CONFUCIUS, or KONG-BOO-TSE, the celebrated Chi nes. philosopher, was born about 550 years before the Christian xra, in the kingdom of Loo, now the province of Shan-tong, in the reign of Lin-yang, the twenty-third emperor of the dynasty of Tcheoo. By his mother's side, whose name was Shing, he was descended from the noble family of Yen ; and his father Tclio-leang-hee numbered among his progenitors the Emperor Tii, of the dynasty of Shang. When he was only three years of age, he was left, by the death of his father, with no other inheritance than those honours of descent ; and for no part of his future eminence, was he indebted to the wealth or grandeur of his ancestors. He gave early in dications of those exalted talents, by which he was after wards so much distinguished ; and the most marvellous accounts of his premature attainments are minutely de tailed by the Chinese historians. Even in infancy, he seemed to have acquired the maturity of reason and the perfect use of all his faculties. He took no pleasure in the amusements of childhood ; hut was remarkable, almost from his birth, for the gravity of his deportment. He was particularly celebrated for extraordinary piety ; and never partook of any kind of nourishment, till he had first prostrated himself on the ground, and made an offering of the food to the supreme Lord of heaven. After the death of his grandfather, a most holy man of those times, whom he had studied to imitate in all things, he put himself under the tuition of an eminent sage, named Tchemsee ; and, at fifteen years of age, devoted himself to the perusal of the ancient Chinese books, especially the writings of the royal legislators Yao and Shun. At the age of nineteen, he entered into the mar ried state ; and, contrary to the custom of his country, contented himself with one wife, whom he divorced very soon after marriage, that he might be completely free from every incumbrance and connection, which might fetter him in the propagation of his tenets. He had one son named Pe-yoo, who died in middle age, leaving also one son, named Tsoo-tse, who inherited the virtues of his grandfather, and afterwards attained the highest offices in the state.
At the age of twenty-three years, Confucius, having acquired a profound knowledge of the ancient history and laws of the empire, began to attempt a general refor mation of manners among his countrymen. In opposi tion to the boundless luxury and inordinate love of plea sure which every where prevailed, and which threaten ed the utter ruin of the several kingdoms which then composed the empire of China, he taught a system of the strictest morality, and enforced his doctrines by the purity of his own example. By his extraordinary know ledge and amiable virtues, he speedily acquired the most extensive celebrity, and was frequently invested with the highest offices in the magistracy, which he sometimes accepted, when he conceived that they might be made subservient to his plans of reformation ; but which he always resigned, whenever he was unable to exercise them with any beneficial effect. As his success, how
ever, did not correspond with his expectations and endeavours, he at length renounced all his dignities in his native country, and went to seek in other parts of the empire a more favourable reception to his precepts. But, in the 55th year of his age, he returned to his native country, the kingdom of Loo, where he was instantly invested with one of the principal offices in the govern ment; and where he is said, in the short space of three months, to have effected, by his counsels and good ex ample, an entire reformation of manners, both among the higher and lower orders of the subjects. The prince put himself and his court under the direction of the philosopher ; and the whole kingdom had the appearance of a well-regulated family. The prosperous state of the country, in consequence of these political and moral im provements, excited the jealousy of the neighbouring princes, and filled them with apprehensions, that its growing power might soon become more formidable than was consistent with their security. The king of Tsi, in particular, held frequent consultations with his nobles upon the subject, and at length devised the follow ing scheme for defeating the enlightened measures of Confucius. Upon pretence of sending a friendly em bassy, he presented to the prince of Loo and his gran dees, a number of the most beautiful young women, who had been carefully instructed in the arts of dancing, sing ing, and all those other accomplishments which so pow erfully enslave the hearts, and enervate the minds of men. In spite of all the remonstrances of Confucius, the fair strangers experienced a welcome reception from the prince of Loo and his principal officers at court ; and all the affairs of government were speedily banished from their thoughts by the succession of feasts and diversions into which they were plunged, without a moment's in termission, by the fascinations of their new favourites. The sovereign, deaf to every sound but the voice of pleasure, could not endure to be addressed on points of public concern ; and even refused at length to admit his most faithful ministers to his presence. The philosopher attempted in vain to stem this torrent of dissipation which inundated the court, and which sufficiently proved the slight impression which his instructions had made. Find ing all his struggles utterly ineffectual, he resolved to resign his employments, and to become once more a voluntary exile from his degenerate country.