Duke King of Ts'i consulted Confucius about government. His answer was,
"Let a prince be a prince, and ministers be ministers; let fathers be
fathers, and sons be sons."

"Good!" exclaimed the duke; "truly if a prince fail to be a prince, and
ministers to be ministers, and if fathers be not fathers, and sons not
sons, then, even though I may have my allowance of grain, should I ever
be able to relish it?"

"The man to decide a cause with half a word," exclaimed the Master, "is
Tsz-lu!"

Tsz-lu never let a night pass between promise and performance.

"In hearing causes, I am like other men," said the Master. "The great
point is--to prevent litigation."

Tsz-chang having raised some question about government, the Master said
to him, "In the settlement of its principles be unwearied; in its
administration--see to that loyally."

"The man of wide research," said he, "who also restrains himself by the
Rules of Propriety, is not likely to transgress."

Again, "The noble-minded man makes the most of others' good qualities,
not the worst of their bad ones. Men of small mind do the reverse of
this."

Ki K'ang was consulting him about the direction of public affairs.
Confucius answered him, "A director should be himself correct. If you,