On the return of Confucius to Loo, he remained fifteen years without official employment, his native province being in a state of anarchy.  But he was better employed than in serving princes, prosecuting his researches into poetry, history, ceremonies, and music,—­a born scholar, with insatiable desire of knowledge.  His great gifts and learning, however, did not allow him to remain without public employment.  He was made governor of an important city.  As chief magistrate of this city, he made a marvellous change in the manners of the people.  The duke, surprised at what he saw, asked if his rules could be employed to govern a whole State; and Confucius told him that they could be applied to the government of the Empire.  On this the duke appointed him assistant superintendent of Public Works,—­a great office, held only by members of the ducal family.  So many improvements did Confucius make in agriculture that he was made minister of Justice; and so wonderful was his management, that soon there was no necessity to put the penal laws in execution, since no offenders could be found.  Confucius held his high office as minister of Justice for two years longer, and some suppose he was made prime minister.  His authority certainly continued to increase.  He exalted the sovereign, depressed the ministers, and weakened private families,—­just as Richelieu did in France, strengthening the throne at the expense of the nobility.  It would thus seem that his political reforms were in the direction of absolute monarchy, a needed force in times of anarchy and demoralization.  So great was his fame as a statesman that strangers came from other States to see him.

These reforms in the state of Loo gave annoyance to the neighboring princes; and to undermine the influence of Confucius with the duke, these princes sent the duke a present of eighty beautiful girls, possessing musical and dancing accomplishments, and also one hundred and twenty splendid horses.  As the duke soon came to think more of his girls and horses than of his reforms, Confucius became disgusted, resigned his office, and retired to private life.  Then followed thirteen years of homeless wandering.  He was now fifty-six years of age, depressed and melancholy in view of his failure with princes.  He was accompanied in his travels by some of his favorite disciples, to whom he communicated his wisdom.

But his fame preceded him wherever he journeyed, and such was the respect for his character and teachings that he was loaded with presents by the people, and was left unmolested to do as he pleased.  The dissoluteness of courts filled him with indignation and disgust; and he was heard to exclaim on one occasion, “I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty,”—­meaning the beauty of women.  The love of the beautiful, in an artistic sense, is a Greek and not an Oriental idea.