1. Chung-kung, being chief minister to the head of the Ke family, asked about government. The Master said,

HEADING OF THIS BOOK.—子路第十三, 'Tszeloo.—Book XIII.' Here, as in the last book, we have a number of subjects touched upon, all bearing more or less directly on the government of the state, and the cultivation of the person. The book extends to thirty chapters.

1. THE SECRET OF SUCCESS IN GOVERNING IS THE UNWEARING EXAMPLE OF THE RULERS:—A LESSON TO TSZE-LOO. 1. To what understood antecedents do the 之 refer? For the first, we may suppose 民;—先之=率民, or 道民, 'precede the people', 'lead the people', that is, do so by the example of your personal conduct. But we cannot in the second clause bring 之(=民)in the same way under the regimen of 劳. 劳之=为他勤劳, 'to be laborlous for them'; that is, to set them the example of diligence in agriculture, &c. It is better, however, according to the idiom I have several times pointed out, to take 之as giving a sort of neuter and general force to the preceding words, so that the expressions are= 'example and laboriousness'.—K'ung Gan-kwǒ understands the meaning differently:—'set the people an example, and then you may make them labour'. But this is not so good. 2. 无 in old copies is 毋. The meaning comes to the same.

"Employ first the services of your various officers, pardon small faults, and raise to office men of virtue and talents."

2. Chung-kung said, "How shall I know the men of virtue and talent, so that I may raise them to office?" He was answered, "Raise to office those whom you know. As to those whom you do not know, will others neglect them?"