them, there is in them, I apprehend, a real principle.— In the empire there are three things universally acknowledged to be honourable. Nobility is one of them; age is one of them; virtue is one of them. In courts, nobility holds the first place of the three; in villages, age holds the first place; and for helping one's generation and presiding over the people, the other two are not equal to virtue. How can the possession of only one of these be presumed on to despise one who possesses the other two?

7. "Therefore a prince who is to accomplish great deeds will certainly have ministers whom he does not call to go to him. When he wishes to consult with them, he goes to them. The prince who does not honour the virtuous, and delight in their ways of doing, to this extent, is not worth having to do with.

8. "Accordingly, there was the behaviour of Tang to E-yun-he first learned of him, and then employed him as his minister; and so without difficulty he became emperor. There was the behaviour of the duke Hwan to Kwan Chung-he first learned of him, and then employed him as his minister; and so without difficulty he became chief of all the princes.

9. "Now throughout the empire, the territories of the princes are of equal extent, and in their achievements they are on a level. Not one of them is able to exceed the others. This is from no other reason, but that they love to make ministers of those whom they teach, and do not love to make ministers of those by whom they might be taught.

10. "So did Tang behave to E-yun, and the duke Hwan to Kwan Chung, that they would not venture to call them to go to them. If Kwan Chung, might not be called to him by his prince, how much less may he be called, who would not play the part of Kwan Chung!" III. 1. Ch'in Tsin asked Mencius, saying, " Former

ly, when you were in Ts'e, the king sent you a present of 2,400 taels of fine silver, and you refused to accept it. When you were in Sung, 1,680 taels were sent to you, which you accepted; and when you were in See, 1,200 taels were sent, which you likewise accepted. If your declining to accept the gift in the first case was right, your accepting it in the latter cases was wrong. If your accepting it in the latter cases was right, your declining to do so in the first case was wrong. You must accept, Master, one of these alternatives."

2. Mencius said, "I did right in all the cases.

3. "When I was in Sung, I was about to take a long journey. Travellers must be provided with what is necessary for their expenses. The prince's message was

A present against travelling-expenses.' Why should I have declined the gift?

4. "When I was in See, I was apprehensive for my safety, and taking measures for my protection. The message was, 'I have heard that you are taking measures to protect yourself, and send this to help you in procuring arms.' Why should I have declined the gift?

5. "But when I was in Ts'e, I had no occasion for money. To send a man a gift when he has no occasion for it, is to bribe him. How is it possible that a superior man should be taken with a bribe?"

IV. 1. "Mencius having gone to Ping-luh, addressed the governor of it, saying, "If one of your spearmen should lose his place in the ranks three times in one day, would you, Sir, put him to death or not?" "I would not wait for three times to do so," was the reply.

2. Mencius said, "Well then, you, Sir, have likewise lost your place in the ranks many times. In bad calamitous years, and years of famine, the old and feeble of your people, who have been found lying in the ditches and water-channels, and the able-bodied, who have been scattered about to the four quarters, have amounted to

several thousands." The governor replied, "That is a state of things in which it does not belong to me Keusin to act."

3. "Here," said Mencius, "is a man who receives charge of the cattle and sheep of another, and undertakes to feed them for him; of course he must search for pasture-ground and grass for them. If, after searching for those, he cannot find them, will he return his charge to the owner? or will he stand by and see them die?" "Herein," said the officer, "I am guilty."

4. Another day, Mencius had an audience of the king, and said to him, "Of the governors of your Majesty's cities I am acquainted with five, but the only one of them who knows his faults is K'ung Keu-sin." He then repeated the conversation to the king, who said, "In this matter, I am the guilty one."

V. 1. Mencius said to Ch'e Wa, "There seemed to be reason in your declining the governorship of Lingk'ew, and requesting to be appointed chief criminal judge, because the latter office would afford you the opportunity of speaking your views. Now several months have elapsed, and have you yet found nothing of which you might speak?"

2. On this, Ch'e Wa remonstrated on some matter with the king, and, his counsel not being taken, resigned his office, and went away.

3. The people of Ts'e said, "In the course which he marked out for Ch'e Wa, he did well, but we do not know as to the course which he pursues for himself.”

4. His disciple Kung-too told him these remarks.

5. Mencius said, "I have heard that he who is in charge of an office, when he is prevented from fulfilling its duties, ought to take his departure, and that he on whom is the responsibility of giving his opinion, when he finds his words unattended to, ought to do the same. But I am in charge of no office; on me devolves no

duty of speaking out my opinion:-may not I therefore act freely and without any constraint, either in going forward or in retiring?"

VI. 1. Mencius, occupying the position of a high dignitary in Ts'e, went on a mission of condolence to Tang. The king also sent Wang Hwan, the governor of Ka, as assistant commissioner. Wang Hwan, morning and evening, waited upon Mencius, who, during all the way to Tang and back, never spoke to him about the business of their mission.

2. Kung-sun Ch'ow said to Mencius, "The position of a high dignitary of Ts'e is not a small one; the road from Ts'e to Tang is not short. How was it that during all the way there and back, you never spake to Hwan about the matters of your mission?" Mencius replied, "There were the proper officers who attended to them. What occasion had I to speak to him about them?"

VII. 1. Mencius went from Ts'e to Loo to bury his mother. On his return to Ts'e, he stopped at Ying, where Ch'ung Yu begged to put a question to him, and said, "Formerly, in ignorance of my incompetency, you employed me to superintend the making of the coffin. As you were then pressed by the urgency of the business, I did not venture to put any question to you. Now, however, I wish to take the liberty to submit the matter. The wood of the coffin, it appeared to me, was too good."

2. Mencius replied, " Anciently, there was no rule for the size of either the inner or the outer coffin. In middle antiquity, the inner coffin was made seven inches thick, and the outer one the same. This was done by all, from the emperor to the common people, and not simply for the beauty of the appearance, but because they thus satisfied the natural feelings of their hearts. 3. "If prevented by statutory regulations from mak

ing their coffins in this way, men cannot have the feeling of pleasure. If they have not the money to make them in this way, they cannot have the feeling of pleasure. When they were not prevented, and had the money, the ancients all used this style. Why should I alone not do so?

4. "And moreover, is there no satisfaction to the natural feelings of a man, in preventing the earth from getting near to the bodies of his dead?

5. "I have heard that the superior man will not for all the world be niggardly to his parents."

VIII. 1. Shin Tung, on his own impulse, asked Mencius, saying, "May Yen be smitten?" Mencius replied, "It may. Tsze-k'wae had no right to give Yen to another man, and Tsze-che had no right to receive Yen from Tsze-k'wae. Suppose there were an officer here, with whom you, Sir, were pleased, and that, without informing the king, you were privately to give to him your salary and rank; and suppose that this officer, also without the king's orders, were privately to receive them from you:-would such a transaction be allowable? And where is the difference between the case of Yen and this?"

2. The people of Ts'e smote Yen. Some one asked Mencius, saying, "Is it really the case that you advised Ts'e to smite Yen?" He replied, "No. Shin Tung asked me whether Yen might be smitten, and I answered him, 'It may.' They accordingly went and smote it. If he had asked me-Who may smite it?' I would have answered him, 'He who is the minister of Heaven may smite it.' Suppose the case of a murderer, and that one asks me-May this man be put to death?' I will answer him-' He may. If he ask me -Who may put him to death?' I will answer him,

The chief criminal judge may put him to death.' But now with one Yen to smite another Yen :-how should I have advised this?"