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3 2 THE ANALECTS : INTRODUCTION.
. As to his ethical code it is excellent and practical, but
by no means heroic. Prosaic and not poetic it commands
respect rather than admiration, indeed, both in its
religious and its moral aspect, the whole code of Confucius
resembles the wintry silver of the moon, rather than the
golden glow and warmth of the sun. Nothing is left to
the imagination, nothing stirs it, for to him the romantic
would have been repugnant, and to turn tile other cheek
pusillanimity. He did not even rise to the height of
I.aotzfi in advocating beneficence to enemies, for if he
returned good for evil what had he leit to return for good ?
On the contra,'y he proclaimed the sacred duty of the
vendetta, that a man ought not to li/'e under the same
heaven with the nm,'derer of his father, ever need to seek
a sword for the murdeler of his brother, or live in-the
same State with the murderer of his fl'iend.
The word ' to lie' does not occur, but he advocated
earnestly lhe value ofsincmity. His five cardinal virtues
were human kindness, rectitude, decolum, wisdom and
sincerity, _, _ _., :_ {-_', and the Prince was to
be the Exemplar of these virtues to his people. Indeed,
in his timching, the Prince was the virtuoso for whom the
song was written, and to which the people were the chorus,
for it must always be remembered that Confucius was a
courtier, hence in his system, the gracious influences of
Virtue were to stream down fl'om the lofty height of the
Court to the lower level of the people. Morality and
religious ceremonies were his panacea for all-the many
ills of his age. Alas! thit the Princes should have
despised the panacea.