lliB BQiai ^ THE HARVARD CLASSICS The Five-Foot Shelf of Books 'By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, weft, when we remembered Zion" — Page jiS Fro77i the fainting by Herbert Schnuth we THE HARVARD CLASSICS Sacred Writings IN TWO VOLUMES VOLUME I Confucian • Hebrew Christian, Part I V^ith Introductions and T^otes Vo/ume 44 P. F. Collier & Son Corporation NEW YORK Copyright, 1910 By p. F. Collier & Son The Bible text in this volume of the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians is taken from the American Stand- ard Edition of the Revised Bible, copyright, 1901, by Thomas Nelson & Sons, and is used by permission. Copyright, 1885 By Roberts Brothers Copyright, 1890 By Harvard University manufactured in u. s. a. CONTENTS CONFUCIAN PAGE The Sayings of Confucius 5 HEBREW The Book of Job 7^ The Book of Psalms i45 EccLEsiASTEs; OR, The Preacher 335 CHRISTIAN The Gospel According to Luke 353 The Acts of the Apostles 423 INTRODUCTORY NOTE The name Confucius is the Latinized form of the Chinese characters, K'ung Foo-tsze, meaning "The master, K'ung." The bearer of this name was born of an ancient and distinguished family in the district of Tsow, in the present province of Shentung, China, B. C. 551. His father was a soldier of reputation and governor of Tsow, but not a man of wealth. Confucius married at nineteen, and in his early manhood held a minor office; but within a few years he became a public teacher, and soon attracted numerous disciples. Rising in reputation, he was invited to the court of Chow, where he investigated the traditional ceremonies and maxims of the ruling dynasty; and in the following year visited another state where he studied the ancient music. When he was nearly fifty, in the year 500 B. C, he again took office, becoming in turn chief magis- trate of the town of Chung-too, Assistant-Superintendent of Works to the Ruler of Loo, and finally Minister of Crime. In spite of almost miracu- lous efficiency, he lost the support of his ruler in 496 B. C; and until his death in 478 B. C, he wandered from state to state, sometimes well- treated, sometimes enduring severe hardships, always saddened by the refusal of the turbulent potentates to be guided by his beneficent counsels. No sooner was he dead, however, than his wisdom was recognized by peasant and emperor alike; admiration rose to veneration, veneration to worship. Sacrifices were offered to him, temples built in his honor, and a cult established which has lasted almost two thousand years. Confucius did not regard himself as an innovator, but as the conserva- tor of ancient truth and ceremonial propriety. He dealt with neither theology nor metaphysics, but with moral and political conduct. The Lun Yu, Analects or Sayings of Confucius, were probably com- piled, says Legge, "by the disciples of the disciples of the sage, making free use of the written memorials concerning him which they had received, and the oral statements which they had heard, from their several masters. And we shall not be far wrong, if we determine its date as about the beginning of the third, or the end of the fourth century before Christ." THE SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS I [I] THE Master said: "In learning and straightway practising is there not pleasure also ? When friends gather round from afar do we not rejoice? Whom lack of fame cannot vex is not he a gentleman?" [2] Yu-tzu" said: "A dutiful son and brother is seldom fond of thwarting those over him: a man unwilling to thwart those over him is never given to crime. A gentleman nurses the roots: when the root has taken, the truth will grow; and what are the roots of love, but the duty of son and of brother ?" [3] The Master said: "Honeyed words and flattering looks seldom speak of love." [4] Tseng-tzu' said: "Thrice daily I ask myself: 'Have I been un- faithful in dealing for others? Have I been untrue to friends? Do I practise what I preach?'" [5] The Master said: "To guide a land of a thousand chariots, honour business, be true and sparing, love the people, and time thy claims upon them." [6] The Master said: "The young should be dutiful at home, modest abroad, heedful and true, full of goodwill for the many, close friends with love; and should they have strength to spare, let them spend it upon the arts." [7] Tzu-hsia' said: "If a man honour worth and forsake lust, serve father and mother with all his strength, be ready to give his life for the king, and keep faith with his friends; though men may call him rude, I call him learned." [8] The Master said: "Of a gentleman who is frivolous none stand in awe, nor can his learning be sound. Make faithfulness and truth ' Disciples. 