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|I. TH]_ LIFE AND TIMES OF CONFUCIUS. _
catching it broke its left foreleg. The animal was brought
to Chi K'ang, who unable to classify it, and deeming it of
bad omen had it thrown outside the city, but sent word to
Confucius to see if he could recognise it. Confucius as
previously noted, immediately perceived that the vtrange
animal was a Zin I_, indeed as some would have us
believe the self-same Lin that had appeared to his mother,
and with the identical piece of embroidered ribbon still
adhering to its horn that she had attached there over
seventy years befoie! Turning over his sleeve to wipe
away the tears that fell copiously on to his coEtt, he cried
"For what have you come ? For what have you come ? "
When asked by Tz_ Kung later why he wept he replied,
"The Lin should only appear at the advent of an illustrious
sovereign. I was distressed to see it at the wrong time
and so injured." _ _ I6.
It is with a reference to this event that he brings to a
conclusion his work on the Spring and Autumn Annals,
his last words there being, " In the four and tenth year (of
Duke Ai), in Spring, hunters in the west caught a unicorn."
Those Annals are ascribed to this year, and at least it is
evident that he closed them then. Mencius records that
Confucius based his claim to fame or condenmation on
these records, and speaks in the highest terms of their
moral and political influence. Menc. IIL Pt I1, ix, 8, I t.
Later in the year Duke Chien [_ of Ch'i was murdered
by one of his ministers, Ch%n H&ng _]_ _i by name, a
crime which shocked the monarchical ideas of the Sage.
After ceremonially bathing himself he formally visited
Duke Ai, to urge him to sound the tocsin and avenge the