20 yao said, "oh! you, shun, the heaven-determined order of succession nowrests in your person. sincerely hold fast the due mean. if there shall bedistress and want within the four seas, the heavenly revenue will come to aperpetual end." shun also used the same language in giving charge to yu. t'ang said, "i the child li, presume to use a dark-colored victim, andpresume to announce to thee, o most great and sovereign god, that the sinner idare not pardon, and thy ministers, o god, i do not keep in obscurity. theexamination of them is by thy mind, o god. if, in my person, i commit offenses,they are not to be attributed to you, the people of the myriad regions. if youin the myriad regions commit offenses, these offenses must rest on my person." chau conferred great gifts, and the good were enriched. "although he has his near relatives, they are not equal to my virtuous men.the people are throwing blame upon me, the one man." he carefully attended to the weights and measures, examined the body of thelaws, restored the discarded officers, and the good government of the kingdomtook its course. he revived states that had been extinguished, restored families whose lineof succession had been broken, and called to office those who had retired intoobscurity, so that throughout the kingdom the hearts of the people turnedtowards him. what he attached chief importance to were the food of the people, the dutiesof mourning, and sacrifices. by his generosity, he won all. by his sincerity, he made the people reposetrust in him. by his earnest activity, his achievements were great. by hisjustice, all were delighted. tsze-chang asked confucius, saying, "in what way should a person inauthority act in order that he may conduct government properly?" the masterreplied, "let him honor the five excellent, and banish away the four bad,things;-then may he conduct government properly." tsze-chang said, "what aremeant by the five excellent things?" the master said, "when the person inauthority is beneficent without great expenditure; when he lays tasks on thepeople without their repining; when he pursues what he desires without beingcovetous; when he maintains a dignified ease without being proud; when he ismajestic without being fierce." tsze-chang said, "what is meant by being beneficent without greatexpenditure?" the master replied, "when the person in authority makes morebeneficial to the people the things from which they naturally derive benefit;-isnot this being beneficent without great expenditure? when he chooses the laborswhich are proper, and makes them labor on them, who will repine? when hisdesires are set on benevolent government, and he secures it, who will accuse himof covetousness? whether he has to do with many people or few, or with thingsgreat or small, he does not dare to indicate any disrespect;-is not this tomaintain a dignified ease without any pride? he adjusts his clothes and cap, andthrows a dignity into his looks, so that, thus dignified, he is looked at withawe;-is not this to be majestic without being fierce?" tsze-chang then asked, "what are meant by the four bad things?" the mastersaid, "to put the people to death without having instructed them;-this is calledcruelty. to require from them, suddenly, the full tale of work, without havinggiven them warning;-this is called oppression. to issue orders as if withouturgency, at first, and, when the time comes, to insist on them with severity;-this is called injury. and, generally, in the giving pay or rewards to men, todo it in a stingy way;-this is called acting the part of a mere official." the master said, "without recognizing the ordinances of heaven, it isimpossible to be a superior man. "without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is impossible forthe character to be established. "without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men." |
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