"If at fault, do not hesitate to correct yourself." (5 fi) 57 is one of the many saying contained in "Fragments of Confucian Lore" which we have just received.
The author, Mr. Thomas T, H. Ferguson, Commissioner of the Chinese Customs, has attempted to make a well-chosen selection of short quotations, with the original text, from the writings of the Sage. While not pretending to be another Giles or Legge in the preparation of another voluminous translation of the works of Confucius, Mr. Ferguson hag endeavoured to make his booklet as completely representative as possible of the best and most popular sayings of the great Sage. His selections are most creditable.
Many of the "fragments" would be instructive to the present day person and were they to be carefully carried out, the world to-day would be better than it is. The contents of the book include chapters:—On the order of things; On truth and sincerity; On virtue and moral courage; On heaven and the spiritual; On the path; On knowledge and leaming; On human intercourse; On the art of governing; On the superior man and the small man; On Confucius, the man; On family relationship;; On propriety, ceremony and decorum; Ca war; On music; On youth and age; and On litigation, Wealth and rank.
A few of the fragments are:—"A ready tongue and a prepossessing appearance seldom go with true virtue."
"To shirk taking what is clearly the right course is want of courage."
"Action is what matters—success is a secondary consideration."
"Let not the reader despise them for their simplicity."
A number of mistakes appear which, we trust, will receive. the necessary correction when the next edition comes out.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.