1. Tsze-kung said, "Suppose the case of a man extensively conferring benefits on the people, and able to assist all, what would you say of him? Might he be called perfectly virtuous?" The Master said, "Why speak only of virtue in connection with him? Must he not have the qualities of a sage? Even Yaou and Shun were still solicitous about this.

2. "Now the man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others.

3. "To be able to judge of others by what is nigh in ourselves;—this may be called the art of virtue."

28. THE TRUE NATURE AND ART OF VIRTUE. There are no higher sayings in the Analects than we have been. 1. 施, up 3d tone, 'to confer benefits'.圣乎,—乎 is said to be 'a particle of doubt and uncertainty', but it is rather the interrogative affirmation of opinion. Tsze-kung appears to have thought that great doings were necessary to virtue, and propounds a case which would transcend the achievements of Yaou and Shun. From such extravagant views the Master recalls him. 2. This is the description of 仁者之心体, 'the mind of the perfectly virtuous man' as void of all selfishness. 3. It is to be wished that the idea intended by 能近取譬 had been more clearly expressed. Still we seem to have here a near approach to a positive enunciation of 'the golden rule'.