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times start at evils anticipated. Surely, the equity of Providence has balanced peculiar sufferings with peculiar enjoyments."

With observations like these the prince amused himself as he returned, uttering them with a plaintive voice, yet with a look that discovered him to feel some complacence in his own perspicacity, and to re ceive some solace of the miseries of life from consciousness of the delicacy with which he felt and the eloquence with which he bewailed them. He mingled cheerfully in the diversions of the evening, and all rejoiced to find that his heart was lightened.

THE

SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.

CONFUCIUS.

The authorship of the five Kings is loosely attributed to Confucius, but it is only the fifth, or the "Spring and Autumn," which can be claimed as the work of the philosopher. The Yi, the Shoo and the She King were not composed, but only compiled, by him, and much of the Le Ke is clearly from later hands. Confucius, though the founder of a religion and a reformer, was thoroughly conservative in his tendencies and devotedly attached to the past. He calls himself a transmitter, not a maker, believing in and loving the ancients. "I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge," he says: "I am one who is fond of antiquity and earnest in seeking it there." The most frequent themes of his discourses were the ancient songs, the history and the rules of propriety established by ancient sages. When one of his contemporaries wished to do away with the offering of a lamb as a meaningless formality, Confucius reproved him with the pithy sentence, "You love the sheep; I love the ceremony." There were four things, we are told, which Confucius taught—letters, ethics, devotion of soul and truthfulness. When speaking of himself, he said, "At fifteen I had my mind bent on learning; at thirty I stood firm; at forty I had no doubt; at fifty I knew the decrees of Heaven; at sixty my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth; at seventy I could follow what my heart desired without transgressing what was right." Though this may disci-gressing sound like boasting, it is remarkable how.seldom Confucius himself claims any superiority above his fellow-creatures. He offers his advice to those who are willing to listen, but he never speaks dogmatically; he never attempts to tyrannize over the minds or hearts of his

HE books now recognized as of highest authority by the Chinese are the five Kings and the four Shoos. King means the warp-threads of a web, and its application to literary compositions rests on the same metaphor as the Latin word textus and the Sanskrit sútra, meaning "a yarn" and "a book." Shoo simply means writings. The five Kings are-1. The Yih, or the Book of Changes; 2. The Shoo, or the Book of History; 3. The She, or the Book of Poetry; 4. The Le Ke, or Record of Rites; and 5. The Chun Tsew, or Spring and Autumn, a chronicle extending from 721 to 480 B. C. The four Shoos consist of-1. The Lun Yu, or Digested Conversations between Confucius and his disciples; 2. The Ta Heo, or Great Learning, commonly attributed to one of his disciples; 3. The Chung Yung, or Doctrine of the Mean, ascribed to the grandson of Confucius; 4. Of the works of Mencius, who died 288

B. C.

friends. If we read his biography, we can hardly understand how a man whose life was devoted to such tranquil pursuits, and whose death scarcely produced a ripple on the smooth and silent surface of the Eastern world, could have left the impress of his mind on millions of human beings-an impress which even now, after over twenty-three hundred years, is clearly discernible in the national character of the largest empire of the world. Confucius died in 478 B. C. complaining that of all the princes of the empire there was not one who would adopt his principles and obey his lessons. After two generations, however, his name had risen to be a power, the rallying-point of a vast movement of national and religious regeneration. His grandson speaks of him as the ideal of a sage, as the sage is the ideal of humanity at large. Though Tzetze claims no divine honor for his grandsire, he exalts his wisdom and virtue beyond the limits of human nature. This is a specimen of the language which he applies to Confucius :

TZETZE'S EULOGY OF CONFUCIUS.

hold; self-adjusted, grave, never swerving
from the Mean and correct, he was fitted
to command reverence; accomplished, dis-
tinctive, concentrative and searching, he
was fitted to exercise discrimination.
All-embracing and vast, he was like heav-
en; deep and active as a fountain, he was
like the abyss. . . . Therefore his fame
overspreads the Middle Kingdom and ex-
tends to all barbarous tribes. Wherever
ships and carriages reach, wherever the
strength of man penetrates, wherever the
heavens overshadow and the earth sus-
tains, wherever the sun and moon shine,
wherever frost and dews fall, all who
have blood and breath unfeignedly honor
and love him. Hence it is said he is the
equal of Heaven."

This is certainly very magnificent phra-
scology, but it will hardly convey any
definite impression to the minds of those
who are not acquainted with the life and
teaching of the
great Chinese sage. These
may be studied now by all who care for
the history of human thought in the excel-
lent work of Dr. Legge.*

FRIEDRICH MAX MÜLLER.

FROM THE FRENCH OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE,

HERE are fewer traitors in the world
THE

"He may be compared to heaven and earth in their supporting and containing, their overshadowing and curtaining, all MORE WEAK MEN THAN TRAITORS. things; he may be compared to the four seasons in their alternating progress, and to the sun and moon in their successive shining. . . . Quick in apprehension, clear, in discernment, of far-reaching intellect and all-embracing knowledge, he was fitted to exercise rule; magnanimous, generous, benign and mild, he was fitted to exercise forbearance; impulsive, energetic, firm and enduring, he was fitted to maintain a firm

than you think, but, on the other hand, there are numbers of weak men who yield to circumstances far more powerful than themselves. Great vices and great virtues are the exceptions. Men, in general, are weak, and changeable because of their weakness; they

* See Vol. V. pp. 154-157 for selections from Dr. Legge's translation.

