in the divine right of kings. Mang employed every weapon of persuasion
in trying to combat heresy and oppression; alternately ridiculing and
reproving: now appealing in a burst of moral enthusiasm, and now
denouncing in terms of cutting sarcasm the abuses which after all he
failed to check. The last prince whom he successfully confronted was the
Marquis of Lu, who turned him carelessly away. He accepted this as the
Divine sentence of his failure, "That I have not found in this marquis,
a ruler who would hearken to me is an intimation of heaven." Henceforth
he lived in retirement until his ninety-seventh year; but from his
apparent failure sprang a practical success. His written teachings are
amongst the most lively and epigrammatic works of Chinese literature,
have done much to keep alive amongst his countrymen the spirit of
Confucianism, and even Western readers may drink wisdom from this spring
of Oriental lore. The following selections from his sayings well exhibit
the spirit of his system of philosophy and morality.

E.W.




THE SAYINGS OF MENCIUS



BOOK I

KING HWUY OF LËANG