502 Ch'ü Ju-chi (T. yt al) 16th and 17th cent. A.D. The son of a high o£5cial, who on the strength of his father's services obtained an entry into the public service. ELis career however was not a successful one, and he finally retired. He is known as the author of the ^ ^ ^, a large collection of Buddhist biographies.
503 Ch'ü Yüan or Ch'ü P'ing (t. H J^ ). B.C. 382 — 295. A native of ^ Ying, who is still famous throughout the length and breadth of China as the type of a loyal Minister. He was appointed to the high office of ^ ^ San Ld (Director of the affairs of the three families fl3 Chao, Jg Ch*fl, and ^ Ching) under Prince ^ Huai of the Ch*u State, and enjoyed the full confidence of his sovereign until impeached through the intrigues of rivals. Then it was that he composed the well-known poem entitled ^ .|^ Falling into Trouble, which is an allegorical descriptioo of the writer's search after a prince who will listen to good counsels in government. He himself had advised Prince Huai against making war upon the Gh4n State, but the latter disregarded his Minister's warnings, and finally fell into an ambuscade and was captured by his opponents. His son coming to the throne as Prince Hsiang, Ch^fl Tflan sank still deeper into disfavour; until at length, caring no longer to live, he went out to the bank of the yQ j^ Mi-lo river. There he met a fisherman who accosted him, saying, "Are you not his Excellency the Minister? What has brought you to this pass?" "The world," replied Ch'a Yilan, "is foul, and I alone am clean. There they are all drunk, while I alone am sober. So I am dismissed." "Ah!" said the fisherman, "the true sage does not quarrel with his environment, but adapts himself to it. If, as you say, the world is foul, why not leap into the tide and make it clean? If all men are drunk, why not drink with them and teach them to
