CHAPTER VI
1. Mencius went to see the king Hsiang of Liang.
2. On coming out from the interview, he said to some persons, ＇When I looked at him from a distance, he did not appear like a sovereign; when I drew near to him, I saw nothing venerable about him. Abruptly he asked me, "How can the kingdom be settled?" I replied, "It will be settled by being united under one sway."
3. ＇ "Who can so unite it?"
4. ＇I replied, "He who has no pleasure in killing men can so unite it."
5. ＇ "Who can give it to him?"
6. ＇I replied, "All the people of the nation will unanimously give it to him.
6. 故, not ＇therefore＇; it may indicate a deduction from what precedes, or be simply an illustration of it. 勿疑, ＇Do not doubt＇. It is strange that Julien, in his generally accurate version, should translate this by＇necuncteris＇. Hesitancy would, indeed, be an effect of doubting Mencius＇s words, not the proverb just quoted, but specially the affirmation in par. 2. But the words may not be so rendered.
CHAPTER 6. DISAPPOINTMENT OF MENCIUS WITH THE KING HSIANG. BY WHOM THE TORN NATION MAY BE UNITED UNDER ONE SWAY.
1. On the death of king Hûi, he was succeeded by his son Ho (赫), called here by his honorary epithet,Hsiang,= ＇The land-enlarger and virtuous.＇ The interview here recorded seems to have taken place immediately after Ho＇s accession, and Mencius, it is said, was so disappointed by it that he soon left the country.
2. 语, the 4th tone. The 人 probably refers to some friends of the philosopher, and is not to be taken generally.
Does your Majesty understand the way of the growing grain? During the seventh and eighth months, when drought prevails, the plants become dry. Then the clouds collect densely in the heavens, they send down torrents of rain, and the grain erects itself, as if by a shoot. When it does so, who can keep it back? Now among the shepherds of men throughout the nation,there is not one who does not find pleasure in killing men. If there were one who did not find pleasure in killing men, all the people in the nation would look towards him with outstretched necks. Such being indeed the case, the people would flock to him, as water flows downwards with a rush, which no one can repress." ＇