CHAPTER VII
1. The king Hsüan of Ch＇î asked, saying, ＇May I be informed by you of the transactions of Hwan of Ch＇î,and Wăn of Tsin?＇
卒, read ts＇û.卒然,—compare 率尔, Analects, XI. xxiv.4. On 望之, 就之, compare Analects, XIX. ix. Châo Ch＇i makes 定于 一to= ＇It will be settled by him who makes benevolent government his one object.＇ But this is surely going beyond the text.
5. The 与 is here explained, by Chû Hsi and others,as equivalent to 归, founding, no doubt, on the 民归之 in the end. But in Bk. V. Pt. I. v, we have a plain instance of 与, used in connexion with the bestowment of the throne, as in the translation which I have ventured to give, which seems to me, moreover, to accord equally well, if not better, with the rest of the chapter.
6. The 7th and 8th months of Chou were the 5th and 6th of the Hsiâ dynasty, with which the months o the present dynasty agree. 今夫,—夫, the 1st tone, is used as in the Analects, XI. ix. 3. The 之at the end is to be referred to 水, the whole, from 由(=犹), being an illustration of the people＇s turning with resistless energy to a benevolent ruler.
CHAPTER 7. LOVING and PROTECTING THE People IS The CHARACTERISTIC of ROYAL GOVERNMENT, AND THE SURE PATH TO THE ROYAL DIGNITY.
This long and interesting chapter has been arranged in five parts.
2. Mencius replied, ＇There were none of the disciples of Chung-nî who spoke about the affairs of Hwan and Wăn, and therefore they have not been transmitted to these after-ages;— your servant has not heard them. If you will have me speak, let it be about royal government.＇
3. The king said, ＇What virtue must there be in order to attain to royal sway?＇ Mencius answered, ＇The love and protection of the people; with this there is no power which can prevent a ruler from attaining to it.＇
4. The king asked again, ＇Is such an one as I competent to love and protect the people?＇
In the first part, pars. 1-5, Mencius unfolds the principle of royal government, and tells the king of Ch＇î that he possesses it. In the second part, pars. 6-8,he leads the king on to understand his own mind, and apprehend how he might exercise a royal government.In the third (part), pars. 9-12, he unfolds how the king may and ought to carry out the kindly heart which he possessed. In the fourth part, pars. 13-17, he shows the absurdity of the king＇s expecting to gain his end by the course he was pursuing, and how rapid would be the response to an opposite one. In the last part, he shows the government that loves and protects the people in full development, and crowned with royal sway.
1. The king Hsüan (＇The Distinguished＇, 圣善周闻曰宣), the second of his family, who governed in Ch＇î, by surname T＇ien (田), and named P＇î-chiang(辟疆), began his reign B.C. 332. By some the date of this event is placed nine years earlier. The time of Mencius＇s visit to him is also matter of dispute;—see ＇Life of Mencius＇, in the Prolegomena. The ruler of Ch＇î was properly only a duke (公 in posthumous title), or a marquis (while alive, 候); the title of king was a usurpation. Hwan and Wăn,—see Analects,XIV. xvi. They were the greatest of the five leaders of the princes, who played so conspicuous a part in the middle time of the Châu dynasty, but to whom Confucius and Mencius so positively refused their approval.
2. 道 is a verb, = ＇to speak of＇, in which sense it had formerly a tone different from its usage as a noun. 无以, 则王乎, —以 is taken by Chû Hsi as = 已, which it is as well to acquiesce in. See Châo Ch＇î＇s commentary for the all but impossibility of making any sense of the passage in any other way. 王, the 4th tone, and so generally throughout the chapter. As the royal title,it is in the 2nd tone, the simple name of dignity; as implying the attainment or exercise of that dignity, it is the 4th tone. By translating it by ＇royal government＇,＇royal sway＇, we come nearer to giving Mencius＇s meaning than if we were to use any other term.
