ON ITEMS OP CHINESE ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY. 45 



empresses personally attended to the mulberry trees. As for 

 soldiers, " they have not to deal with agriculture, but inas- 

 much as every thread of their clothing, every grain of their 

 rice, as also their pay are all raised by the people, so they 

 should live in peace with the population, and in every way 

 protect them, so that they may live and conduct their labours 

 in peace." Further commentary says, " Molest the indolent 

 and lazy ; recompense the industrious workman ; let no field 

 remain unused ; let no vagabond be in your cities ; if crops 

 are abundant let there be no prodigality, nor neglect to keep 

 back a reserve." 



5. " Prize order and economy, and save out of your 

 riches," so as at a later period to meet unforeseen expenses. 

 " Riches are like the water ; economy like the embankments 

 by which it is contained. Interest on borrowed money 

 speedily equals the capital, and as the debt thus increases, 

 hunger and cold can no longer be averted. Live in peace, 

 content with your lot ; the mouth full, the stomach satisfied, 

 and so realize the supreme object of your desires — the im- 

 provement of manners, and reform of the people." 



6. " Extol university education with the object of directing 

 the studies of the lettered classes." But let the man of 

 letters be in demeanour and costume a pattern to his fellow 

 citizens ; let him learn to respect the rites of justice, and 

 carefully preserve the codes of decency and honour ; avoid 

 being carried away by high theories to the neglect of indi- 

 vidual duties. The glory of a university depends much 

 upon the maintenance by its chief of the rules relating to 

 order and discipline ; but still more so upon the care with 

 which the student watches over himself and his good name. 

 The savant and the labourer have not two separate destinies ; 

 he who labours with his hands, who searches for, and applies 

 to his own use true principles, is also a savant. 



7. '* Disparage every foreign sect, and so exalt the ortho- 

 dox doctrhies" [namely, those pertaining to China]. Man has 

 but to follow the established rales of daily conduct, conform 

 to social relations and to the fundamental virtues ; but the 

 search after the unknown, and the practice of the marvellous 

 are not admitted by the pious philosophers. As for books 

 which are not the works of philosophers, and non-conformist 

 rituals, these terrify generations, and deteriorate public 

 manners. Three religions have come down from the 

 ancients, and beyond the School of Letters (Confucianism) 

 there still exist the sects of Taoism and Buddhism. As to 



