centious expressions, so that such perverse speakers may not be able to show themselves. Their delusions

spring up in men's minds, and do injury to their practice of affairs. Shown in their practice of affairs, they are pernicious to their government. When sages shall rise up again, they will not change my words.

11. "In former times, Yu repressed the vast waters of the inundation, and the empire was reduced to order. Chow-kung's achievements extended even to the barbarous tribes of the west and north, and he drove away all ferocious animals, and the people enjoyed repose. Confucius completed the Spring and Autumn,' and rebellious ministers and villainous sons were struck with terror.

12. "It is said in the Book of Poetry,

'He smote the barbarians of the west and north; He punished King and Seu;

And no one dared to resist us.'

;

These father-deniers and king-deniers would have been smitten by Chow-kung.

13. "I also wish to rectify men's hearts, and to put an end to those perverse doctrines, to oppose their onesided actions and banish away their licentious expressions; and thus to carry on the work of the three sages. Do I do so because I am fond of disputing? I am compelled to do it.

14. "Whoever is able to oppose Yang and Mih is a disciple of the sages."

X. 1. K'wang Chang said to Mencius, "Is not Ch'an Chung a man of true self-denying purity? He was living in Woo-ling, and for three days was without food, till he could neither hear nor see. Over a well there grew a plum tree, the fruit of which had been more than half-eaten by worms. He crawled to it, and tried to eat some of the fruit, when, after swallowing three mouthfuls, he recovered his sight and hearing."

2. Mencius replied, "Among the scholars of Tse, I must regard Chung as the thumb among the fingers. But still, where is the self-denying purity he pretends to? To carry out the principles which he holds, one must become an earth-worm, for so only can it be done.

3. "Now, an earthworm eats the dry mould above, and drinks the yellow spring below. Was the house in which Chung dwells built by a Pih-e? or was it built by a robber like Chih? Was the millet which he eats planted by a Pih-e? or was it planted by a robber like Chih? These are things which cannot be known.”

4. "But," said Chang, "what does that matter? He himself weaves sandals of hemp, and his wife twists hempen threads, to barter them."

5. Mencius rejoined, "Chung belongs to an ancient and noble family of Ts'e. His elder brother Tae received from Ko a revenue of 10,000 chung, but he considered his brother's emolument to be unrighteous, and would not eat of it, and in the same way he considered his brother's house to be unrighteous, and would not dwell in it. Avoiding his brother and leaving his mother, he went and dwelt in Woo-ling. One day afterwards, he returned to their house, when it happened that some one sent his brother a present of a live goose. He, knitting his eye-brows, said, 'What are you going to use that cackling thing for?' By-and-by his mother killed the goose, and gave him some of it to eat. Just then his brother came into the house, and said, 'It's the flesh of that cackling thing,' upon which he went out and vomited it.

6. "Thus, what his mother gave him he would not eat, but what his wife gives him he eats. He will not dwell in his brother's house, but he dwells in Woo-ling. How can he in such circumstances complete the style of life which he professes? With such principles as Chung holds, a man must be an earth-worm, and then he can carry them out.”

BOOK IV.

LE LOW. PART I

CHAPTER I. 1. Mencius said, "The power of vision of Le Low, and skill of hand of Kung-shoo, without the compass and square, could not form squares and circles. The acute ear of the music-master K'wang, without the pitch-tubes, could not determine correctly the five notes. The principles of Yaou and Shun, without a benevolent government, could not secure the tranquil order of the empire.

2. "There are now princes who have benevolent hearts, and a reputation for benevolence, while yet the people do not receive any benefits from them, nor will they leave any example to future ages;-all because they do not put into practice the ways of the ancient kings.

3. "Hence we have the saying:- Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice.'

4. "It is said in the Book of Poetry,

"Without transgression, without forgetfulness, Following the ancient canons.'

Never has any one fallen into error, who followed the laws of the ancient kings."

5. "When the sages had used the vigour of their eyes, they called in to their aid the compass, the square, the level, and the line, to make things square, round, level, and straight:-the use of the instruments is inexhaustible. When they had used their power of hear

ing to the utmost, they called in the pitch-tubes to their aid to determine the five notes:-the use of those tubes is inexhaustible. When they had exerted to the utmost the thoughts of their hearts, they called in to their aid a government that could not endure to witness the sufferings of men:-and their benevolence overspread the empire.

6. Hence we have the saying:-To raise a thing high, we must begin from the top of a mound or a hill; to dig to a great depth, we must commence in the low ground of a stream or a marsh.' Can he be pronounced wise, who, in the exercise of government, does not proceed according to the ways of the former kings?

7. Therefore only the benevolent ought to be in high stations. When a man destitute of benevolence is in a high station, he thereby disseminates his wickedness among all below him.

8. "When the prince has no principles by which he examines his administration, and his ministers have no laws by which they keep themselves in the discharge of their duties, then in the court obedience is not paid to principle, and in the office obedience is not paid to rule. Superiors violate the laws of righteousness, and inferiors violate the penal laws. It is only by a fortunate chance that a kingdom in such a case is preserved.

9. "Therefore it is said, 'It is not the exterior and interior walls being incomplete, and the supply of weapons offensive and defensive not being large, which constitutes the calamity of a kingdom. It is not the cultivable area not being extended, and stores and wealth not being accumulated, which occasions the ruin of a kingdom. When superiors do not observe the rules of propriety, and inferiors do not learn, then seditious people spring up, and that kingdom will perish in no time.

10. "It is said in the Book of Poetry,

"When such an overthrow of Chow is being produced by Heaven,

Be not ye so much at your ease!

11. 'At your ease; '—that is, dilatory.

12. "And so dilatory may those officers be deemed, who serve their prince without righteousness, who take office and retire from it without regard to propriety, and who in their words disown the ways of the ancient kings.

13. "Therefore it is said, 'To urge one's sovereign to difficult achievements may be called showing respect for him. To set before him what is good and repress his perversities, may be called showing reverence for him. He who does not do these things, saying to himself,-My sovereign is incompetent to this, may be said to play the thief with him.""

II. 1. Mencius said, "The compass and square produce perfect circles and squares. By the sages, the human relations are perfectly exhibited.

2. “He who as a sovereign would perfectly discharge the duties of a sovereign, and he who as a minister would perfectly discharge the duties of a minister, have only to imitate-the one Yaou, and the other Shun. He who does not serve his sovereign as Shun served Yaou, does not respect his sovereign, and he who does not rule his people as Yaou ruled his, injures his people. 3. "Confucius said, 'There are but two courses, which can be pursued, that of virtue and its opposite.'

4. "A sovereign who carries the oppression of his people to the highest pitch, will himself be slain, and his kingdom will perish. If one stop short of the highest pitch, his life will notwithstanding be in danger, and his kingdom will be weakened. He will be styled 'The dark,' or 'The cruel,' and though he may have filial sons and affectionate grandsons, they will not be able in a hundred generations to change the designation.