to wail for him. Some one said, "That dress of sackcloth with its even edges is not proper for a visit of condolence." Зǎng-jze replied, "Am I condoling (with the living) ?"
17. At the mourning rites for Yû Zo, duke Tâo[1] came to condole. Зze-yû received him, and introduced him by (the steps on) the left[2].
18. When the news was sent from Khî of the mourning for the king's daughter who had been married to the marquis, duke Kwang of Lû wore the nine months' mourning for her. Some have said, "She was married from Lû[3]; therefore he wore the same mourning for her as for a sister of his own." Others have said, "She was his mother's mother, and therefore he wore it."
19. At the mourning rites for duke Hsien of Зin, duke Mû of Khin sent a messenger to present his condolences to Hsien's son Khung-r (who was then an exile), and to add this message:—"I have heard
that a time like this is specially adapted to the
- ↑ B.C. 467-431. Yû Zo had been a disciple of Confucius, and here we find the greater follower of the sage, Зze-yû, present and assisting at the mourning rites for him.
- ↑ That is, the prince went up to the hall by the steps on the east, set apart for the use of the master and father of the house. But the ruler was master everywhere in his state, as the king was in his kingdom. An error prevailed on this matter, and Зze-yû took the opportunity to correct it.
- ↑ That is, she had gone from the royal court to Lû, and been married thence under the superintendence of the marquis of that state, who also was of the royal surname. This was a usual practice in the marriage of kings' daughters; and it was on this account the lord of the officiating state wore mourning for them. The relationship assigned in the next clause is wrong; and so would have been the mourning mentioned, if it had been correct.
