Chinese and Arabian Literature - E. Wilson - The Search For Mecca

BOOK XVIII
Good Men in Seclusion—Duke of Chow to His Son
" TN the reign of the last king of the Yin dynasty," Confucius
I said, " there were three men of philanthropic spirit :
the viscount of Wei, who withdrew from him ; the vis-
count of Ki, who became his bondsman ; and Pi-kan, who reproved
him and suffered death."
" Hwui of Liu-hia, who filled the office of Chief Criminal
Judge, was thrice dismissed. A person remarked to him, " Can
you not yet bear to withdraw? " He replied, " If I act in a
straightforward way in serving men, whither in these days
should I go, where I should not be thrice dismissed ? Were I
to adopt crooked ways in their service, why need I leave the
land where my parents dwell ? "
Duke King of Ts'i remarked respecting his attitude towards
Confucius, " If he is to be treated like the Chief of the Ki family,
I cannot do it. I should treat him as somewhere between the
Ki and Mang Chiefs.—I am old," he added, " and not competent
to avail myself of him."
Confucius, hearing of this, went away.
The Ts'i officials presented to the Court of Lu a number of
female musicians. Ki Hwan accepted them, and for three days
no Court was held.
Confucius went away.
Tsieh-yu, the madman ^^ of Ts'u, was once passing Confucius,
singing as he went along. He sang
service.
—
" Ha, the phoenix ! Ha, the phoenix!
How is Virtue lying prone !
Vain to chide for what is o'er,
Plan to meet what's yet in store.
Let alone ! Let alone !
Risky now to serve a throne."
33 He only pretended to be mad, in order to escape being employed in the public
84
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