3. Here the nominatives of ＇king＇ and ＇Mencius＇ are dropped before 曰, as frequently afterwards. The 曰just serves the purpose of our points of quotation. 保,＇to preserve＇, ＇to protect＇. I translate it, according to Chû His＇s account, as = 爱护. A pause is to be made at民, and 而王 joined to the remainder of the sentence.
4. The hall, or t＇ang, here mentioned, was probably that where the king was giving audience, and attending to the affairs of government. 牛何之,—the 之 is the verb, = 往. 舍,—also a verb, in 3rd tone. 诸=之, and at the same time with an indirect interrogative force.
Mencius said, ＇Yes.＇ ＇How do you know that I am competent for that?＇ ＇I heard the following incident from Hû Ho:— "The king," said he, "was sitting aloft in the hall, when a man appeared, leading an ox past the lower part of it. The king saw him, and asked, Where is the ox going? The man replied, We are going to consecrate a bell with its blood. The king said, Let it go. I cannot bear its frightened appearance,as if it were an innocent person going to the place of death. The man answered, Shall we then omit the consecration of the bell? The king said, How can that be omitted? Change it for a sheep." I do not know whether this incident really occurred.＇
5. Theking replied, ＇It did,＇ and then Mencius said, ＇The heart seen in this is sufficient to carry you to the royal sway. The people all supposed that your Majesty grudged the animal, but your servant knows surely,that it was your Majesty＇s not being able to bear thesight, which made you do as you did.＇
Chû Hsi explains 衅钟 from the meaning of 衅 as＇a crack＇, ＇a crevice＇, saying:-—＇After the casting of a bell, they killed an animal, took its blood, and suneared over the crevices.＇ But the first meaning of衅 is —＇a sacrifice by blood＇, and anciently ＇almost all things＇, connected with their religious worship,were among the Chinese purified with blood;—their temples, and the vessels in them. See the Li Chi, Bk.XXII. The reference here is to the religious rite. The only thing is that, in using an ox to consecrate his bell,the prince of Ch＇î was usurping a royal privilege.
5. 爱 may be taken as the finite verb, = ＇you loved, i.e.grudged the animal＇, or as = ＇to be niggardly＇,—＇you were parsimonious＇.
6. The king said, ＇You are right. And yet there really was an appearance of what the people condemned. But though Ch＇î be a small and narrow State, how should I grudge one ox? Indeed it was because I could not bear its frightened appearance, as if it were an innocent person going to the place of death, that therefore I changed it for a sheep.＇
7. Mencius pursued, ＇Let not your Majesty deem it strange that the people should think you were grudging the animal. When you changed a large one for a small, how should they know the true reason?If you felt pained by its being led without guilt to the place of death, what was there to choose between an ox and a sheep?＇ The king laughed and said, ＇What really was my mind in the matter? I did not grudge the expense of it, and changed it for a sheep!— There was reason in the people＇s saying that I grudged it.＇
8. ＇There is no harm in their saying so,＇ said Mencius. ＇Your conduct was an artifice of benevolence.
6. It is better to make a pause after 然, and give the meaning as in the translation. Chao Ch＇î runs it on to the next clause. 诚有百姓者 is elliptical, and the particle 者 denotes this, requiring the supplement which I have given. 即 acknowledges the truth of Mencius＇s explanation.
7. 隐=痛. 是诚何心哉 expresses the king＇s quandary.He is now quite perplexed by the way in which Mencius has put the case.
8. 仁术,—compare Analects, VI xxviii. 3, 仁之方. We must take the two words 庖厨 together as indicating the kitchen, where the victims were both killed and cooked.
