CHAPTER V
1. Wan Chang asked Mencius, saying, ＇Sung is a small State. Its ruler is now setting about to practise the true royal government, and Ch＇î and Ch＇û hate and attack him. What in this case is to be done?＇
2. Mencius replied, ＇When T＇ang dwelt in Po, he adjoined to the State of Ko, the chief of which was living in a dissolute state and neglecting his proper sacrifices. T＇ang sent messengers to inquire why he did not sacrifice. He replied, "I have no means of supplying the necessary victims." On this, T＇ang caused oxen and sheep to be sent to him, but he ate them, and still continued not to sacrifice.
＇to give rice to＇.
5. 画 (4th tone) 墁,—墁 means ＇ornaments on walls;＇—we must therefore take 画 in a bad sense, to correspond to the 毁. A man wishes to mend the roof,but he only breaks it; to ornament the wall, but he only disfigures it.
CHAPTER 5. THE PRINCE WHO WILL SET HIMSELF TO PRACTISE A BENEVOLENT GOVERNMENT ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ANCIENT KINGS HAS NONE TO FEAR.
1. Wan Chang was a disciple of Mencius, the fifth book of whose Works is named from him. What he says here may surprise us, because we know that the duke of Sung (its capital was in the present district of Shang-ch＇iû [商丘], in the Kwei-teh department of Ho-nan), or king, as he styled himself, was entirely worthless and oppressive; see the ＇Historical Records,＇Book XXXVIII, 宋徽子世家, towards the end.
2. Compare Bk. I. Pt. II. iii. I, and xi. 2. Po, the capital of T＇ang (though there were three places of the same name), is referred to the same department of Honan as the country of Ko, viz. that of Kwei-teh.
T＇ang again sent messengers to ask him the same question as before, when he replied, "I have no means of obtaining the necessary millet."On this, T＇ang sent the mass of the people of Po to go and till the ground for him, while the old and feeble carried their food to them. The chief of Ko led his people to intercept those who were thus charged with wine, cooked rice, millet,and paddy, and took their stores from them, while they killed those who refused to give them up. There was a boy who had some millet and flesh for the labourers,who was thus slain and robbed. What is said in the Book of History, "The chief of Ko behaved as an enemy to the provision-carriers," has reference to this.
3. ＇Because of his murder of this boy, T＇ang proceeded to punish him. All within the four seas said,"It is not because he desires the riches of the kingdom,but to avenge a common man and woman."
Its site is said to have been distant from the site of the supposed capital of Ko only about 100 lî, so that T＇ang might easily render the services here mentioned to the 伯, chief or baron, of Ko. 无以供,—＇no means of supplying＇, i.e. of obtaining. 遣, 4th tone,=馈. 粢盛 (2nd tone),—see last chapter. 为之,—为, 4th tone. 馈食,—食 (tzes), 4th tone. 要, 1st tone;—we find it defined in the dictionary, by ＇to meet with＇, ＇to extort＇, which approximate to the meaning here. 酒食,—食, as above,4th tone. 书曰,—see the Shû-ching, IV.ii.6.—In the 四书拓余说, in loc., 王厚齐 is quoted, to the effect that if Mencius had not been thus particular in explaining what is alluded to in the words of the Shû-ching, the interpretations of them would have been endless. But that in his time there were ancient books which could be appealed to.
3. 为, 4th tone. 匹夫匹妇—＇common men and women＇;—see Analects, XIV.xviii.3. The phrases are understood here, however, with a special application to the father and mother of the murdered boy.
4. ＇When T＇ang began his work of executing justice,he commenced with Ko, and though he made eleven punitive expeditions, he had not an enemy in the kingdom. When he pursued his work in the east, the rude tribes in 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 people＇s longing for him was like their longing for rain in a time of great drought. The frequenters of the markets stopped not. Those engaged in weeding inthe fields made no change in their operations. While he punished their rulers, he consoled the people. Hisprogress was like the falling of opportune rain, and the people were delighted. It is said in the Book of History, "We have waited for our prince. When our prince comes, we may escape from the punishments under which we suffer."
5. ＇There being some who would not become the subjects of Châu, king Wû proceeded to punish them on the east. He gave tranquillity to their people, who welcomed him with baskets full of their black and yellow silks, saying—"From henceforth we shall serve
4. Compare Bk. I. Pt. II. xi. 2. There are, however,some variations in the phrases. 载=始. The quotation in the end is from a different part of the Shû-ching;—see Part IV. v. Section II. 5. The eleven punitive expeditions of T＇ang cannot all be determined. From the Shih-ching and Shû-ching six only are made out,while by some their number is given as twenty-two,and twenty-seven;—see the 集证, in loc.
5. Down to 大邑周,—the substance of this paragraph is found in the Shû-ching;—see Pt. V. iii. 7; but this Book is confessed to require much emendation in its arrangement. 士女=男女. 匪,—used for 篚. 匪厥玄黄,—＇basketed their azure and yellow silks＇. It is said:—＇Heaven is azure, and Earth is yellow.
the sovereign of our dynasty of Châu, that we may be made happy by him." So they joined themselves, as subjects, to the great city of Châu. Thus, the men of station of Shang took baskets full of black and yellow silks to meet the men of station of Châu, and the lower classes of the one met those of the other with baskets of rice and vessels of congee. Wû saved the people from the midst of fire and water, seizing only their oppressors, and destroying them.＇
6. ＇In the Great Declaration it is said, "My power shall be put forth, and, invading the territories ofShang, I will seize the oppressor. I will put him to death to punish him:—so shall the greatness of my work appear, more glorious than that of T＇ang."
7. ＇Sung is not, as you say, practising true royal government, and so forth. If it were practising royal government, all within the four seas would be lifting up their heads, and looking for its prince, wishing to have him for their sovereign. Great as Ch＇î and Ch＇ûare, what would there be to fear from them?＇and gave the people rest. He might be compared to Heaven and Earth, overshadowing and sustaining all things in order to nourish men.＇绍 (we have 昭 in the Shû-ching),—＇to continue＇. We must understand a ＇saying＇, and bring out the meaning of 绍 thus:—＇Formerly we served Shang, and now we continue to serve, but our service is to Châu.＇大邑周, literally,＇great city (or citied) Châu＇, which is an irregular phrase, perhaps equal to Châu of the Great Capital. The 日讲 has 皆心悦诚服, 而尽归附于大邑周焉. From其君子 onwards, Mencius explains the meaning of the Shû-ching.
King Wû was able to put away the evils of Yin rule,
6. This quotation from Pt. V. i. Sect. II. 3, is to illustrate the last clause of the preceding paragraph.
7. 云尔,—see Analects, VII. xviii. 云, however, does not here simply act as a particle closing the sentence, but also refers to the whole of Wan Chang＇s statement at the commencement of the conversation.
