 regarding those persons unto whom we are in- 
 debted for either money or favors. To overdo 
 modesty, condescension, or suavity, is equally as 
 great a fault, and involves our manhood or wo- 
 manhood in ignorance, hypocrisy, conceit, and 
 pride. 
 
 60. 
 
 Make eating and drinking a consideration in 
 health and comfort, and not a pleasurable gratifi- 
 cation, to become the master of all rational con- 
 clusions. 
 
 61. 
 
 Love, temperance, sobriety, and justice. Let 
 your thoughts become purified, and your actions 
 will inevitably correspond therewith. 
 
 62. 
 
 The attainment of wisdom is the sure guarantee 
 to all desirable pleasure and happiness ; and the 
 wise man may find abundant enjoyment in the 
 midst of difficulties and severities. 
 
 63. 
 
 Those who are studious simply in the reading of 
 books, devoting their time in a great measure to 
 
52 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 labor and exercise, while neglecting meditation, 
 engage in an unpaying literary pursuit, which 
 adds but little to individual knowledge, and sel- 
 dom improves the man ; while those who are wholly 
 absorbed in meditation, neglecting all exercise, 
 wander and lose themselves in thought, beyond 
 the bound of all proper restraint. The first sel- 
 dom arrive at any exact conclusions, their opin- 
 ions being always confounded by doubts and ob- 
 scurities ; while the latter continually pursue the 
 shadows of mind, live in the regions of fancy, and 
 seldom base their knowledge upon anything solid 
 or substantial. It is well to be industrious, but 
 we should never slight meditation. It is desirable 
 to meditate, but let us not neglect the perform- 
 ance of a needful portion of labor. 
 
 64. 
 
 When any evil exists, and we can discover no 
 remedy for its cure, the better w r ay is to patiently 
 wait for that correction which time affords. If 
 through remonstrances, counsel, and earnest effort, 
 we could succeed in removing it, silence or per- 
 sonal indifference would prove self-abasing. Yet 
 there is nothing more undesirable than the impart- 
 ation of that advise by which no one is benefited, 
 
 65. 
 
 Indigence and the miseries of life are unpleas- 
 ant to endure, but the querulous and the ignorant 
 only resent them and curse Nature for their ex- 
 istence. The wise and the thoughtful only regard 
 Nature as just, and our punishments at her hands 
 qiuite as needful as they are inevitable. The vir- 
 
Confucian Precepts. 53 
 
 tuous man is seldom dissatisfied. His mind com- 
 pels his spirit to repose in quiet. He allows noth- 
 ing to disturb his equanimity. His reward is 
 goodness ; the practice of a worthy example, his 
 only recompense. 
 
 66. 
 
 A wise man is always enabled to make a proper 
 choice, as between right and wrong. He may 
 love or distrust with reason, and ever secure a 
 knowledge of justice without discomposure of 
 mind. 
 
 67. 
 
 He who makes virtue practical in life, never 
 yields to the committal of any act unbecoming a 
 man, or contrary to the decisions of right reason. 
 
 68. 
 
 Honor and riches are desirable. Nearly all 
 men seek to possess them. But should we dis- 
 cover that honor is impugned or overdone by the 
 possession of wealth, or that riches lead us from 
 the path of rectitude, we should make it our duty 
 to reserve ourselves from their influence, espe- 
 cially wherein they tend to molest us in the pur- 
 suit of well-doing, or hamper our happiness in 
 life. 
 
 69. 
 
 He who taints his mischievous habits with pride 
 and conceit, and is neither frugal nor careful with 
 Ms means, is seldom disposed for the study of 
 wisdom. Sociable familiarity with such persons 
 is not to be commended. 
 
54 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 70. 
 
 Feel not afflicted because thou art not promoted 
 to grandeur and public dignities. It were better 
 to grieve that thou art lacking those virtues which 
 might render thee worthy of being advanced. 
 
 71. 
 
 The good man devotes his life to the practice of 
 virtue; the bad man neglects its pursuit in his 
 struggle for wealth. The first cherishes a love 
 for goodness, admires w T isdom, and contemplates 
 the public welfare. The latter is absorbed with 
 local and selfish cares, and thinks only concerning 
 those matters which pertain to his selfish interests. 
 
 72. 
 
 The good man no sooner observes a person of 
 wise inclinations than he endeavors to imitate his 
 worthy example. 
 
 73. 
 
 When a good man observes a person of vicious 
 habits, he wisely reflects concerning himself, with 
 a view to the discovery and removal of any simi- 
 lar defects which he may possess, and which he 
 so much detests in others. 
 
 74. 
 
 Children are in duty bound to obey and serve, 
 in all reasonableness, the requirements of their 
 parents. Sometimes parents are sadly at fault. 
 It is proper for children to acquaint them there- 
 with, but it should be done with care and pru- 
 
Confueian Precepts. 55 
 
 dence. Should the child meet with opposition or 
 anger, he should exercise patience, delaying for a 
 time his purpose, but should, when a good oppor- 
 tunity offers, persist in his effort. Advice given 
 to parents is frequently attended with unjust pun- 
 ishments to the child. Resistance can only be 
 justified in extreme cases. Usually we should 
 suffer without complaining. 
 
 75. 
 
 The wise man is always moderate in his studies, 
 also in his actions and conversation. He is often 
 silent, but when it is needful for him to be in 
 haste, he makes it his purpose to speak or act with 
 precipitancy and force. 
 
 76. 
 
