The Master said, "There may be those who act without knowing why. I do not do so. Hearing much and selecting what is good and following it; seeing much and keeping it in memory: —this is the second style of knowledge."

25. THE PAUCITY OF TRUE MEN IN, AND THE PRETENTIOUSNESS OF, CONFUCIUS' TIME. 子曰, par.2, is supposed by some to be an addition to the text. That being so, we have in the ch. a climax of character:—the man of constancy, or the singlehearted, stedfast man; the good man, who on his single-heartedness has built up his virtue; the Keuntsze, the man of virtue in large proportions, and intellectually able besides; and the sage, or highest style of man. 圣, from 耳, 口, and 壬, 'ear, mouth, and good,'=intuitively apprehensive of truth, and correct in utterance and action. Comp. Mencius, VII.ii.24.

26. THE HUMANITY OF CONFUCIUS. 网 is properly the large rope attached to a net, by means of which it may be drawn so as to sweep a stream. 弋, 'to shoot with a string tied to the arrow, by which it may be drawn back again'. 射, applied to such shooting, lower 4th tone, read shih. Confucius would only destroy what life was necessary for his use, and in taking that he would not take advantage of the inferior creatures. This ch. is said to be descriptive of him in his early life.

27. AGAINST ACTING HEEDLESSLY. Paou Heen, in Ho An, says that this was spoken with ref. to heedless compilers of records. Choo He makes 作之simply=作事, 'to do things', 'to act'. The paraphrasts make the latter part descriptive of Confucius—'I hear much, &c.' This is not necessary, and the transl. had better be as indefinite as the original.