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seek their advantage wherever they can, advance their own interests without intending to injure others, and, on the whole, are more deserving of pity than blame. They must be taken and made use of as they are, and impelled to something higher when it is possible. Of this you may be sure: contempt will never elevate them. To induce them to exert their capabilities, you must lead them to believe themselves better than they are. In the army cowards are made brave by telling them they are so. The only way to deal with men is to affect to believe that they possess the virtues with which you wish to inspire them.

It is weakness, and not wisdom, to distrust men too much. It would but lead to want of confidence in all, to hesitation in one's choice and to the frequent neglect of useful instruments. Besides, if it becomes known that you are of a suspicious disposition, everybody about you will seek to turn it to his own advantage. Had I listened to all I was told, I should have had none but cowards in my army and traitors in my household. There are but very few of you here,* my friends, all bound to be complaisant to each other, and I do not yield credence to what you say ill of one amongst you; and I am right. No; men must not be believed when they speak ill of each other. Lannes died for me like a hero, though he often used language that, had I taken it seriously, might have led to his being accused of high treason. This is the reason that after long experience I consider violating the secrecy of the post-office as both useless and dangerous. Nobody will conspire by post; all that can be got in letters are remarks originat

* St. Helena.

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ing in idleness, revenge or ill-feeling. ill-feeling. Who would wish to hear all that is said of him. even by his best friends? It would be very imprudent, very unwise, of anybody to make such an attempt even were it in his power. He would be compelled to hate even his best friends. We are all so thoughtless when speaking of each other! If one heard all the remarks that are made, one would often detest those who deserve to be esteemed. To read letters is but to listen to general conversation that will engender prejudice and injustice, which are more injurious to one's self than others. A government in doing so deprives itself of valuable instruments; and when practised by a private individual, friends thoughtless in language, but sincere in their attachments, come to be looked upon as enemies. It is far better not to know all that is said, however high-minded we may be, for there are some remarks that we may find it difficult to pardon. We can only be certain of pardoning such when we never hear them.

Translation of D. F. CAMPBELL.

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certainly to rise and lie down with the sun, and hence it follows that in these climates men, as well as all other animals, require in general more sleep in winter than in summer. But the state of civil life is not sufficiently simple and exempted from accident for us to think of using a child to such an uniformity so far as to render it necessary. He ought, without doubt, to be subject to some regulations in this respect, but our chief rule should be to enable him to depart from them, when occasion requires, without endangering his health. Do not enervate your child, there fore, by indulging him in soft and uninterrupted slumbers. Let him enjoy his rest at first without restraint, as the law of nature dictates. But forget not that in society it is frequently necessary to be above that law he should be used, therefore, as he grows up, to sit up late and rise early, to be waked unexpectedly out of his sleep, and to sit up occasionally all night without inconvenience. By beginning with him early and proceeding gently and gradually we may thus form his constitution to bear those things which might destroy it if already formed.

Translation of CATHERINE H. RUSSELL.

ADVICE TO THE YOUNG.

YOUNG friends, in whatever pursuits

OUNG friends, in whatever pursuits

you may engage, you must not forget that the lawful objects of human efforts are but means to higher results and nobler ends.

Start not forward in life with the idea of becoming mere seekers of pleasure, sportive butterflies searching for gaudy flowers. Consider and act with reference to the true ends of existence. This world is but the vestibule of an immortal life. Every action

of your life touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity; these thoughts and motives within you stir the pulses of a deathless spirit. Act not, then, as mere creatures of this life who for a little while are to walk the valleys and the hills, to enjoy the sunshine and to breathe the air, and then pass away and be no more, but act as immortals with an aim and a purpose worthy of your high nature. Set before you as the chief object to be obtained an end that is superior to any on earth-a desirable end, a perfect end. Labor to accomplish a work which shall survive unchanged and beautiful when time shall have withered the garland of youth, when thrones of power and monuments of art shall have crumbled into ashes; and, finally, aim to achieve something which when these our mutable and perishing voices are hushed for ever shall live amid the songs and triumphs of immortality. E. H. CHAPIN.

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FARMER BROWN.

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FROM "BEAUTIFUL SNOW, AND OTHER POEMS."

LD Farmer Brown, with ruddy | Of fearful battles fought in vain,
face,
With scores of thousands for the slain,
Sat stretched before the chim- Of ravaged homes, insulted wives
And children fleeing for their lives.

ney-place;

He sat and watched the crack- But why should I repine at these, When they do not disturb mine ease?

ling logs, The purring cat, the dream

ing dogs,

That, like himself, were

stretched at ease,
Safe sheltered from the chill
night-breeze,

And, with the freedom comfort brings,
The farmer thought these selfish things:

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"The blood shed in these fearful fights Does not disturb my sleep of nights; The thousands that they choose to slay Take not my appetite away. This mug of cider by my side Does not across my palate glide

Less smoothly when the clash of war Comes faint and harmless from afar.

"Then why should I repine, who ne'er
Am troubled with a single care?
Stop! let me think! Ah, yes! with one-
My wandering Will, my truant son;
He whom we loved, our darling child,
So handsome, kind, and yet so wild:
A word regretted ere its birth.

Sent Will a wanderer o'er the earth.

"If Will were but at home again, The world might war for me in vain. A knock! Who's that? Come in?-Ah,

Jones!"

The farmer cried, in cheery tones. "Walk in! Sit down!-Here, wife, a light!

What brought you out this stormy night? Why, man, your face is stretched as long As any tramping beggar's song."

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