CHAPTER 20

The Master said, "When good order prevailed in his country, Ning Woo acted the part of a wise man. When his country was in disorder, he acted the part of a stupid man. Others may equal his wisdom, but they cannot equal his stupidity."

18. THE PRAISE OF PERPECT VIRTUE IS NOT TO BE LIGHTLY ACCORDED. 1. Ling yin, lit., 'good corrector', was the name given to the chief min. of Tsoo (楚). 尹 is still applied to officers; e.g., the prefect of a department is called 府尹. Tsze-wăn, surnamed 鬭, and named 豰於菟 ('suckled by a tiger'), had been noted for the things mentioned by Tsze-chang, but the sage would not concede that he was therefore仁. 2. 崔 was a great officer of Ts'e. Gan P'ing(ch.16), distinguished himself on the occasion of the murder (B.C.547) here referred to. Chin Wăn was likewise an officer of Ts'e. 之一邦, 之is a verb,=往. 乘, low.3d tone, as in I.5, but with a diff. meaning, 'a tea of four horses'.

19. PROMPT DECISION GOOD. Wăn was the posth. title of 季行父, a faithful and disinterested officer of Loo. 三, up.3d tone, 'three times', but some say it=二三, 'again and again'. Comp. Robert Hall's remark, —'In matters of conscience first thoughts are best.'

20. THE UNCOMMON BUT ADMIRABLE STUPIDITY OF NING WOO. Ning Woo (武, hon. ep. See II.6), was an officer of Wei in the times of Wăn, (B.C. 635-627), the second of the five p'a. (III.22). In the first part of his official life, the state was quiet and prosperous, and he 'wisely' acquitted himself of his duties. Afterwards came confusion. The prince was driven from the throne, and Ning Yu (俞 was his name) might, like other wise men, have retired from the danger. But he 'foolishly', as it seemed, chose to follow the fortunes of his prince, and yet adroitly brought it about in the end, that the prince was reinstated and order restored.