36. The Master said, A gentleman is consistent, not changeless. 37. The Master said, A servant of the king honours his work, and puts food after it. 38. The Master said, Learning knows no rank. 39. The Master said, Mingle not in projects with a man whose way is not thine. 40. The Master said, The whole end of speech is to be understood. 41. When he saw the music-master Mien, the Master said, as they came to the steps, Here are the steps. On coming to the mat, he said, Here is the mat. When all were seated, the Master told him, He and he are here. After the music-master had gone, Tzu-chang said, Is this the way to speak to a music-master? The Master said, Surely it is the way to help a music-master.[140] [Footnote 140: The man being blind, as so many musicians are in the East.] BOOK XVI 1. The Chi was about to make war on Chuan-yue.[141] When Confucius saw Jan Yu and Chi-lu,[142] they said to him, The Chi is going to deal with Chuan-yue. Confucius said, After all, Ch'iu,[143] art thou not in the wrong? The kings of old made Chuan-yue lord of Tung Meng.[144] Moreover, as Chuan-yue is inside our borders it is the liege of the spirits of earth and corn of our land; so how can ye make war upon it? Jan Yu said, Our master wishes it. Tzu-lu and I, his two ministers, do not, either of us, wish it. Confucius said, Ch'iu, Chou Jen used to say, 'He that can put forth his strength takes his place in the line; he that cannot stands back.' Who would take to help him a man that is no stay in danger and no support in falling? Moreover, what thou sayest is wrong. If a tiger or a buffalo escapes from his pen, if tortoiseshell or jade is broken in its case, who is to blame? Jan Yu said, But Chuan-yue is now strong, and it is near to Pi[145]; if it is not taken now, in days to come it will bring sorrow on our sons and grandsons. [Footnote 141: A small feudatory state of Lu.] [Footnote 142: Tzu-lu. He and Jan Yu were in the service of the Chi.] [Footnote 143: Jan Yu.] [Footnote 144: A mountain in Chuan-yue. Since the Emperor had given the ruler of Chuan-yue the right to sacrifice to its mountains, that state had some measure of independence, though it was feudatory to Lu, and within its borders.] [Footnote 145: A town belonging to the Chi.]