f 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 Liu-hia, 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 their tongues, yet in their aim at personal
purity of life they succeeded, and their defection was also