46 



REV. ARTHUR ELWIN, ON CONFUCIANISM. 



just going to drown a man in the canal near the house. My 

 friend at once hastened out, and found a crowd of some 

 hundreds of people gathered near the bridge, which spanned the 

 canal, about two hundred yards from his door. He walked to 

 the bridge to see what was being done. The canal was about 

 twenty feet wide, and the bridge was built high in the centre 

 in order that the boats might pass underneath it without 

 difficulty. On the top of the bridge he found an old woman 

 sitting in a chair, and at her feet lay a young man bound with 

 ropes, so that he could not move. The old woman was the 

 mother, the young man bound with ropes was her son, who, at 

 her order, was about to be cast into the water and drowned. 

 When my friend appeared, men were just arriving with heavy 

 stones, which were to be fastened to the young man to make 

 him sink. He was a bad son, and his mother was afraid he 

 might commit some serious crime, in which case she would be 

 sure to suffer, because the authorities would say that she had 

 not brought him up well. As he would not listen to her 

 exhortations, she decided to have him drowned, and then the 

 danger would be removed. My friend protested against the 

 whole proceeding, but after long consultation the only way he 

 could save the man's life was by becoming surety for his good 

 behaviour, really, by adopting him as his own son. The man 

 was unbound, and my friend was allowed to lead him away ; 

 but he turned out to be thoroughly bad, and proved that it was 

 not without reason his relatives had determined to drown him. 

 My friend had an anxious time with him for about three years, 

 at the end of which time the young man died. I heard of a 

 similar case in Hangchow, but then there was no one to 

 intercede, and the neighbours, by the order of the mother, 

 actually dropped the son into the water and drowned him. 



It was when Confucius was at the height of his prosperity at 

 Loo, that difficulties arose. He had assured his followers that 

 not only would his methods reform sovereign and people, but 

 that neighbouring states would be so attracted by the spectacle, ' 

 that they too would imitate the example set them. The result 

 was just the opposite. The order and prosperity of Loo excited 

 only the jealousy of the neighbouring states. The Duke of 

 Tse said : " With Confucius at the head of its government, Loo 

 will become supreme among the states, and Tse, which is 

 nearest to it, will be swallowed up. Let us propitiate it by a 

 surrender of territory." But after consultation with his 

 ministers another course suggested itself. Eighty beautiful 

 girls well skilled in music and dancing, and one hundred and 



