Tsze-chang said, "When a man holds fast virtue, but without seeking to enlarge it, and believes in right principles, but without firm sincerity, what account can be made of his existence or non-existence?"

HEADING OF THIS BOOK.—子张第十九, 'Tsze-chang—No. XIX.' Confucius does not appear personally in this Book at all. Choo He says:—'This Book records the words of the disciples, Tsze-hea being the most frequent speaker, and Tsze-kung next to him. For in the Confucius school, after Yen Yuen there was no one of such discriminating understanding as Tsze-kung, and, after Tsa?ng Sin no one of such firm sincerity as Tsze-hea.' The disciples deliver their sentiments very much after the manner of their master, and yet we can discern a falling off from him.

1. TSZE-CHANG'S OPINION OF THE CHIEF ATTRIBUTES OF THE TRUE SCHOLAR. Tszechang there asks Confucius about the scholar-officer.见危,—the danger is to be understood as threatening his country. Hing Ping, indeed, confines the danger to the person of the sovereign, for whom the officer will gladly sacrifice his life. 致命 is the same as 致其身in I. 7. 已 is not to be explained by止, as in 而已. The combination 已矣 has occurred before, and=也已 in I. 14. It greatly intensifies the preceding 可.

2. TSZE-CHANG ON NARROW-MINDEDNESS AND A HESITATING FAITH. Hing Ping interprets this chapter in the following way:—'If a man grasp hold of his virtue, and is not widened and enlarged by it, although he may believe good principles, he cannot be sincere and generous.' But it is better to take the clauses as coordinate, and not dependent on each other. With 执德不弘 we may compare XV. 28, which suggests the taking 弘 actively. The two last clauses are perplexing. Choo He, after Gan-kwo? apparently, makes them equivalent to—'is of no consideration in the world' (犹言不足轻重).