0444_Bk

n, THE LIFE AND TII_ESOF CONFUCIUS. _9
to the principal colleges of the Empire, where he was wor-
shipped along with his ideal the great Duke W_n of Chou.
" In A. D. 609 separate temples were assigned to them, and
in 628 our Sage displaced the older worthy altogether "
The temples to Confucius usually consist of two long
cloisters containing the tablets of his disciples, leading to a
!ofty hall at tile end devoted to the Sage and his mo1"e
famous followers. Behind this is allother hall containi0_
the tablets of his ancestors. Offerings of fl'uit and vege-
tables are supposed to be made at the new, and incense at
the full moon. Two great sacrifices are presented every
year, in Spring and Autumn, at which all the literati are
theoretically expected to be present. In some places the
ancient musical instruments are brought out and performed
upon, the wand bearers making postut'es representing each
character of the famous hymn to the Sage, of which a
version is appended below. As ahnost-every phrase of
this hymn is an abbreviated quotation from some ancient
writer, often containing allusions of an elusive nature, it has
been no easy task it to translate it line by line into English
metre, so for the sake of those who wish to read it in the
original it is also given in character.
In the Imperial Confucian Temple the Emperor himselt
kotows six times before the Sage's shrine, whereupon, the
spilit being now present, the following invocation is read
by the appointed officer :--" On this ... month of this ...
)'ear, I, A. B., the Emperor, offer a sacrifice to the philoso-
pher K'ung, the ancient Teacher, the pexfect Sage, and
say,--O Teacher, in virtue equal to Heaven and Ea, th,
whose doctrines embrace the past time and the present,