Yan Tie Lun (鹽鐵論) · Volume 14

文學曰聖主設官以授任能者處之分祿以養賢防者受之【說命曰官不及私暱惟其防爵罔及惡徳惟其賢】義貴無髙義取無多故舜受堯之天下太公不避周之三公【馮忌曰昔者堯見舜扵草茅之中席隴畝而庇桑隂隂移而天下傳尚書中曰文王至田扵溪水畔呂尚釣扵崖王下拜曰切望公七年乃今見光景於斯尚立變名答曰望釣得玉璜刻曰姬受命呂佐旌徳合昌來提撰爾雒鈴報在齊尊賢篇曰堯舜相見不違桑隂文王舉太公不以日久故賢聖之接也不待久而親防者之相見也不待試而知矣】苟非其人簞食【音嗣】豆羮猶為頼民也【頼幸也】故徳薄而位髙力小而任重鮮【上聲】不及矣【易曰鼎折足覆公餗其形渥兇子曰徳薄而位尊智小而謀大力小而任重鮮不及矣說林訓曰短綆不可以汲深器小不可以盛大非其任也陸子曰任重於力才盡則困用廣其器應博則兇是以物勝權而衡殆形過鏡則照窮故明主程才以効業貞臣底力而辭豐】夫【音扶】太山鴟啄腐鼠扵窮澤幽谷之中非有害於人也今之有司盜主財而食之扵刑法之旁不知機之是發又以嚇【音黒】人其患惡【音烏】得若太山之鴟乎

The Literati said: A sage ruler sets up offices to assign duties, and the capable fill them; he divides salaries to nourish the worthy, and the worthy receive them [The Book of Documents, 'Charge to Yue,' says: Offices are not for the favored and intimate but only for the capable; rank is not for evil virtue but only for the worthy.]. Righteousness values no one as too high and takes no one as too many. So Shun received Yao's world and Taigong did not shrink from Zhou's Three Excellencies [Feng Ji said: In the past Yao saw Shun among the thatch and weeds, sat on a mat in the fields in the shade of mulberry, and before the shade moved he had passed on the world. The Book of Documents, 'Mid-Records,' says: When King Wen arrived at the bank of the stream, Lü Shang was fishing by the cliff, and the king bowed and said: I have longed for you for seven years, and only now do I see your light and shadow here. Shang stood and changed his name and answered: I hoped to catch a jade pendant, engraved: Ji receives the mandate and Lü assists the banner; virtue matches Chang's coming to hold the bell of your Luo; the repayment lies in Qi. The 'Honoring the Worthy' chapter says: Yao and Shun met without leaving the mulberry shade, and King Wen raised Taigong without regard to length of time. So the meeting of the worthy and sage does not wait for long to become close, and when the worthy see each other they know without testing.]. If a man is not suitable, even a bamboo bowl of rice and a bean broth can be called a favor to the people. So one whose virtue is thin but position high, whose strength is small but burden heavy, rarely avoids failure [The Changes says: The tripod's leg is broken, spilling the duke's meal, and his form is soiled; misfortune. Confucius said: One whose virtue is thin but position honored, whose wisdom is small but plans great, whose strength is small but burden heavy, rarely escapes failure. The Huainanzi, 'Forest of Persuasions,' says: A short rope cannot draw from a deep well, a small vessel cannot hold a great matter; it is not their capacity. Master Lu said: If a burden exceeds one's strength, when talent is exhausted one is in difficulty; if use exceeds one's vessel, responding to broad demands brings misfortune. So an enlightened ruler measures talent to assign work and a loyal minister assesses his strength before declining abundance.]. The owl of Mount Tai pecks a rotten rat in the depths of remote marshes and secluded valleys, and does no harm to people. Today's officials steal the ruler's wealth and eat it beside the law and punishments, not knowing when the trigger will be sprung, and yet they shriek at people; how can their trouble be like that of the owl of Mount Tai?

大夫曰司馬子言天下穰穰皆為利徃【貨殖傳曰天下熈熙皆為利來天下穰穰皆為利徃】趙女不擇醜好鄭嫗【音預】不擇逺近商人不醜恥辱戎士不為死力士不在親事君不避其難【去聲】皆為利祿也儒墨內貪外矜徃來防說【音稅】棲棲然亦未為得也故尊榮者士之願也富貴者士之期也方李斯在荀卿之門闒【音達】茸【音戎】與之齊軫及其奮翼髙舉龍升驥騖過九軼二翺翔萬仞鴻鵠驊騮且同侶況跛【音避】牂【音戕牝羊也】燕雀之屬乎席天下之權【席猶因也若人之坐扵席也】御宇內之眾後車百乘【去聲】食祿萬鍾而拘儒布褐不完糟糠不飽非甘菽藿而卑廣廈亦不防得已雖欲嚇【音黒】人其何已乎【傳曰夫鳳凰之初起也翾翾十歩之雀喔咿而笑之及其升扵髙一屈一伸展而云間藩木之雀超然自知不及逺矣士褐衣縕著未嘗完也糲藿之食未嘗飽也世俗之士即以為羞耳及其出則安百議用則延民命世俗之士超然自知不及逺矣】

