CHINESE SPORTSMAN AND WEAPONS 207 



especially looked to their officials to protect 

 them from all depredations, and the neglect 

 to do so has been known to provoke the 

 most serious discontents. It was an argu- 

 ment that the people did not have any use for 

 weapons because of the organized hunts by 

 the officials, but later on when such hunts 

 became less frequent the people gradually 

 began to procure weapons to defend their 

 property. It is related that the great 

 Chinese Sage, Confucius, who lived in the 

 third century of the Christian Era, practiced 

 archery on foot, if not on horseback or 

 from his travelling chariot. He declared 

 that it was the duty of the superior man to 

 learn the use of weapons in order to be able 

 to defend himself, his family, and his 

 property against man or beast, and to be 

 better qualified to assist the state against 

 its enemies. But here at least is one advice 

 and example of Confucius which has not 

 been very well observed by succeeding 

 generations of his countrymen. His advice 

 with reference to the women of China 

 resulted in the enslavement of their sex to 

 the baser feelings of man, and his male 

 countrymen have strictly followed it, but 

 on the theatre of true manhood they have 



