“To be slow to speak, but prompt to act, is the desire of the ’superior man.’

“Virtue dwells not alone:  she must have neighbors.”

An observation of Tsz-yu:—­
“Officiousness, in the service of princes, leads to disgrace:  among
friends, to estrangement.”

BOOK V

A Disciple and the Golden Rule—­Miscellaneous

The Master pronounced Kung-ye Ch’ang, a disciple, to be a marriageable person; for although lying bound in criminal fetters he had committed no crime.  And he gave him his own daughter to wife.

Of Nan Yung, a disciple, he observed, that in a State where the government was well conducted he would not be passed over in its appointments, and in one where the government was ill conducted he would evade punishment and disgrace.  And he caused his elder brother’s daughter to be given in marriage to him.

Of Tsz-tsien, a disciple, he remarked, “A superior man indeed is the like of him!  But had there been none of superior quality in Lu, how should this man have attained to this excellence?”

Tsz-kung asked, “What of me, then?” “You,” replied the Master—­“You are a receptacle.”  “Of what sort?” said he.  “One for high and sacred use,” was the answer.

Some one having observed of Yen Yung that he was good-natured towards others, but that he lacked the gift of ready speech, the Master said, “What need of that gift?  To stand up before men and pour forth a stream of glib words is generally to make yourself obnoxious to them.  I know not about his good-naturedness; but at any rate what need of that gift?”

When the Master proposed that Tsi-tiau K’ai should enter the government service, the latter replied, “I can scarcely credit it.”  The Master was gratified.

“Good principles are making no progress,” once exclaimed the Master.  “If I were to take a raft, and drift about on the sea, would Tsz-lu, I wonder, be my follower there?” That disciple was delighted at hearing the suggestion; whereupon the Master continued, “He surpasses me in his love of deeds of daring.  But he does not in the least grasp the pith of my remark.”

In reply to a question put to him by Mang Wu respecting Tsz-lu—­as to whether he might be called good-natured towards others, the Master said, “I cannot tell”; but, on the question being put again, he answered, “Well, in an important State [10] he might be intrusted with the management of the military levies; but I cannot answer for his good nature.”

“What say you then of Yen Yu?”

“As for Yen,” he replied, “in a city of a thousand families, or in a secondary fief, [11] he might be charged with the governorship; but I cannot answer for his good-naturedness.”

“Take Tsz-hwa, then; what of him?”

“Tsz-hwa,” said he, “with a cincture girt upon him, standing as attendant at Court, might be charged with the addressing of visitors and guests; but as to his good-naturedness I cannot answer.”