Page:Horæ Sinicæ, Translations from the Popular Literature of the Chinese (horsinictran00morrrich, Morrison, 1812).djvu/54

44 walked seven steps to the east, west, north and south; with the finger of his right hand he pointed to heaven; with that of his left he pointed to the earth, and speaking with the voice of a lion, said, "Above, below, and all around there is none more honourable than I." He was born on the 8th day, of the fourth moon, of the 24th year, of the reign of king Chao; during the dynasty Cheu. On the 8th day, of the second moon, of the 42nd year, of the same reign, when 19 years of age, he begged his parents that he might be permitted to leave the family, and deliberated with himself, whither he should go. He went and looked out at the four doors, and say the old, the sick, the unburied and the distressed, In the midst of joy, his heart was filled with compassion. He thought—were but age, sickness and death avoided, it would be well. That night, at midnight, a heavenly person, whose name was Tsing-kia, appeared in the middle of the southern window, and stretching out his hand said, "O prince, the time which you have mentioned to leave your family