“To serve one’s ruler nowadays,” he remarked, “fully complying with the Rules of Propriety, is regarded by others as toadyism!”

When Duke Ting questioned him as to how a prince should deal with his ministers, and how they in turn should serve their prince, Confucius said in reply, “In dealing with his ministers a prince should observe the proprieties; in serving his prince a minister should observe the duty of loyalty.”

Referring to the First of the Odes, he remarked that it was mirthful without being lewd, and sad also without being painful.

Duke Ngai asked the disciple Tsai Wo respecting the places for sacrificing to the Earth.  The latter replied, “The Family of the Great Yu, of the Hia dynasty, chose a place of pine trees; the Yin founders chose cypresses; and the Chow founders chestnut trees, solemn and majestic, to inspire, ’tis said, the people with feelings of awe.”

The Master on hearing of this exclaimed, “Never an allusion to things that have been enacted in the past!  Never a remonstrance against what is now going on!  He has gone away without a word of censure.”

The Master once said of Kwan Chung, [9] “A small-minded man indeed!”

“Was he miserly?” some one asked.

“Miserly, indeed!” said he; “not that:  he married three rimes, and he was not a man who restricted his official business to too few hands—­how could he be miserly?”

“He knew the Rules of Propriety, I suppose?”

“Judge:—­Seeing that the feudal lords planted a screen at their gates, he too would have one at his!  Seeing that when any two of the feudal lords met in friendly conclave they had an earthenware stand on which to place their inverted cups after drinking, he must have the same!  If he knew the Rules of Propriety, who is there that does not know them?”

In a discourse to the Chief Preceptor of Music at the court of Lu, the Master said, “Music is an intelligible thing.  When you begin a performance, let all the various instruments produce as it were one sound (inharmonious); then, as you go on, bring out the harmony fully, distinctly, and with uninterrupted flow, unto the end.”

The warden of the border-town of I requested an interview with Confucius, and said, “When great men have come here, I have never yet failed to obtain a sight of them.”  The followers introduced him; and, on leaving, he said to them, “Sirs, why grieve at his loss of office?  The empire has for long been without good government; and Heaven is about to use your master as its edict-announcer.”

Comparing the music of the emperor Shun with the music of King Wu, the Master said, “That of Shun is beautiful throughout, and also good throughout.  That of Wu is all of it beautiful, but scarcely all of it good.”

“High station,” said the Master, “occupied by men who have no large and generous heart; ceremonial performed with no reverence; duties of mourning engaging the attention, where there is absence of sorrow;—­how should I look on, where this is the state of things?”