CHAPTER XI

1. The people of Ch＇î, having smitten Yen, took possession of it, and upon this, the princes of the various States deliberated together, and resolved to deliver Yen from their power. The king Hsüan said to Mencius, ＇The princes have formed many plans to attack me:—how shall I prepare myself for them?＇Mencius replied, ＇I have heard of one who with seventy lî exercised all the functions of government throughout the kingdom. That was T＇ang. I have never heard of a prince with a thousand lî standing in fear of others.＇

2. ＇It is said in the Book of History, As soon as T＇ang began his work of executing justice,

浆 is properly congee, but here used generally for beverages; some say wine. 壶, ＇a goblet＇, ＇a jug＇,＇a vase＇, a vessel for liquids generally.—The first paragraph, it is said, is constructed according to the rules of composition attributed to Confucius in his ＇Spring and Autumn＇, the 人 refusing honour to the king of Ch＇i. 伐 expresses the ill deserts of Yen.And 胜之 intimates that the conquest was from the disinclination of Yen to fight, not from the power of Ch＇i.

CHAPTER 11. AMBITION AND AVARICE ONLY MAKE ENEMIES AND BRING DISASTERS.SAFETY AND PROSPERITY LIE IN A BENEVOLENT GOVERNMENT.

1. 将 before 谋救 indicates the execution of the plans to be still in the future. 者 in 诸侯……者 makes the clause like one in English beginning with a nominative absolute. 待之,—literally, ＇await them＇.

2. See the Shû-ching, IV. ii. 6. Mencius has introduced the clause 天下信之, and there are some other differences from the original text.

he commenced with Ko. The whole kingdom 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 put us last?"Thus, the people looked to him, as we look 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!"

3. ＇Now the ruler of Yen was tyrannizing 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 host. But you have slain their fathers and elder brothers, and put their sons and younger brothers in confinement.

Ko was a small territory, which is referred to the present district of Ning-ling (宁陵) in Kwei-teh (归德), in Honan. 望云霓,—the modern commentators ingeniously interpret:—＇The people look for rain in drought, and murmur at his not coming, as they dread the appearance of a rainbow, on which the rain will stop.＇ This is perhaps over-refining, and making too much of the 望. Châo Ch＇i says:—＇The rainbow appears when it rains, so people, in time of drought,long to see it.＇ The second quotation is from the same paragraph of the Shû-ching, where we have 子 for 我.3. Compare last chapter. 若, in 若杀云云, is not our＇if＇, but rather ＇since＇. The critics say 是指数之词, 不作设词看, ＇it is demonstrative, not conditional＇. 父兄,—父 is not fathers only, but uncles as well.

You have pulled down the ancestral temple of theState, and are removing to Ch＇î its precious vessels.How can such a course be deemed proper? The rest of the kingdom is indeed jealously afraid of the strength of Ch＇î; and now, when with a doubled territory you do not put in practice a benevolent government;—it is this which sets the arms of the kingdom in motion.

4. ＇If your Majesty will make haste to issue an ordinance, restoring your captives, old and young,stopping the removal of the precious vessels, andsaying 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 thethreatened attack.＇