1. Ke Tsze-jen asked whether Chung-Yew and Yen K'ew could be called great ministers.

2. The Master said, "I thought you would ask about some extraordinary individuals, and you only ask about Yew and K'ew!

3. "What is called a great minister, is one who serves his prince according to what is right, and when he finds he cannot do so, retires.

22. YEN YUEN'S ATTACHMENT TO CONFUCIUS, AND CONFIDENCE IN HIS MISSION. See IX. 5. If Hwuy's answer was anything more than pleasantry, we must pronounce it foolish. The comm., however, expand it thus:—'I knew that you would not perish in this danger, and therefore I would not rashly expose my own life, but preserved it rather, that I might continue to enjoy the benefit of your instructions.' If we inquire how Hwuy knew that Conf. would not perish, we are informed that he shared his master's assurance that he had a divine mission. —See VII. 22, IX. 5.

23. A GREAT MINISTER. CHUNG-YEW AND YEN K'EW ONLY ORDINARY MINISTERS. The paraphrasts sum up the contents thus:—'Conf. represses the boasting of Ke Tsze-jen, and indicates an acquaintance with his traitorous purposes.' 1. Ke Tsze-jen was a younger brother of Ke Hwan, who was the 季氏 of III. 1. Having an ambitious purpose on the dukedom of Loo, he was increasing his officers, and having got the two disciples to enter his service, he boastingly speaks to Conf. about them. 2. 吾以云云, lit., 'I supposed you were making a question of (=about) extraordinary men, and lo! it is a question about Yew and K'ew.'曾=乃; its force is rather diff. from what it has in II. 8, but is much akin to that in III. 6. 4. 具臣is explained 备臣数而已, 'simply fitted to rank among the number of officers'. 具 often means what is merely 'official'. 具文, 'an official paper'. 具臣, 'mere officials'. 5. 之supposes an antecedent, such as 主, 'their master'.

4. "Now, as to Yew and K'ew, they may be called ordinary ministers."

5. Tsze-jen said, "Then they will always follow their chief;—will they?"

6. The Master said, "In an act of parricide or regicide, they would not follow him."