Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 27.djvu/156

 disciples, having his hands joined across his breast, and the right hand uppermost. They also all placed their right hands uppermost. He said to them, "You do so from your wish to imitate me, but I place my hands so, because I am mourning for an elder sister." On this they all placed their left hands uppermost (according to the usual fashion).

20. Confucius rose early (one day), and with his hands behind him, and trailing his staff, moved slowly about near the door, singing— &emsp;"The great mountain must crumble; &emsp; The strong beam must break; &emsp; The wise man must wither away like a plant" Having thus sung, he entered and sat down opposite the door. Зze-kung had heard him, and said, "If the great mountain crumble, to what shall I look up? If the strong beam break, (on what shall I lean) ? If the wise man wither like a plant, whom shall I imitate? The Master, I am afraid, is going to be ill." He then hastened into the house. The Master said, "Зhze, what makes you so late? Under the sovereigns of Hsiâ, the body was dressed and coffined at the top of the steps on the east, so that it was where the deceased used to go up (as master of the house). The people of Yin performed the same ceremony between the two pillars, so that the steps for the host were on one side of the corpse, and those for