“Whatsoever the intellect may attain to, unless the humanity within is powerful enough to keep guard over it, is assuredly lost, even though it be gained.

“If there be intellectual attainments, and the humanity within is powerful enough to keep guard over them, yet, unless (in a ruler) there be dignity in his rule, the people will fail to show him respect.

“Again, given the intellectual attainments, and humanity sufficient to keep watch over them, and also dignity in ruling, yet if his movements be not in accordance with the Rules of Propriety, he is not yet fully qualified.

“The superior man may not be conversant with petty details, and yet may have important matters put into his hands.  The inferior man may not be charged with important matters, yet may be conversant with the petty details.

“Good-fellowship is more to men than fire and water.  I have seen men stepping into fire and into water, and meeting with death thereby; I have not yet seen a man die from planting his steps in the path of good-fellowship.

“Rely upon good nature.  ’Twill not allow precedence even to a teacher.

“The superior man is inflexibly upright, and takes not things upon trust.

“In serving your prince, make your service the serious concern, and let salary be a secondary matter.

“Where instruction is to be given, there must be no distinction of persons.

“Where men’s methods are not identical, there can be no planning by one on behalf of another.

“In speaking, perspicuity is all that is needed.”

When the blind music-master Mien paid him a visit, on his approaching the steps the Master called out “Steps,” and on his coming to the mat, said “Mat.”  When all in the room were seated, the Master told him “So-and-so is here, so-and-so is here.”

When the music-master had left, Tsz-chang said to him, “Is that the way to speak to the music-master?” “Well,” he replied, “it is certainly the way to assist him.”

BOOK XVI

Against Intestine Strife—­Good and Bad Friendships

The Chief of the Ki family was about to make an onslaught upon the Chuen-yu domain.

Yen Yu and Tsz-lu in an interview with Confucius told him, “The Ki is about to have an affair with Chuen-yu.”

“Yen,” said Confucius, “does not the fault lie with you?  The Chief of Chuen-yu in times past was appointed lord of the East Mung (mountain); besides, he dwells within the confines of your own State, and is an official of the State-worship; how can you think of making an onslaught upon him?”

“It is the wish of our Chief,” said Yen Yu, “not the wish of either of us ministers.”

Confucius said, “Yen, there is a sentence of Chau Jin which runs thus:  ’Having made manifest their powers and taken their place in the official list, when they find themselves incompetent they resign; if they cannot be firm when danger threatens the government, nor lend support when it is reeling, of what use then shall they be as Assistants?’—­Besides, you are wrong in what you said.  When a rhinoceros or tiger breaks out of its cage—­when a jewel or tortoise-shell ornament is damaged in its casket—­whose fault is it?”