You saw the ox, and had not seen the sheep. So is the superior man affected towards animals, that,having seen them alive, he cannot bear to see them die; having heard their dying cries, he cannot bear to eat their flesh. Therefore he keeps away from his slaughter-house and cook-room.＇
9. The king was pleased, and said, ＇It is said in the Book of Poetry, "The minds of others, I am able by reflection to measure;" — this is verifled, my Master,in your discovery of my motive. I indeed did the thing,but when I turned my thoughts inward, and examined into it, I could not discover my own mind. When you, Master, spoke those words, the movements of compassion began to work in my mind. How is it that this heart has in it what is equal to the royal sway?＇
10. Mencius replied, ＇Suppose a man were to make this statement to your Majesty:— "My strength is sufficient to lift three thousand catties, but it is not sufficient to lift one feather;— my eyesight is sharp enough to examine the point of an autumn hair, but I do not see a waggon-load of faggots;— "would your Majesty allow what he said?＇
9. 说=悦. For the ode, see the Book of Poetry, II. v.Ode IV st. 4, where the 他人 has a special reference.夫子之谓也,—literally, ＇(This was) a speaking about you, my Master＇.
10. 复, read fû, the 4th tone, often meaning to report the execution of mission, as in the phrase—复命.Here it is = ＇to inform＇. 独可与,—in order to bring out the force of the 独, ＇only, it is necessary to make two sentences of this in English.
＇No,＇ was the answer, on which Mencius proceeded,＇Now here is kindness sufficient to reach to animals,and no benefits are extended from it to the people.—How is this? Is an exception to be made here? The truth is, the feather is not lifted , because strength is not used; the waggon-load of firewood is not seen,because the eyesight is not used; and the people are not loved and protected, because kindness is not employed. Therefore your Majesty＇s not exercising the royal sway, is because you do not do it, not because you are not able to do it.＇
11. The king asked, ＇How may the difference between the not doing a thing, and the not being able to do it, be represented? Mencius replied,＇In such a thing as taking the T＇âi mountain under your arm, and leaping over the north sea with it, if you say to people— "I am not able to do it," that is a real case of not being able. In such a matter as breaking off a branch from a tree at the order of a superior, if you say to people— "I am not able to do it," that is a case of not doing it, it is not a case of not being able to do it.
不为也, it is said, =不肯为, ＇not willing to do it＇, but it is better to add nothing to the simple text. We have here, indeed, the famous distinction of ＇moral＇ and＇physical＇ ability. may the figure......be differenced?＇ 语人,—语, in 4th
11. 形,—＇the form＇, ＇or the figure＇;—literally ＇How tone, =告.
12. Châo Ch＇î makes the opening here = ＇Treat as their age requires your own old (English idiom seems to require the 2nd person), and treat the old of others in the same way＇, but there seems to be a kind of constructio pregnans, conveying all that appears in the translation.
Therefore your Majesty＇s not exercising the royal sway, is not such a case as that of taking the T＇âi mountain under your arm, and leaping over the north sea with it. Your Majesty＇s not exercising the royal sway is a case like that of breaking off a branch from a tree.
12. ＇Treat with the reverence due to age the elders in your own family, so that the elders in the families of others shall be similarly treated; treat with the kindness due to youth the young in your own family,so that the young in the families of others shall be similarly treated:— do this, and the kingdom may be made to go round in your palm. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "His example affected his wife. It reached to his brothers, and his family of the State was governed by it."— The language shows how kingWăn simply took his kindly heart, and exercised it towards those parties. Therefore the carrying out his kindness of heart by a prince will suffice for the love and protection of all within the four seas, and if he do not carry it out, he will not be able to protect his wife and children.
天下可运于掌 is made by most commentators to mean—＇you may pervade the kingdom with your kindness so easily＇. But I must believe that it is the effect, and not the means, which is thus represented.For the ode, see the Shih-ching, III. i. Ode VI. st. 2.The original celebrates the virtue of king Wăn, and we must translate in the third person, and not in the first.御=迓, but the meaning is disputed. Here Chû Hsi explains it by 治. The philosopher now introduces a new element into his discourse. It is no longer the 不忍之心, ＇the heart that cannot bear,＇ i.e. the humane heart,which is necessary to raise to the royal sway, but it is推此心, ＇the carrying out of this heart＇.
The way in which the ancients came greatly to surpass other men, was no other but this:— simply that they knew well how to carry out, so as to affect others,what they themselves did. Now your kindness is sufficient to reach to animals, and no benefits are extended from it to reach the people.— How is this? Is an exception to be made here?
