Page:Horæ Sinicæ, Translations from the Popular Literature of the Chinese (horsinictran00morrrich, Morrison, 1812).djvu/55

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
Translations from the Chinese.
45

is now come; you may go." When the prince heard this, he was exceedingly glad, and immediately, having passed over the walls of the city, went to the midst of the hill Tan-te to cultivate reason. He at first remained three years at O-land and Kia-lan, where he found that they were unprofitable places. He was fully convinced that they were bad, and therefore he left them, and went to Yu-teu-lan-foe and remained three years. That place, also, he found extremely unfavourable to study; and being persuaded that it was bad, he left it, and went to Siang-teu hill, where he lived with other religionists who were not of his sect; with them he daily ate hempseed and wheat. Here he passed sixteen years. Hence the Classic says, "without having such intention; without pointing out [that it should be so] he completely subjected all the other religionists to himself. He first repeatedly tried their depraved arts, and then declared to them the square and expedient [the rule of doing that to others which we ourselves like.] He exhibited [to them] uncommon appearances,