Page:Leaves from my Chinese Scrapbook - Balfour, 1887.djvu/130

 Fate and Free Will.

Free Will once said to Fate, "How can your merit be compared with mine?"

"What power have you in the affairs of life," retorted Fate, "that you presume to compare yourself with me?"

"Why," replied Free Will, "I claim to be the arbiter of long life and early death; failure and success, ignominy and honour, poverty and wealth, all depend on me."

"The wisdom of Peng Tsû," said Fate, "was certainly not superior to that of the great Emperors [:w:Emperor Yao|Yao]] and Shun, yet he lived eight hundred years. The abilities of Yen Yuen were not inferior to those of the common herd, and he died at the early age of thirty-two. The virtue of Confucius was certainly not inferior to that of the Feudal Princes, and he was brought to the direst extremities. The conduct of Chou Hsin was not superior to that of the Three Philanthropists, yet he attained to the imperial dignity. The virtuous Ch'i Ch'a had no rank whatever in the State of Wu, while the infamous T'ien Hêng managed to usurp the throne of Tsi. The incorruptible brothers Po I and Shu Ch'i died of hunger, while the traitor Chi Shih waxed rich. Now, pray, if you, Mr. Free Will, are as powerful as you say you are, how is it that all the good men died early and all the bad ones flourished till they were old?—that the Sage was reduced to misery, while a rebel gained his ends?—that the wise were slighted and the foolish held in honour?—that the virtuous were poor, while the wicked rolled in wealth?"

"You have proved your case," replied Free Will. "It is clear that I have no power whatever. All these things were of your ordaining; the fault is yours, not mine."

"What!" exclaimed Fate. "If, as you say, these things are the result of Fate, pray, where does the 'ordaining' come in? All I do is to go blindly forward, or, if I am so impelled, from side to side. How can I tell who are to live long or to