“‘His words—­uttered with difficulty?’” he echoed, in surprise.  “Is that what is meant by proper regard for one’s fellow-creatures?”

“Where there is difficulty in doing,” the Master replied, “will there not be some difficulty in utterance?”

The same disciple put a question about the “superior man.”  “Superior men,” he replied, “are free from trouble and apprehension.”

“‘Free from trouble and apprehension!’” said he.  “Does that make them ’superior men’?”

The Master added, “Where there is found, upon introspection, to be no chronic disease, how shall there be any trouble? how shall there be any apprehension?”

The same disciple, being in trouble, remarked, “I am alone in having no brother, while all else have theirs—­younger or elder.”

Tsz-hia said to him, “I have heard this:  ’Death and life have destined times; wealth and honors rest with Heaven.  Let the superior man keep watch over himself without ceasing, showing deference to others, with propriety of manners—­and all within the four seas will be his brethren.  How should he be distressed for lack of brothers!’” [29]

Tsz-chang asked what sort of man might be termed “enlightened.”

The Master replied, “That man with whom drenching slander and cutting calumny gain no currency may well be called enlightened.  Ay, he with whom such things make no way may well be called enlightened in the extreme.”

Tsz-kung put a question relative to government.  In reply the Master mentioned three essentials:—­sufficient food, sufficient armament, and the people’s confidence.

“But,” said the disciple, “if you cannot really have all three, and one has to be given up, which would you give up first?”

“The armament,” he replied.

“And if you are obliged to give up one of the remaining two, which would it be?”

“The food,” said he.  “Death has been the portion of all men from of old.  Without the people’s trust nothing can stand.”

Kih Tsz-shing once said, “Give me the inborn qualities of a gentleman, and I want no more.  How are such to come from book-learning?”

Tsz-kung exclaimed, “Ah! sir, I regret to hear such words from you.  A gentleman!—­But ‘a team of four can ne’er o’er-take the tongue!’ Literary accomplishments are much the same as inborn qualities, and inborn qualities as literary accomplishments.  A tiger’s or leopard’s skin without the hair might be a dog’s or sheep’s when so made bare.”

Duke Ngai was consulting Yu Joh.  Said he, “It is a year of dearth, and there is an insufficiency for Ways and Means—­what am I to do?”

“Why not apply the Tithing Statute?” said the minister.

“But two tithings would not be enough for my purposes,” said the duke; “what would be the good of applying the Statute?”

The minister replied, “So long as the people have enough left for themselves, who of them will allow their prince to be without enough?  But—­when the people have not enough, who will allow their prince all that he wants?”