13. ＇By weighing, we know what things are light,and what heavy. By measuring, we know what things are long, and what short. Greg Mark for the record of infringement of copyright just in case. The relations of all things may be thus determined, and it is of the greatest importance to estimate the motions of the mind. I beg your Majesty to measure it.
14. ＇You collect your equipments of war, endanger your soldiers and officers, and excite the resentment of the other princes;—do these things cause you pleasure in your mind?＇
15. The king replied, ＇No. How should I derive pleasure from these things? My object in them is to seek for what I greatly desire.＇
16. Mencius said, ＇May I hear from you what it is that you greatly desire?＇ The king laughed and did not speak.
All may have the heart, but all may not be gifted, so to carry it out that it shall affect all others. We cannot wonder that the princes whom Mencius lectured should have thought his talk 迂阔, transcendental.
13. The first 度 is the 4th tone, tû, ＇a measure＇, the instrument for measuring. But both it and 权 are equivalent to active verbs. 心为甚 means, that the mind, as affected from without, and going forth to affect, may be light or heavy, long or short, i.e. may be right or wrong, and that in different degrees;—and that it is more important to estimate the character of its action, than to weigh or measure other things.
14. Here Mencius helps the king to measure his mind. 抑—about the same as our ＇come now＇, or ＇well then＇. Further on, its equally accepted meaning of ＇or＇suits the connexion better.
16. The 与 are all interrogative, in the 2nd tone, and the 为 are all in the 4th tone. 便, read p＇een, the 2nd tone, joined with the next character.
Mencius resumed, ＇Are you led to desire it, because you have not enough of rich and sweet food for your mouth? Or because you have not enough of light and warm clothing for your body? Or because you have not enough of beautifully coloured objects to delight your eyes? Or because you have not voices and tones enough to please your ears? Or because you have not enough of attendants and favourites to stand before you and receive your orders? Your Majesty＇s various officers are sufficient to supply you with those things.How can your Majesty be led to entertain such a desire on account of them?＇ ＇No,＇ said the king; ＇my desire is not on account of them.＇ Mencius added, ＇Then, what your Majesty greatly desires may be known. You wish to enlarge your territories, to have Ch＇in and Ch＇û wait at your court, to rule the Middle Kingdom, and to attract to you the barbarous tribes that surround it. But doing what you do to seek for what you desire is like climbing a tree to seek for fish.＇
17. The king said, ＇Is it so bad as that?＇ ＇It is even worse,＇ was the reply. ＇If you climb a tree to seek for fish, although you do not get the fish, you will not suffer any subsequent calamity.
可知已,—已 gives a positiveness to the assertion. 辟,read as, and=开. 绿木, from the use of the phrase here,has come to be used for ＇to climb a tree＇, but it simply is—＇from a tree＇.
17. The 殆, an introductory part,= ＇yes, and＇. 盖亦反其本 is spoken with reference to the king＇s object of ambition:—＇By the course you are pursuing you cannot succeed, for, if you wish to do so, you must also turn back to the root of success.＇
But doing what you do to seek for what you desire,doing it moreover with all your heart, you will assuredly afterwards meet with calamities.＇ Theking asked, ＇May I hear from you the proof of that?＇Mencius said, ＇If the people of Tsâu should fight with the people of Ch＇û, which of them does your Majesty think would conquer?＇ ＇The people of Ch＇û would conquer.＇ ＇Yes;— and so it is certain that a small country cannot contend with a great, that few cannot contend with many, that the weak cannot contend with the strong. The territory within the four seas embraces nine divisions, each of a thousand lî square. All Ch＇îtogether is but one of them. If with one part you try to subdue the other eight, what is the difference between that and Tsâu＇s contending with Ch＇û? For, with such adesire, you must turn back to the proper course for itsattainment.
