almost empty of significance, there is great beauty and a finely spiritual insight in many among them. For example: "He that is of a cheerful heart hath a continual feast; "what philosophy and what poetry are in that! And again: "There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing; there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great wealth." That has been said in other words many times, but never with more simple impressiveness. And two, at least, of the thoughts that underlie and are inspiration for the very highest of all states of moral feeling are expressed here in a striking way. "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee." There we have the proposal of an attitude of spirit that is almost the noblest and nearly the most difficult that man can assume, and which nothing but high culture or native greatness of character makes possible. It is not a disposition, let us admit, that is consistently or repeatedly inculcated in the Old Testament; but something is added to one's estimate of human nature when we find even a single preacher of magnanimity at so early a stage of human history. Much the same may be said of the other sentiment to which I have referred: "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city." Possibly this is the earliest formulation we can find of the grand doctrine of self-mastery, which holds the golden secret of moral greatness in character and life. The discipline of it is practically implied in the older teaching of Ptah-hotep, the Egyptian; but he did not lead his disciples back from the practice to the principle behind it. Nor does the doctrine seem ever to have become as fundamental in the moral philosophy of the Jews at it did elsewhere in

the ancient world, even though we find it thus early in their proverbs.

In the later Hebrew "wisdom-book," called Ecclesiastes, or Koheleth, The Preacher, there is a loftier eloquence, a deeper thoughtfulness, a profounder sense of the mysteries of the divine government of the world, than in the Book of Proverbs; but the view of life is gloomy almost to despair, and the counsels are stern and limited in range. The still later Apocryphal book of Jewish moral teaching, called "The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach," is quite different. It contains, in a scattered way, intermingled with noble prayers and fragments of religious discourse, a large collection of the most practical precepts, extending to common details in all departments of human affairs. The character of these is exceedingly mixed. In some the moral tone is quite elevated, in others decidedly low, indicating no advance in moral sentiment from the time of the earlier wisdom-literature.

In the very old Hindu collection of laws and precepts known as the Code of Manu, the fundamental importance of the doctrine of self-mastery receives far more emphasis than in the Jewish Scriptures; and quite possibly its recognition there antedates its appearance in the Book of Proverbs; for, in the opinion of Sir William Jones, the Code of Manu was compiled as early as the thirteenth century before Christ, or three centuries before Solomon. Other scholars assign it to an age nearly contemporary with Solomon; while some make it several centuries later. Among the "Acara" or rules of conduct in that ancient Hindu code is the following, as translated by Sir Monier Monier-Williams, in his interesting work entitled "Indian Wisdom: "

"E'en as a driver checks his restive steeds,

Do thou, if thou art wise, restrain thy passions,
Which, running wild, will hurry thee away."

The same idea is repeated with an enlargement in these

words:

"The man who keeps his senses in control,

His speech, heart, actions pure and ever guarded,
Gains all the fruit of holy study; he

Needs neither penance nor austerity."

And a third time it appears, in the following "decalogue," as it may be called, of Hindu morals, which offers an interesting comparison with the Decalogue of Moses : "Contentment, patience under injury, Self-subjugation, honesty, restraint Of all the sensual organs, purity, Devotion, Knowledge of the Deity, Veracity, and Abstinence from Anger,

These form the tenfold summary of duty."

There is a more limited but splendid expression given to the same thought of self-control in the "Dhammapada,” or Buddhist precepts of the law, as translated by Professor Max Müller: "He who holds back rising anger like a rolling chariot, him I call a real driver; other people are but holding the reins." And again: "Self is the lord of self; who else could be the lord? With self well subdued, a man finds a lord such as few can find."

Whatever may have been the prevalent, practical morality of the ancient Hindus, their sense of rightness in feeling and conduct, and their perception of the reason in morals, were singularly advanced, as is shown in their sacred literature, both Brahmanical and Buddhistic. From their great epic poem, "The Maha-bharata," Sir Monier Monier-Williams has translated a selection of precepts that are most remarkable in their ethical significance. The poem is some centuries older than Christianity; but it contains the Golden Rule twice formulated in different words. First this:

"Do naught to others which if done to thee Would cause thee pain; this is the sum of duty." Then this:

"This is the sum of all true righteousness: -
Treat others as thou wouldst thyself be treated.
Do nothing to thy neighbor which hereafter
Thou wouldst not have thy neighbor do to thee.
In causing pleasure, or in giving pain,
In doing good or injury to others,

In granting or refusing a request,
A man obtains a proper rule of action
By looking on his neighbor as himself."

This golden rule of reciprocity represents what may be called relative altruism, or the determination of duty to others by one's own claims. But a more absolute altruism of feeling is inculcated in the same poem:

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Again:

Enjoy thou the prosperity of others,

Although thyself unprosperous; noble men
Take pleasure in their neighbor's happiness."

"To injure none by thought or word or deed,
To give to others, and be kind to all
This is the constant duty of the good.
High-minded men delight in doing good,
Without a thought of their own interest."

The Code of Manu teaches the same absolute considerateness for the feelings as well as for the rights of others: "Wound not another, though by him provoked,

Do no one injury by thought or deed,

Utter no word to pain thy fellow-creatures."

And where in all ethical literature is there a more sublime injunction than this, in the same Code, which throws the final and true motive of right conduct back to the soul's own consciousness of right?

"The soul is its own witness, yea the soul
Itself is its own refuge; grieve thou not,
O man, thy soul, the great internal witness."

Among the Chinese, who, since the sixth century before Christ, have taken their teaching in morals from Confucius, there seems never to have been recognized so absolute a principle of right in spirit and conduct; but Confucius set forth the Golden Rule most distinctly. In the "Confucian Analects," as translated by Professor Legge, Tsze-kung asked: "Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?" to which the Master replied: "Is not Reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others." Apparently Confucius regarded this as a simple rule of expediency- the suggestion to a practical mind of the plan of dealings between men most likely to make their intercourse satisfactory to each and all. Indeed, it is wholly a practical, expedient wisdom that we find in the teachings of Confucius. There is rarely, in his injunctions, the glimpse of a principle out of which other rules might be drawn; but almost always the Confucian precept is an indisputable decision of common sense, applied concretely to some of the circumstances of life. In one respect, however, Confucius was far advanced beyond all other ancient teachers of the East. That was in his urgency of teaching. "Instruct sons and younger brothers;" "make much of the colleges and seminaries ;" "describe and explain the laws;" instruct others; learn from others; question others; - this is largely the burden of the admonitions of the Master and his disciples. And the appeal was effective. If their apprehension of what is valuable in knowledge had equalled the zeal for education with which Confucius inspired them, the Chinese would probably be the best educated among the peoples of the world to-day.

If we now turn westward again, in the world of antiquity, and come back to the Mediterranean, this time