Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 3.djvu/98

he has lost he walks down and drinks his cup of forfeit. Thus even in this case of competition he shows himself to be a gentleman.

A gentleman regards what is right; a vulgar person what will pay.

A gentleman in his education should consider three things as essential. In his manners he aspires to be free from excitement and familiarity. In the choice of his language he aims at freedom from vulgarity and unreasonableness. As to the knowledge of the technical details of the arts and sciences, he leaves that to professional men.

A man who could be depended on when the life of an orphan prince, his master’s child, is entrusted to his charge; who will not, in any great emergency of life and death, betray his trust, such a man I would call a gentleman.

An educated gentleman may not be without any strength and resoluteness of character. His responsibility in life is heavy and the way is long. He is responsible to himself for leading a moral life; is not that a heavy responsibility? He must continue in it till he dies; is the way, then, not long?

A gentleman should never permit anything crimson or scarlet in colour to be seen in any part of his dress. (Many minute injunctions of this nature are given.)

A gentleman must be a man of strict personal honour. He must be one whom the members of his family hold up as a good son and his fellow-citizens hold up as a good citizen. He must be one who makes it a point to carry out what he says and to persevere in what he undertakes. He must be sympathetic, obliging, and affectionate: sympathetic and obliging to his friends, and affectionate to the members of his family.

He who thinks only of the comforts of life cannot be a true gentleman.