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When you use bronze as a mirror, you can straighten your clothes and hat. When you use antiquity as a mirror, you can see the waxing and waning. When you use a person as a mirror, you can know if you grasp things or not. Wei Zheng is gone; I have lost my mirror.
--Li Shimin 李世民, who became Tang dynasty emperor Taizong 唐太宗 (599-649), about his minister Wei Zheng 魏徵 (580-643). Tang Taizong is considered among the greatest rulers in Chinese history.
人以銅為鏡，可以正衣冠，以古為鏡，可以見興替，以人為鏡，可以知得失。魏徵沒，朕亡一鏡矣。
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This reminds me of parts of Richard II. For none of the obvious reasons!
Posted by: E Scott | 06 March 2009 at 02:01
Explain?
Posted by: Sedulia | 06 March 2009 at 23:42