6 THE SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS thy masters: have no friends unlike thyself: be not ashamed to mend thy faults." [9] Tseng-tzu' said: "Respect death and recall forefathers, the good in men will again grow sturdy." [10] Tzu-ch'in' said to Tzu-kung': "The Master, on coming to a country, learns all about the government: does he ask, or is it told him.?" Tzu-kung said : "The Master learns it by his warmth and honesty, by politeness, modesty, and yielding. The way that the Master asks is unlike other men's asking." [11] The Master said: "As long as his father lives a son should study his wishes; after he is dead, he should study his life. If for three years he do not forsake his father's ways, he may be called dutiful." [12] Yu-tzu' said: "In daily courtesy ease is of price. This was the beauty of the old kings' ways; this they followed in small and great. But knowing this, it is not right to give way to ease, unchecked by courtesy. This also is wrong." [13] Yu-tzu said: "If promises hug the right, word can be kept: if attentions are bounded by courtesy, shame will be banished: heroes may be worshipped, if we choose them aright." [14] The Master said: "A gentleman who is not a greedy eater, nor a lover of ease at home, who is earnest in deed and careful of speech, who seeks the righteous and profits by them, may be called fond of learning." [15] Tzu-kung said: "Poor, but no flatterer; rich, but not proud. How were that?" "Good," said the Master; "but better still were poor, yet merry; rich, yet courteous." Tzu-kung said: "Where the poem says: 'If ye cut, if ye file. If ye polish and grind'; is that what is meant?" The Master said: "Now I can talk of poetry to thee, Tz'u. Given a clue, thou canst find the way." * Disciples. THE SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS 7 [i6] The Master said: "Not to be known should not grieve you: grieve that ye know not men." II [i] The Master said: "In governing, cleave to good; as the north star holds his place, and the multitude of stars revolve upon him." [2] The Master said: "To sum up the three hundred songs in a word, they are free from evil thought." [3] The Master said: "Guide the people by law, subdue them by punishment; they may shun crime, but will be void of shame. Guide them by example, subdue them by courtesy; they will learn shame, and come to be good." [4] The Master said: "At fifteen, I was bent on study; at thirty, I could stand; at forty, doubts ceased; at fifty, I understood the laws of Heaven; at sixty, my ears obeyed me; at seventy, I could do as my heart lusted, and never swerve from right." [5] Meng Yi asked the duty of a son. The Master said: "Obedience." As Fan Ch'ih' was driving him, the Master said: "Mengsun' asked me the duty of a son; I answered 'Obedience.' " "What did ye mean?" said Fan Ch'ih. "To serve our parents with courtesy whilst they Uve," said the Master; "to bury them with all courtesy when they die; and to wor- ship them with all courtesy." [6] Meng Wu asked the duty of a son. The Master said: "What weighs on your father and mother is concern for your health." [7] Tzu-yu' asked the duty of a son. The Master said: "To-day a man is called dutiful if he keep his father and mother. But we keep both our dogs and horses, and un- less we honour parents, is it not all one?" [8] Tzu-hsia asked the duty of a son. The Master said: "Our manner is the hard part. For the young to be a stay in toil, and leave the wine and cakes to their elders, is this to fulfil their duty?" ' A disciple. ^ Meng Yi. ' A disciple. 8 THE SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS [9] The Master said: "If I talk all day to Hui,^ like a dullard, he never stops me. But when he is gone, if I pry into his life, I find he can do what I say. No, Hui is no dullard." [10] The Master said: "Look at a man's acts; watch his motives; find out what pleases him: can the man evade you? Can the man evade you?" [11] The Master said: "Who keeps the old akindle and adds new knowledge is fitted to be a teacher." [ 12] The Master said : "A gentleman is not a vessel." [13] Tzu-kung asked. What is a gentleman? The Master said: "He puts words into deed first, and sorts what he says to the deed." [14] The Master said: "A gentleman is broad and fair: the vulgar are biassed and petty." [15] The Master said: "Study without thought is vain: thought without study is dangerous." [16] The Master said: "Work on strange doctrines does harm." [17] The Master said: "Yu,^ shall I teach thee what is understand- ing? To know what we know, and know what we do not know, that is understanding." [18] Tzu-chang° studied with an eye to pay. The Master said: "Listen much, keep silent when in doubt, and always take heed of the tongue; thou wilt make few mistakes. See much, beware of pitfalls, and always give heed to thy walk; thou wilt have little to rue. If thy words are seldom wrong, thy deeds leave little to rue, pay will follow." [19] Duke Ai' asked: "What should be done to make the people loyal?" Confucius answered: "Exalt the straight, set aside the crooked, the people will be loyal. Exalt the crooked, set aside the straight, the people will be disloyal." [20] Chi K'ang* asked how to make the people lowly, faithful, and willing. The Master said: "Behave with dignity, they will be lowly: be * The Master's favourite disciple, Yen Yiian. ' The disciple, Tzu-lu. ^ A disciple. ' Duke of Lu, during Confucius' closing years. * Head of the Chi clan during Confucius' closing years. THE SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS 9 pious and merciful, they will be faithful: exalt the good, teach the unskilful, they will grow willing." [21] One said to Confucius: "Why are ye not in power. Sir?" The Master answered : "What does the book say of a good son ? 'An always dutiful son, who is a friend to his brothers, showeth the way to rule.' This also is to rule. What need to be in power?" [22] The Master said: "Without truth I know not how man can live. A cart without a crosspole, a carriage without harness, how could they be moved?" [23] Tzu