Among the treasures of Buddhist monasteries are the stone tablets called “Pei Tze.” It used to be the custom of celebrated visitors to write an epigram, a witticism, a poem, or a sentence of philosophy, which the monks had a stone-cutter engrave as near the beautiful chirography as possible on these tablets, which constitute through the empire a great literary treasure which is not likely now to be renewed. Not a little of the sententiousness is humorous. A sign hanging up in a celebrated Buddhist monastery in the Chingtu plain, Szechuen province, makes this merry reference to fleas, which constitute the largest part of the present immense population of China: “There are animals with more legs than ponies at Inns _other_ than this Inn.” Another popular humorous motto is: “One can carry kindness too far, such as the fisherman who had such pity for fish that he would only go fishing with straight hooks.” The idiom for inaction is: “keeping one’s hands in one’s sleeves.” For “eating crow” the Chinese say: “eating a dumb man’s bitterness.” More of their wisdom follows: “Meekness and gentleness are the boat and the sail for crossing the rough stream of this world.” “The truths that we least wish to hear are those which it is most to our advantage to know.” “The way to glory lies through a palace; to riches through a market; to virtue through a desert.” “The Manchu court is like the sea, where everything depends on the wind.” “He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own.” “The prison is shut night and day, yet is always full; the temples are always open, yet you find no one in them.” “He who lets things be given to him is not good at taking.” “The dog in the kennel barks at his fleas, but the dog who is hunting does not feel them.” “The finest roads are the shortest ones.” “Man may bend to virtue, but virtue can not bend to man.” “The wise man does not speak of all he does, but he does nothing that can not be spoken of.” The Occidental manner of emphasizing a plea is: “If you don’t follow this advice, look out for the consequences.” Here is the Chinese phrase, as concluding Wu Ting Fang’s plea, in December, 1911, to the Prince Regent Chun to abdicate: “Our voice is hoarse and our tears are exhausted; no more can be said.” Their idiom for: “I’m not my own boss” is: “I eat another’s bread; I watch at the door.” More of their proverbs are: “Who is he, though he never goes out, yet has seen all that is under the sky? The scholar among his books.” “If the ruby is unpolished, it is not a gem.” “Age for a sharp chin, and a sharp tongue.” “It is with human nature as with wines: age sweetens some and sours others.” “Happiness and misery both come in doubles.” “Going through college doesn’t mean that the college has gone through you.” “You can lead a boy to the right book, the rest depends on himself.” “The deeper the water, the slower the stream.”