handful of soil; but when regarded in its breadth and thickness, it sustains mountains like the Hwa and the Yoh, without feeling their weight, and contains the rivers and seas without their leaking away. The mountain now before us appears only a stone; but when contemplated in all the vastness of its size, we see how the grass and trees are produced on it, and birds and beasts dwell on it, and precious things which men treasure up are found on it. The water now before us appears but a ladleful; yet extending our view to it unfathomable depths, the largest tortoises, iguanas, iguanadons, dragons, fishes and turtles, are produced in them, articles of value and sources of wealth abound in them.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE MEAN.

What Heaven has conferred is called the nature; an accordance with this nature is called the path of duty; the regulation of this path is called instruction.

The path may not be left for an instant. If it could be left, it would not be the path. On this account, the superior man does not wait till he sees things, to be cautious, nor till he hears things, to be apprehensive.

There is nothing more visible than what is secret, and nothing more manifest than what is minute. Therefore the superior man is watchful over himself, when he is alone.

While there are no stirrings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, or joy, the mind may be said to be in the state of equilibrium. When those feelings have been stirred, and they act in their due degree, there ensues what may be called the state of harmony. This equilibrium is the great root from which grow all the human actings in the world, and this harmony is the universal path which they all should pursue.

Let the states of equilibrium and harmony exist in perfection, and a happy order will prevail throughout heaven and earth, and all things will be nourished and flourish.

The superior man cultivates a friendly harmony, without being weak. How firm is he in his energy! He stands erect

in the middle, without inclining to either side. How firm is he in his energy! When good principles prevail in the government of his country, he does not change from what he was in retirement. How firm is he in his energy! When bad principles prevail in the country, he maintains his course to death, without changing. How firm is he in his energy!

The Master said: "To live in obscurity, and yet practice wonders, in order to be mentioned with honor in future ages; this is what I do not do.

"The good man tries to proceed according to the right path, but when he has gone halfway, he abandons it; I am not able so to stop.

"The superior man accords with the course of the mean. Though he may be all unknown, unregarded by the world, he feels no regret. It is only the sage who is able for this.

"In a position of wealth and honor, he does what is proper to a position of wealth and honor. In a poor and low position, he does what is proper to a poor and low position. Situated among barbarous tribes, he does what is proper to a situation among barbarous tribes. In a position of sorrow and difficulty, he does what is proper in a position of sorrow and difficulty. The superior man can find himself in no positon in which he is not himself.

"In a high situation, he does not treat with contempt his inferiors. In a low situation, he does not court the favor of his superiors. He rectifies himself, and seeks for nothing from others, so that he has no dissatisfactions. He does not murmur against heaven, nor grumble against men.

"Thus it is that the superior man is quiet and calm, waiting for the appointments of Heaven, while the mean man walks in dangerous paths, looking for lucky occurrences.

"In archery we have something like the way of the superior When the archer misses the centre of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself.”

man.

SAYINGS OF MENCIUS.

There is a nobility of Heaven, and there is a nobility of man. Benevolence, righteousness, self-consecration and fidelity, with unwearied joy in these virtues;-these constitute the nobility of Heaven. To be a kung, a k’'ing, or a ta-foo;—this constitutes the nobility of man.

The men of antiquity cultivated their nobility of Heaven, and the nobility of man came to them in its train.

The men of the present day cultivate their nobility of Heaven in order to seek for the nobility of man, and when they have obtained that, they throw away the other :-their delusion is extreme. The end is simply this, that they must lose that nobility of man as well.

To desire to be honored is the common mind of men. And all men have in themselves that which is truly honorable. Only they do not think it.

Benevolence subdues its opposite just as water subdues

Those, however, who now-a-days practice benevolence, do it as if with one cup of water they could save a whole wagon-load of fuel which was on fire, and when the flames were not extinguished, were to say that water cannot subdue fire. This conduct, moreover, greatly encourages those who are not benevolent.

The final issue will simply be this-the loss of that small amount of benevolence.

Men must be decided on what they will NOT do, and then they are able to act with vigor in what they ought to do.

The great man does not think beforehand of his words that they may be sincere, nor of his actions that they may be resolute; he simply speaks and does what is right.

The great man is he who does not lose his child's heart. The nourishment of parents when living is not sufficient to be accounted the great thing. It is only in the performing their obsequies when dead, that we have what can be considered the great thing.

Of services which is the greatest? The service of parents is the greatest. Of charges, which is the greatest? The charge of one's-self is the greatest. That those who do not fail to keep themselves are able to serve their parents is what I have heard. But I have never heard of any, who, having failed to keep themselves, were able notwithstanding to serve their parents.

Wherever the superior man passes through, transformation follows; wherever he abides, his influence is of a spiritual nature. It flows abroad, above and beneath, like that of Heaven and Earth.

CHAPTER IV.

PERSIA.*

ZOROASTER.-MODERN PARSEES.

PRAYER TO THE GOOD MIND.

I raise my hands in adoration and worship: first, all true works of the divine Spirit and the intelligence of the good Mind, that I may be partaker of this blessedness. To those works and the earth-soul do I offer up my prayer.

With pious sense will I approach Thee, thou Wise and Living, with the prayer that thou grant me the earthly and spiritual life. Through truth are these blessings to be attained, which the Self-luminous sends to those who strive therefor. Long as my strength shall last to worship, so long will I continue in search after truth. Thee I conceive as the original First, as the One Supreme, both in nature and in mind, father of the good disposition,since with clear eye I beheld thee, as the essential substance truth.

*

*

*

*

of

AGRICULTURE, HEALTH, TRUTH.

With the fruits of the field increases the law of AhuraMazda (Ormuzd), and with them it is multiplied a hundred fold. The earth rejoices when man builds on it his house, when his flocks abound, when, surrounded by wife and children, he makes the grass and the corn to grow, and plants fruit-trees abundantly.

*See Appendix D.