their ricks and granaries, and those who marched had their bags of provisions. It was not till after this that

he thought he could commence his march. If your Majesty loves wealth, let the people be able to gratify the same feeling, and what difficulty will there be in your attaining the imperial sway?"

The king said, “I have an infirmity; I am fond of beauty." The reply was, "Formerly, King T'ae was fond of beauty, and loved his wife. It is said in the Book of Poetry,

'Koo-Kung T'an-foo

Came in the morning, galloping his horse,
By the banks of the western waters,

As far as the foot of K'e hill,

Along with the lady of Keang;

They came and together chose the site of settlement.' "At that time, in the seclusion of the house, there were no dissatisfied women, and abroad, there were no unmarried men. If your Majesty loves beauty, let the people be able to gratify the same feeling, and what difficulty will there be in your attaining the imperial sway?"

"It is said in the Book of History, 'As soon as T'ang began his work of executing justice, he commenced with KŎ. The whole empire had confidence in him. When he pursued his work in the east, the rude tribes on the west murmured. So did those on the north, when he was engaged in the south. Their cry was-Why does he make us last? Thus, the looking of the people to him was like the looking in a time of great drought to the clouds and rainbows. The frequenters of the markets stopped not, The husbandmen made no change in their operations. While he punished their rulers, he consoled the people.

His progress was like the falling of opportune rain, and the people were delighted.' It is said again in the Book of History, 'We have waited for our prince long; the prince's coming will be our reviving.'"

"In the flourishing periods of the Hea, Yin, and Chow dynasties, the imperial domain did not extend a thousand le, and Ts'e embraces so much territory. Cocks crow and dogs bark to each other, all the way to the four borders of the State: so Ts'e possesses the people. No change is needed for the enlarging of its territory; no change is needed for the collecting of a population. If its ruler will put in practice a benevolent government, no power will be able to prevent his becoming emperor."

The duke King of Ts'e, said, “Not to be able to command others, and at the same time to refuse to receive their commands, is to cut one's self off from all intercourse with others.

"Now the small States imitate the large, and yet are ashamed to receive their commands. This is like a scholar's being ashamed to receive the commands of his master."

It is said in the Book of Poetry,

"The descendants of the emperors of the Shang dynasty

Are in numbers more than hundreds of thousands, But, God having passed His decree,

They are all submissive to Chow.

They are submissive to Chow,

Because the decree of Heaven is not unchanging.

The officers of Yin, admirable and alert,

Pour out the libations, and assist in the capital of Chow."

"If the sovereign of a State love benevolence, he will have no enemy in the empire."

EFFECTS OF BAD GOVERNMENT.

Mencius said to king Seuen, "The ruler of Yen was tyranizing over his people, and your Majesty went and punished him. The people supposed that you were going to deliver them out of the water and the fire, and brought baskets of rice and vessels of Congee, to meet your Majesty's hosts. But you have slain their fathers and elder brothers, and put their sons and younger brothers in chains. You have pulled down the ancestral temple of the State, and are removing to Ts'e its precious vessels. How can such a course be deemed proper? The rest of the empire is indeed jealously afraid of the strength of Ts'e, and now, when with a doubtful territory, you do not put in practice a benevolent government; it is this which sets the arms of the empire in motion.

"If your Majesty will make haste to issue an ordinance restoring your captives, old and young, stopping the removal of the precious vessels, and saying that after consulting with the people of Yen, you will appoint them a ruler, and withdraw from the country in this way you may still be able to stop the threatened attack."

:

THE EMPEROR'S TOUR OF INSPECTION.

The emperor visited the princes, which was called " a tour of inspection." The princes attended at the court

of the emperor, which was called "giving a report of office." It was the custom in the spring to examine the ploughing, and supply any deficiency of seed, and in autumn to examine the reaping, and assist where there was a deficiency of the crop. When the emperor entered the boundaries of a State, if the new ground was being reclaimed, and the old fields well cultivated; if the old were nourished and the worthy honored, and if men of distinguished talents were placed in office: then the prince was rewarded-rewarded with an addition to his territory. On the other hand, if, on entering a State, the ground was found left wild or overrun with weeds; if the old were neglected and the worthy unhonored, and if the offices were filled with hard tax-gatherers: then the prince was reprimanded. If a prince once omitted his attendance at court, he was punished by degradation of rank; if he did so a second time, he was deprived of a portion of his territory; if he did so a third time, the imperial forces were set in motion, and he was removed from his government. Thus the emperor commanded the punishment, but did not himself inflict it, while the princes inflicted the punishment, but did not command it.

CHAPTER II.

METAPHYSICS AND MORALS.

PASSION NATURE.

Kung-sun Ch'ow asked Mencius, saying, "Master, if you were to be appointed a high noble and the prime minister of Ts'e, so as to be able to carry your principles into practice, though you should thereupon raise the prince to the headship of all the other princes, or even to the imperial dignity, it would not be to be wondered at. In such a position would your mind be perturbed or not?" Mencius replied, “No. At forty, I attained to an unperturbed mind."*

Kung-sun Ch'ow said, "May I venture to ask an explanation from you, Master, of how you maintain an unperturbed mind, and how the philosopher Kaou does the same?" Mencius answered, "Kaou says, 'What is not attained in words is not to be sought for in the

* The Chinese consider man at forty to be at his best physical and mental estate, and if at this age he has failed in the formation of a good character, they have henceforth no hope for him.