University of Virginia Library

PROVERBS OMITTED.

* A Man may be well mounted, though he
does not ride the horse Ki: one may
be a good disciple, though not equal to
Yen-tse[265] .

[Ki is a celebrated horse. Yen-tse was the
most beloved disciple of Confucius.]

A loyal subject does not fear death, he who
fears death is not a loyal subject[266] .

As a ship without a rudder, so is a man void
of resolution[267] .

* Black as varnish[268] .

He, who begins first is the strongest, he who
delays [to strike] always comes by the
worst[269] .

[Eng. The first blow is half the battle.]

* He who builds a house by the side of a great
road will not finish it in three years[270] .

[The Italians have a proverb, Chi fabrica
la casa in piazza, ô che è troppo alta, ô troppo bassa.
And we say, He that builds his house by the high-

way side, it is either too high or too low. See
Ray.]

* I should soon have killed the rat, if I had
not respected the vessel[271] .

[The application of this proverb is to be
learnt from the little Chinese tale related in pag.
215, 216. See, "Nothing is more to be feared
than, &c.]

* Is a prince intirely upright, every thing
succeeds well with him: doth he belie himself,
though but in one instance, it may lead
to his ruin[272] .

* It is a happy talent to determine lawsuits
aright; a much happier to prevent their
ever being undertaken[273] .

[A saying of Confucius: which is thus translated
by others. "To hear and determine
disputes I or any man may be able: the
great thing necessary is so to work upon
the people that they may have no disputes
at all." Conf. lib. 1. p. 12.]

Keep silence, you will see how ridiculous a
great talker is: Keep your door shut, and
will be sensible of the bustle, and impertinence
attending visits[274] .

* One error slight in appearance leads to strange
irregularities[275] .

One of the principal duties of a son is to perpetuate
his race, and leave descendants after
him[276] .

* To make a cheap and quick purchase, go
to the market. Would you undertake a
great building or other considerable work,
hold a consultation before-hand[277] .

* To preserve others, is the way to preserve
one's self: to shut up the road to others is
the means to exclude one's self[278] .

* To receive great honours and pensions
without deserving them; is to preclude
from employment those that are more capable,
and to intercept the reward of the
worthy[279] .

* Undertake nothing without compleating it[280] .

N. B. Although the marginal references in
the foregoing sheets are made to the English folio
version of P. Du Halde: yet many of the Proverbs
are newly translated from the French original;
that translation being very faulty. The
following inaccuracies did not occur till the sheets
were printed off.