Ye humble yourself, Sir. In
what is Chung-ni your better?

[Footnote 180: Confucius.]

[Footnote 181: See Introduction.]

[Footnote 182: Head of the Meng clan.]

[Footnote 183: A disciple of Tzu-kung.]

Tzu-kung said, By one word a gentleman shows wisdom, by one word want
of wisdom. Words must not be lightly spoken. No one can come up to the
Master, as heaven is not to be climbed by steps. If the Master had
power in a kingdom, or a clan, the saying would come true, 'What he
sets up stands; he shows the way and men go it, he brings peace and
they come, he stirs them and they are at one. Honoured in life, he is
mourned when dead!' Who can come up to him?

BOOK XX[184]

1. Yao said, Hail to thee, Shun! The count that Heaven is telling
falls on thee. Keep true hold of the centre. If there be stress or
want within the four seas, the gift of Heaven will pass for ever.

Shun laid the same commands on Yue.

_T'ang_ said, I, Thy little child Li, dare to offer this black steer,
and dare to proclaim before Thee, Almighty Lord, that I dare not
forgive sin, nor keep down Thy ministers. Search them, O Lord, in
Thine heart. If Our life be sinful, visit it not upon the ten thousand
homesteads. If the ten thousand homesteads sin, the sin is on Our
head.

Chou bestowed great gifts, and good men grew rich.

'Loving hearts are better than near kinsmen. All the people blame no
one but me.'[185]

He saw to weights and measures, revised the laws, and brought back
broken officers. Order reigned everywhere. He revived ruined kingdoms
and restored fiefs that had fallen in. All hearts below heaven turned
to him. The people's food, burials and worship weighed most with him.
His bounty gained the many, his truth won the people's trust, his
earnestness brought success, his justice made men glad.

[Footnote 184: This chapter shows the principles on which China was
governed in old times. Yao and Shun were the legendary founders of the
Chinese Empire, Yue, T'ang, and Chou were the first emperors of the
houses of Hsia, Shang and Chou, which had ruled China up till the time
of Confucius.]

[Footnote 185: Said by King Wu (Chou). The people blamed him for not
dethroning at once the tyrant Chou Hsin.]

2. Tzu-chang asked Confucius, How should men be governed?

The Master said, To govern men we must honour five fair things and
spurn four evil things.

Tzu-chang said, What are the five fair things?

The Master said, A gentlem