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Poo Nang Che tsăng sin.
Ост.
Pardon us, gentle reader, for taking this very roundabout way to offer our criticism upon the work before us. It belongs to a nondes- cript genus, is neither fiction nor truth, but a collection of anecdotes for the valuable purpose of teaching people wisdom. Hence it has received the honorable appellation of a 'sack,' which we shall endea- vor to empty at random, to show in some measure its contents.
The writer naturally
In the preface, we are given to understand, that this is a prime collection, made by Păng Manglang on purpose to enlighten man- kind, and has undergone many improvements, until it attained its pre- sent size. In examining the index, we perceive that the compiler divides the subject into superior wisdom, clear wisdom, searching wisdom, wisdom of bravery, artful wisdom, ready wisdom, wisdom iu speaking and military affairs, wisdom of the harem and miscella- neous wisdom; each of these species is illustrated by thè èxample of the most celebrated personages, that ever lived in China, including ladies and gentlemen. The writer naturally begins with Confucius, the minor of wisdom. He was a courtier, saw much of high life, was 'occasionally reduced to great straits, and frequently obliged to dený his own principles. The questi has often been put, whether a statesman can, under all circumstances in which he is placed by his office, adhere to rectitude or not; if this is applied to the Chinese we give an answer unhesitatingly in the negative. The philosopher himself felt this frequently. On being charged with the murder of a man, likely in his way, he makes out a case of moral turpitude, which though extremely offensive to the wellbeing of human socie- ty, was not deserving of capital punishment by the laws of the land, and this is quoted as an instance of his superior wisdom. And then there follows the moral of the thing, that an intelligent prince might take away the life of servants, in whom he discovered the latent pro pensities of future mischief. This is indeed a very convenient doc- trine. At another time the sage had his horse arrested by the pea- santry on account of a trespass upon a corn-field. Confucius, how- ever, talked them out of this presumption and got his steed back.
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A general was falsely accused, by an unworthy sycophant to his prince of having acted deceitfully. The sovereign summoned the ac- cuser before him, at once saw through the falsehood, and sent him back to the warrior to receive punishment for his crime. The gene- ral looked upon the miserable man, and, showing him his death war- rant signed, then asked whether he would atone for his wickedness by fighting the enemy; bat mark, he added, if you lose the battle you must die. The culprit went away and conquered the foe.
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