aken the
world?" And he went on with his harrowing, without stopping.

Tsz-lu went and informed his Master of all this. He was deeply touched,
and said, "One cannot herd on equal terms with beasts and birds: if I am
not to live among these human folk, then with whom else should I live?
Only when the empire is well ordered shall I cease to take part in the
work of reformation."

Tsz-lu was following the Master, but had dropped behind on the way, when
he encountered an old man with a weed-basket slung on a staff over his
shoulder. Tsz-lu inquired of him, "Have you seen my Master, sir?" Said
the old man, "Who is your master?--you who never employ your four limbs
in laborious work; you who do not know one from another of the five
sorts of grain!" And he stuck his staff in the ground, and began his
weeding.

Tsz-lu brought his hands together on his breast and stood still.

The old man kept Tsz-lu and lodged him for the night, killed a fowl and
prepared some millet, entertained him, and brought his two sons out to
see him.

On the morrow Tsz-lu went on his way, and told all this to the Master,
who said, "He is a recluse," and sent Tsz-lu back to see him again. But
by the time he got there he was gone.

Tsz-lu remarked upon this, "It is not right he should evade official
duties. If he cannot allow any neglect of the terms on which elders and
juniors should live together, how is it that he neglects to conform to
what is proper as between prince and public servant? He wishes for
himself personally a pure life, yet creates disorder in that more
important relationship. When a gentleman undertakes public work, he will
carry out the duties proper to it; and he knows beforehand that right
principles may not win their way."

Among those who have retired from public life have been Peh-I and
Shuh-Ts'i, Yu-chung, I-yih, Chu-chang, Hwui of Liuhia, and Shau-lien.

"Of these," said the Master, "Peh-I and Shuh-Ts'i may be characterized,
I should say, as men who never declined from their high resolve nor
soiled themselves by aught of disgrace.

"Of Hwui of Liu-hia and Shau-lien, if one may say that they did decline
from high resolve, and that they did bring disgrace upon themselves, yet
their words were consonant with established principles, and their action
consonant with men's thoughts and wishes; and this is all that may be
said of them.

"Of Yu-chung and I-yih, if it be said that when they retired into
privacy they let loose