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20 TI-I_ ANALECTS : INTROI_UC'TIO_.
the habit of naming their children from their most outstanding
feature, as for instance haotz_ and his ears, Li
Erh _ IIZ and Lao Tan :_ _ The remainder of these
legendary fancies we may put aside as unnecessary
demands upon our credulity, contenting ourselves with
the knowledge that Confucius was born to a young
woman by an old father, that he grew up of more than
average height, was of unusually dark complexion,--in
some places his images are black,--and was of features
far from prepossessing, indeed the absence of his image
from Confucian temples has been accounted for oft the
somewhat unlikely score of his ugliness. Whatever may
have been his personal appearance one thing is certain,
that he grew up with a mental and moral energy surpas_sing
the generality of men in his day and generation.
During childhood he gave indications of his futur_
tastes in _ love for playing at sacrifices, and while yet
a young man he became a centre of Influence as a
Teacher. At ninet_n he married, and a year afterwards
obtained a subsidiary appointment in charge of a ducal
granary, and later of the ducal lands. While filling
these offices he found time to improve his own education
and to aid others in a like advancement. GraduaUy his
fame spread and his disciples increased in number. They
were of varied ages, some boys, others grown men.
Hence, though he may have called them all, both young
and old, his /b g" little children, the term must always
be understood in its widest sense, the sons of his intellect.
His later career, hampered by competence, was scarcely
even moderately suee_ul, death being necessary to