1. Sze-ma New asked about perfect virtue.

2. The Master said, "The man of perfect virtue is cautious and slow in his speech."

2. WHEREIN PERFECT VIRTUE IS REALIZED:—A CONVERSATION WITH CHUNGKUNG. From this ch., it appears that reverence (敬) and reciprocity (恕), on the largest scale, are perfect virtue. 使民,—'ordering the people', is apt to be done with haughtiness. This part of the answer may be compared with the apostle's precept—'Honour all men', only the 'all men' is much more comprehensive there. 己所云云,—comp. V. 11. 在邦, 在家, = 'abroad', 'at home'. Paou Heen, in Ho An, however, takes the former as denoting the 'prince of a state', and the lat., 'the chief of a great offeer's establishment'. This is like the interpr. of 归 in last ch.—The answer, the same as that of Hwuy in last ch., seems to betray the hand of the compiler.

3. CAUTION IN SPEAKING A CHARACTERISTIC OF PERFECT VIRTUE:—A CONVERSATION WITH TSZE-NEW. 1. Tsze-new was the designation of Sze-ma Kang (耕, alias 犁), whose tablet is now the 7th east in the outer ranges of the disciples. He belonged to Sung, and was a brother of Hwan T'uy, VII. 22. Their ordinary surname was Heang (向), but that of Hwan could also be used by them, as they were descended from the duke so called. The office of 'Master of the horse' (司马) had long been in the family, and that title appears here as if it were New's surname. 2. 讱=言难出, 'the words coming forth with difficulty'. 3. 为之, 言之, —comp. on之in the note on VII. 10, et al. —'Doing being difficult, can speaking be without difficulty of utterance.'

3. "Cautious and slow in his speech!" said New;—"is this what is meant by perfect virtue?" The Master said, "When a man feels the difficulty of doing, can he be other than cautious and slow in speaking?"