 To properly understand the character of a per- 
 son, we need to have association with them, and 
 reflect upon their peculiarities. " When I was 
 young," says Confucius, "I imagined that all men 
 were honest and sincere ; that their practical hab- 
 its conformed to their utterances. But since I 
 have grown to manhood, I behold things in another 
 light. I am satisfied that I was mistaken. I 
 now listen to what men have to say, and place 
 only that confidence therein, which, with proper 
 reservation of mind, the subject seems to demand. 
 I examine whether men's words conform to 
 their actions, and refuse to content myself with 
 external appearances." 
 
 Parental imperfections should not debar children 
 from private or public respect. If in consequence 
 
56 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 of the committal of crimes or misdemeanor, a 
 father should render himself ineligible to office, or 
 unworthy of human confidence, his conduct should 
 be no cause of disgrace to his children, neither 
 should they be refused that society which their 
 good manners justly entitle them to. If a son is 
 born of poor parents, or is of obscure birth, it 
 should be made no excuse for objections to his 
 success; but, on the contrary, his ample qualifica- 
 tion should secure him the same employment 
 which would be conferred upon the rich. 
 
 78. 
 
 Poverty or imprisonment are preferable to the 
 most eminent offices of government, when they 
 are conferred and managed by agents or rulers 
 who are malicious, knavish or untrustworthy ; and 
 he who accepts them is most likely to confound 
 personal blessings with selfish interest, and in the 
 end is certain to regret his action, from disap- 
 pointment and displeasure. 
 
 79. 
 
 The path that leadeth to virtue is broad and 
 secure, and it is our duty to relinquish no effort 
 which would enable us to keep in its course. We 
 should not complain of a want of strength, nor 
 allege that difficulties discourage us, but deter- 
 minate^ pursue the object of our regard, in the 
 face of all disheartening circumstances. 
 
 80. 
 
 It is not enough to know virtue ; it is neces- 
 sary to possess it. It is not sufficient to admire 
 it ; it is necessary to practice it, 
 
Confucian Precepts. 57 
 
 81. 
 
 He who engages in persecution against a good 
 man, chooses war against the best interests of com- 
 munity, and derides his own character and happi- 
 ness. 
 
 . 82. 
 
 Children should be in constant watchfulness over 
 their own acts, and endeavor to avoid afflicting, 
 offending, or displeasing, their parents ; this 
 thought should be constantly uppermost in their 
 minds. 
 
 83. 
 
 As the most desirable health is endangered by 
 living in a malarious atmosphere ; so is our claim 
 to godliness canceled by association with those 
 w T ho are vicious and degraded. 
 
 84. 
 
 Sincerity and constancy of mind are a sure 
 guarantee to a reputation for worth and sobriety, 
 and constantly add to our happiness, notwithstand- 
 ing our severest trials and difficulties in life. 
 
 85. 
 
 The wise man always takes counsel, sometimes 
 consulting even the least-intelligent persons, when 
 important affairs demand an immediate decision of 
 judgment. When counsel is good, we should ac- 
 cept it, although it should come from an unexpected 
 and seemingly exceptionable source. 
 
58 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 86. 
 
 Vanity, haughtiness, and pride, should always 
 be avoided. While thou mayest claim that pru- 
 dence and ability which the ancients possessed, 
 still, if thou art not humble, frank, generous, con- 
 siderate, and agreeable, thou art likely to be 
 looked upon as selfish and worldly, and contemned 
 as a person of sordid inclinations. 
 
 87. 
 
 Consider what thou already knowest ; it is ben- 
 eficial to restore memory by a rehearsal of past" 
 experience. We are apt to overlook our own de- 
 fects, and deride others for imperfections which 
 we neglect to observe in ourselves. 
 
 Do nothing ungenerous, unkind, or unjust, al- 
 though thou art competent to make thine acts ap- 
 proved. Deception may find security for a time, 
 but never permanent justification. 
 
 89. 
 
 Engage no lasting friendships with men, when 
 their company would endanger your personal rep- 
 utation, or their presence become derisive of your 
 sense of propriety. 
 
 90. 
 
 A considerate man is likely to blush at his own 
 faults, but is never averse to their correction. 
 
r 
 
 Confucian Precepts. 59 
 
 91. 
 
 All worthy aspiration is unaccompanied by 
 envy, covetousness, or greed. 
 
 92. 
 
 Wouldst thou learn to die contentedly, learn 
 thou first to live wisely. 
 
 93. 
 Give of thy superabundance to the poor. 
 
 94. 
 
 Make frank acknowledgment of all benefits 
 received, by the return of other benefits equally 
 to be desired. 
 
 95. 
 
 When we make a conquest over our personal 
 defects, we secure the most worthy victory in life. 
 
 96. 
 
 In doing something to make others happy, we 
 are conceding life to be a joy worthy of our trust 
 and confidence. 
 
 97. 
 
 Let us freely confess our faults and mistakes, 
 and thus reserve ourselves to honor and sincerity. 
 
 98. 
 
 Let us watch diligently and not lose our better 
 opportunities. If we fall behind in the pursuit of 
 virtue, we may be longer in securing it, and our 
 sufferings in life may be thereby augmented. 
 
60 
 
 Confucian Precepts. 
 
 99. 
 
 To justly regard those who wrong or injure you, 
 without entertaining feelings of anger, hate, or re- 
 venge, is indisputable evidence of the possession 
 of worthy wisdom, and of a manifestation of the 
 spirit of true religion. 
 
 100. 
 Bo unto another ivhat you would he should do 
 unto you; and do not unto another what you 
 would not should be done unto you. Thou need- 
 est only this law alone; it is the foundation and 
 principle of all the rest. 
 
 f 
 
 if 
 
 .1 
 
Soon to be Published. 
 
 THE 
 
 MASTEEEOW: 
 
 Being a treatise on the Du-al-vi-lon of Nature, as 
 presented in the external and spiritual relations 
 of matter and mind. 
 
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 MARCENUS R. K. WRIGHT. 
 
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