This book of the Master's Sayings is believed by the Chinese to have been written by the disciples of Confucius. But there is nothing to prove this, and some passages in the book point the other way. Book viii speaks of the death of Tseng-tzu, who did not die till 437 B.C., forty-two years after the Master. The chief authority for the text as it stands to-day is a manuscript found in the house of Confucius in 150 B.C., hidden there, in all likelihood, between the years 213 and 211 B.C., when the reigning emperor was seeking to destroy every copy of the classics. We find no earlier reference to the book under its present name. But Mencius (372-289 B.C.) quotes seven passages from it, in language all but identical with the present text, as the words of Confucius. No man ever talked the language of these sayings. Such pith and smoothness is only reached by a long process of rounding and polishing. We shall probably come no nearer to the truth than Legge's conclusion that the book was put together by the pupils of the disciples of Confucius, from the words and notebooks of their masters, about the year 400 B.C. LEONARD A. LYALL. AMALFI, _January, 1909_ * * * * * NOTE Such information as seemed necessary to enable the reader to understand the text, or that appeared to me to be of general interest, I have given in the notes at the foot of the page. Further details about the men and places mentioned in the text will be found in the Index. Dates I have taken from Legge, Hirth and other standard authors. In Chinese names, consonants are generally pronounced as in English, vowels as in Italian. _E_, when not joined with _i_, is pronounced nearly as German _oe_, or much as _u_ in English l_u_ck. _ao_ rhymes approximately with h_ow_ _ei_ " " " th_ey_ _ou_ " " " th_ough_ _uo_ " " " p_oo_r, the _u_ being equivalent to _w_. _Chih_ and _Shih_ rhyme approximately with _her_. _Tzu_ is pronounced much as _sir_ in the vulgar _yessir_, but with a hissing sound prefixed. * * * * * THE SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS BOOK I 1. The Master said, To learn and then do, is not that a pleasure? When friends come from afar do we not rejoice? To live unknown and not fret, is not that to be a gentleman? 2. Yu-tzu[2] said. Few men that are good sons and good brothers are fond of withstanding those over them. A man that is not fond of withstanding those over him and is yet fond of broils is nowhere found. A gentleman heeds the roots. When the root has taken, the Way is born. And to be a good son and a good brother, is not that the root of love? [Footnote 2: A disciple.] 3. The Master said, Smooth words and fawning looks are seldom found with love. 4. Tseng-tzu[3] said, Thrice daily I ask myself: In dealing for others, have I been unfaithful? Have I been untrue to friends? Do I practise what I preach? [Footnote 3: A disciple.]