ir trappings. What could be more appropriate than
such a gift?

It worked. Ting retired to his harem, and day after day passed
over a Lu unlighted by his countenance. Government was at a
standstill; the great Minister of Crime could get nothing done.
The Annual Sacrifice was at hand; a solemnity Confucius hoped
would remind Ting of realities and bring him to his right mind.
According to the ritual, a portion of the offering should be sent
to each high official of the state: none came to Confucius. Day
after day he waited; but Ting's character was quite gone: the
lion-skin had fallen off, and the native egregious muttonhood or
worse stood revealed.--"Master," said Tse Lu, "it is time you
went." But he was very loath to go. At last he gathered his
disciples, and slowly went out from the city. He lingered much
on the way, looking back often, still hoping for sight of the
messenger who should recall him. But none came. That was
in 497.

The old century had ended about the time he took office; and
with it, of course, the last quarter in which, as always, the
Doors of the Lodge were open, and the spiritual influx pouring
into the world. So the effort of that age had its consummation
and fine flower in the three years of his official life: to be
considered a triumph. Now, Laotse had long since ridden away
into the West; the Doors were shut; the tides were no longer
flowing; and the God's great Confucius remained in a world that
knew him not. As for holding office and governing states, he had
done all that was necessary.

XI. CONFUCIUS THE HERO

He had done enough in the way of holding office and governing
states. Laotse had taught that of old time, before Tao was lost,
the Yellow Emperor sat on his throne and all the world was
governed without knowing it. Confucius worked out the doctrine
thus: True government is by example; given the true ruler, and
he will have the means of ruling at his disposal, and they will
be altogether different from physical force. 'Example' does not
covey it either: his thought was much deeper. There is a word
_li_--I get all this from Dr. Lionel Giles--which the egregious
have been egregiously translating 'the rules of propriety'; but
which Confucius used primarily for a state of harmony within the
soul, which should enable beneficent forces from the Infinite to
flow through into the outer world;--whereof a result would also
be, on the social plane, perfect cour