REV. ARTHUR ELWIN, ON CONFUCIANISM. 



47 



twenty of the finest horses, were sent as a present to the Duke 

 of Loo. The present was accepted. The girls were taken into 

 the Duke's harem, and the horses removed to the ducal stables. 

 The Prime Minister and the government were neglected, and 

 Confucius mourned that Duke Ting should prefer the songs of 

 the maidens from Tse to the wise sayings of the sages of 

 antiquity. As things did not improve, Confucius gave up his 

 post and left the capital. 



Confucius was now fifty-six years old. For fourteen years 

 lie was an exile, wandering from state to state, offering his 

 services, but no one would employ him. " Your principles," 

 said one of his disciples, " are excellent, but they are unaccept- 

 able to the Empire ; would it not be well to abate them a 

 little.*' "A good husbandman," replied the sage, "can sow, 

 but he cannot secure a harvest. An artizan may excel in 

 handicraft, but he cannot provide a market for his goods. 

 And in the same way, a superior man can cultivate his 

 principles, but he cannot make them acceptable." On one 

 occasion, during his wanderings, he is said to have compared 

 himself to a dog, driven from its home. He remarked, " I have 

 the fidelity of a dog, and I am treated like one ! But what 

 matters the ingratitude of men ? They cannot hinder me from 

 doing all the good that has been appointed me. If my principles 

 are disregarded, I have the consolation of knowing in my 

 breast that I have faithfully performed my duty." 



Although Confucius was not in favour with the rulers, yet 

 he had many admiring followers, who have carefully preserved 

 many particulars of the every-day life of their esteemed teacher. 

 In his dress, we are told, he was careful to w r ear only the 

 correct colours, viz. — blue, pink, white, and black ; he 

 carefully avoided red, as being the colour usually affected by 

 women and girls. At the table he was moderate in his 

 appetite, but particular as to the nature of his food, and the 

 manner in which it was set before him. Nothing w r ould 

 induce him to touch any meat that was high, or rice that was 

 musty, nor would he eat anything that was not properly cut 

 up, or accompanied with the proper sauce. He allowed 

 himself only a certain quantity of meat and rice, and though 

 no such limit was fixed to the amount of wine which he drank, 

 we are assured that he never allowed himself to be confused by 

 it. Whatever the food was that was set before him, he always 

 offered a little of it in sacrifice, with a grave, respectful air. 

 When out driving, he never turned his head quite round, and 

 in his actions as well as his words he avoided all appearance 