18. ＇Now if your Majesty will institute a government whose action shall be benevolent, this will cause all the officers in the kingdom to wish to stand in your Majesty＇s court, and all the farmers to wish to plough in your Majesty＇s fields, and all the merchants,
18. 野,—＇fields＇, here; not ＇wilds＇. 出于,—＇to come forth in＇, i.e. to pass from their own States into yours.欲疾,—＇feeling aggrieved, but must restrain their feelings＇.
both travelling and stationary, to wish to store their goods in your Majesty＇s market-places, and all travelling strangers to wish to make their tours on your Majesty＇s roads, and all throughout the kingdom who feel aggrieved by their rulers to wish to come and complain to your Majesty. And when they are so bent,who will be able to keep them back?＇
19. The king said, ＇I am stupid, and not able to advance to this. I wish you, my Master, to assist my intentions. Teach me clearly; although I am deficient in intelligence and vigour, I will essay and try to carry your instructions into effect.＇
20. Mencius replied, ＇They are only men of education, who, without a certain livelihood, are able to maintain a fixed heart. As to the people, if they have not a certain livelihood, it follows that they will not have a fixed heart. And if they have not a fixed heart,there is nothing which they will not do, in the way of self-abandonment, of moral deflection, of depravity,and of wild license.
20. 辟, read as, and=僻. 罔,—＇en-net＇, i.e. to entrap. 无所不为已,—已, see on par.16.
21. 终身, generally means ＇the whole life＇. Perhaps we should translate, ＇If come years be good, they will all their lives have plenty＇, i.e. they will in those years lay by a sufficient provision for bad years.
When they thus have been involved in crime, to follow them up and punish them;— this is to entrap the people. How can such a thing as entrapping the people be done under the rule of a benevolent man?
21. ＇Therefore an intelligent ruler will regulate the livelihood of the people, so as to make sure that,for those above them, they shall have sufficient wherewith to serve their parents, and, for those below them, sufficient wherewith to support their wives and children; that in good years they shall always be abundantly satisfied, and that in bad years they shall escape the danger of perishing. After this he may urge them, and they will proceed to what is good, for in this case the people will follow after it with ease.
22. ＇Now, the livelihood of the people is so regulated, that, above, they have not sufficient wherewith to serve their parents, and, below, they have not sufficient wherewith to support their wives and children. Notwithstanding good years, their lives are continually embittered, and, in bad years, they do not escape perishing. In such circumstances they only try to save themselves from death, and are afraid they will not succeed. What leisure have they to cultivate propriety and righteousness?＇
This supposes that the people have felt the power of the instruction and moral training that is a part of royal government, which, however, is set forth as consequent on the regulation of the livelihood.Similarly, below. 之善,—之 is the verb,=往. 民之从之也轻,—Julien censures Noel here for rendering 从之 by ＇ipsi (principi) obsequentur, and rightly. But I am not sure that the error is not rather in the rendering of 从 than in that of 之. The prince is supposed to exemplify, as well as to urge to, the good course, and the well-off people have no difficulty in following him.
23. 反其本, as in par.17, but with reference to the immediate subject.
23. ＇If your Majesty wishes to effect this regulationof the livelihood of the people, why not turn to that which is the essential step to it?
24. ＇Let mulberry-trees be planted about the homesteads with their five mâu, and persons of fifty years may be clothed with silk. In keeping fowls, pigs,dogs, and swine, let not their times of breeding be neglected, and persons of seventy years may eat flesh.Let there not be taken away the time that is proper for the cultivation of the farm with its hundred mâu, and the family of eight mouths that is supported by it shall not suffer from hunger. Let careful attention be paid to education in schools,—the inculcation in it especially of the filial and fraternal duties, and grey-haired men will not be seen upon the roads, carrying burdens on their backs or on their heads. It never has been that the ruler of a State where such results were seen,—the old wearing silk and eating flesh, and the black-haired people suffering neither from hunger nor cold,—did not attain to the royal dignity.＇
24. See ch. iii, the only difference being that, for 数口之家 there, we have 八口之家, eight mouths being the number which 100 mâu of medium land were computed to feed.