Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 27.djvu/168

 "We should work to become poor quickly, when we have lost office." '

Зâng-jze reported these words of Зze-yû to Yû-jze, who said, "Yes, I did say that these were not the words of the Master." When the other asked him how he knew it, he said, "The Master made an ordinance in Kung-tû that the inner coffin should be four inches thick, and the outer five. By this I knew that he did not wish that the dead should decay away quickly. And formerly, when he had lost the office of minister of Crime in Lû, and was about to go to King, he first sent Зze-hsiâ there, and afterwards Zan Yû. By this, I knew that he did not wish to become poor quickly ."

5. When Kwang-jze of Khǎn died, announcement of the event was sent to Lû. They did not want to wail for him there, but duke Mû called Hsien-jze, and consulted him. He said, "In old times, no messages from Great officers, not even such as were accompanied by a bundle of pieces of dried meat, went out beyond the boundaries of their states. Though it had been wished to wail for them, how could it have been done? Nowadays the Great officers share in the measures of government throughout the middle states. Though it may be wished not to wail for one, how can it be avoided? I have heard, moreover, that there are two grounds for the wailing; one from love, and one from fear." The duke said, "Very well; but how is the thing to be managed in this