Page:Leaves from my Chinese Scrapbook - Balfour, 1887.djvu/140



out of the present time; all we are afraid of is, that our stomach may overflow, and our mouth be unable to enjoy unrestrained indulgence in wine, or that our strength may give out and leave us impotent to go to extremes in the sweets of lechery. We have no time to grieve over the foulness of our reputation or the danger to which we expose our health. Whereas you employ your administrative ability to sound your own trumpet; you desire to upset our minds by your glibness in talking, and try to please us with promises of glory and pelf. Is not this vile and pitiable on your part? No; we would rather not resemble you."

The two profligates continue to rate the Minister in the same strain, until the poor man retires, speechless and abashed, only to be snubbed in the most heartless fashion by the treacherous Têng Hsi, who upholds the words of Chao and Mu as embodying the true philosophy of life.

Sage or Reprobate?

In the State of Wei there lived a man named Tuan-mu Shu, who inherited a fortune from his ancestors, which, by accumulation, had reached an enormous sum. He took no part in public affairs, but threw himself headlong into a whirlpool of pleasure. Everything that a man could think of he indulged in. He had towers and palaces, parks and pleasaunces, pools of ornamental water, banquets, chariots, music, and concubines, just like a sovereign prince. There was not a sense left ungratified: what he could not obtain in his own state he sent for from another; in fact, there were no hills or streams, as far as the human foot could go, that were not ransacked for him. Every day he entertained a hundred guests in his pavilions; the fires in his kitchen never went out, and music resounded without ceasing in his halls and piazzas. What he had over, he distributed among his family; what they had over, they distributed among the people in the neighbourhood; and what they were unable to use, they distributed broadcast over the