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56 THE ANALECTS: INTRODUCTION.
deceased ruler. Referred by the Duke to his ministers,
who it is suggested were in sympathy with Ch'_n H_ng,
he met with no encouragement, and retired feeling that,
though he had failed, he had done what duty demanded
of him. XIV. 22.
Two years later, in B. C. 479, in the fourth month and
on its eleventh day, when he was seve.nty-three years of
age the call came for him to join his fathers. " Early one
morning, we are told, he got up, and with his hands behind
his back, dragging his staff, he moved about the door,
crooning over,--
' The great mountain must crumble ;
The strong beam must break;
And the wise man wither away like a plant'
After a little, he entered the house and sat down opposite
the door. Tszekung had heard his words, and said to
himself, ' If the great mountain crumble, to what shall I
look up? If the strong beam break, and the wise man
wither away, on whom shall I lean ? The Master, I fear,
is going to be ill.' With this he hastened into the house.
Confucius said to him, 'Ts'ze, wll_t makes you so late?
According to the statutes of Hea, the corpse was dressed
and coffined at the top of the eastern steps, treating the
dead as if he were still the host. Under the Yin, the
ceremony was performed between the two pillars, as if the
dead were both host and guest. The rule of Chow is to
perform it at the top of the western sl:eps, treating the dead
as if he were a guest. I am a man of ¥in, and last night I
dreamt that I was sitting with offerings before me between
the two pillars. No intelligent monarch arises ; there is not