A mother does not weep at her son's death

When Kung-fu Wên-po of Lu died, his mother did not weep. Chi-sun, hearing of this, said, "Kung-fu Wên-po’s mother is a virtuous woman. If she does not weep at her son's death, there must be a reason." He sent a man to make inquiries. The mother replied, "Formerly I had this son of mine serve Chung-ni. When Chung-ni left Lu, in sending him off my son did not go beyond the suburbs of the capital of Lu; in making him presents, he did not give him the family's precious objects. When my son was sick I did not see any gentleman come to visit him, and when he died I did not see any shed tears for him. But on the day of his death there were ten of his female attendants who, putting on sackcloth and white mourning clothes, followed him to the grave. This shows that toward gentlemen he was lacking, and toward women too generous. This is why I did not weep," The Ode says:

Here is this man,
With virtuous words, but really not good.

鲁公甫文伯死，其母不哭也。季孙闻之，曰：“公甫文伯之母、贞女也。子死不哭，必有方矣。”使人问焉。对曰：“昔、是子也，吾使之事仲尼，仲尼去鲁，送之，不出鲁郊，赠之，不与家珍。病、不见士之视者；死、不见士之流泪者；死之日，宫女縗绖而从者，十人。此不足于士，而有馀于妇人也。吾是以不哭也。”《诗》曰：“乃如之人兮，德音无良”。