The Grand Secretary said: Sima Zi said that the whole world is bustling, all going toward profit [The Records of the Grand Historian, 'Biographies of Money-Makers,' says: The whole world is bustling, all coming for profit; the whole world is teeming, all going for profit.]. The women of Zhao do not choose between ugly and fair and the old women of Zheng do not choose between far and near; merchants are not ashamed of disgrace, warriors do not mind dying, strongmen do not care for their parents, and those who serve rulers do not avoid hardship, all for profit and salary. Confucians and Mohists, covetous within and showy without, go back and forth giving persuasions, restless and still not getting anywhere. So honor and glory are what scholars wish for, and wealth and rank are what scholars hope for. When Li Si was at Xunzi's door, he stood on a level with mediocre and base people; but when he spread his wings and rose, soaring like a dragon and galloping like a fine horse, passing nine and surpassing two, soaring over ten thousand ren, swans and cranes and fine steeds were his companions, to say nothing of lame ewes, swallows and sparrows. He took the power of the world as his mat ("mat" is like "relying on," as a person sits on a mat), governed the multitudes within the cosmos, had a hundred carriages following behind him and a salary of ten thousand zhong, while the pedantic Confucian had no whole coarse garment and was not full on chaff. It is not that they are content with bean leaves and look down on great halls; they have no choice. Even if they wanted to shriek at people, what good would it do? [The record says: When the phoenix first rises, a sparrow ten paces away chirps and laughs at it; but when it ascends high, bending and stretching and spreading in the clouds, the sparrow of the hedge knows by itself it cannot reach so far. A scholar in a rough gown with patches who has never had a whole garment and never been full on coarse bean leaves is thought shameful by worldly scholars; but when he goes out he settles a hundred disputes, and when employed he extends people's lives, and worldly scholars know by themselves that they cannot reach so far.]

文學曰君子懐徳小人懐土賢士殉名貪夫死利【駢拇篇曰小人則以身殉利士則以身殉名伯夷死名扵首陽之下盜跖死利扵東陵之上野語曰眾人重利廉士重名賢士尚志聖人貴精叢談曰眾人以毀形為恥君子以毀義為辱眾人重利防士重名】李斯貪其所欲致其所惡【音汙範睢曰欲而不知止失其所以欲有而不知足失其所以有】孫叔敖早見扵未萌三去相【去聲】而不悔【南華經曰肩吾問扵孫叔敖曰子三為令尹而不榮華三去之而無憂色吾始也疑子今視子之鼻間栩栩然子之用心獨奈何孫叔敖曰吾何以過人哉吾以其來不可卻也其去不可止也吾以為得失之非我也而無憂色矣吾何以過人哉且不知其在彼乎其在我乎其在彼耶忘乎我在我耶忘乎彼方將躊躇方將四顧何暇至乎人貴人賤哉】非樂【音洛】卑賤而惡【音汙】重祿也慮逺而避害謹也【傅亮曰昔之君子同名爵扵香餌故傾危不及思憂患而豫防則針石無用洪流壅扵防防合拱挫扵纖櫱介焉是式色斯而舉悟髙鳥以風逝鑑醴酒而投紱夫豈敝著而後謀通患結而後思復哉故詩曰謹爾侯度用戒不虞言防萌也】夫【音扶】郊祭之牛食養朞年衣【去聲】之文繡以入廟堂太宰執其鸞刀以啟其毛方此之時願任重而止峻坂不可得也【南華經曰楚威王聞荘周賢使使厚幣迎之許以為相荘周笑謂楚使者曰千金重利卿相尊位也子獨不見郊祭之犧牛乎養食之數嵗衣以文繡以入太廟當是之時雖欲為孤豚豈可得乎】商鞅困扵彭池吳起之伏王屍願被布褐而處窮鄙之蒿廬李斯相【去聲】秦席天下之勢志小萬乘【去聲】及其囚扵囹【音零】圄【音語】車制扵雲陽之市亦願負薪入鴻門行上蔡曲街徑不可得也【商鞅傳曰商君既入秦走商邑與其徒屬發邑兵北出擊鄭秦發兵攻商君殺之扵鄭黽池徐廣曰黽或作彭吳起傳曰諸侯患楚之強故楚之貴戚盡欲害吳起及悼王死宗室大臣作亂而攻吳起吳起走之王屍而伏之擊起之徒因射刺吳起並中悼王李斯傳曰二世二年具斯五刑論腰斬咸陽市斯出獄與其中子俱執顧謂其中子曰吾欲與若牽黃犬俱出上蔡東門逐狡兎豈可得哉】蘇秦吳起以權勢自殺商鞅李斯以尊重自滅皆貪祿慕榮以其身從【去聲】車百乘【去聲】曽不足以載其禍也【傳曰夫利為害夲而福為禍先惟不求利者為無害不求福者為無禍詩曰不忮不求何用不臧傅亮曰夫四道好謙三才忌滿祥萃虛室瞰髙屋豐屋有蔀家之災鼎食無百年之貴然而狥欲厚生者忽而不戒知進忘退者曽莫之懲前車已摧後鑾不息乘危以庶安行險以徼倖扵是有顛墜覆亡之禍殘生夭命之釁其故何哉流溺忘反而以身扵物也】

The Literati said: The noble person cherishes virtue, the petty person cherishes land; the worthy scholar dies for fame and the greedy man dies for profit [The Zhuangzi, 'Webbed Toes,' says: The petty man sacrifices himself for profit, and the scholar sacrifices himself for fame. Boyi died for fame at the foot of Mount Shouyang, and Robber Zhi died for profit on top of Mount Dongling. A rustic saying goes: The multitude values profit, the honest scholar values fame, the worthy scholar honors the will, and the sage values essence. The 'Collected Talk' says: The multitude consider damaging the body shameful, the noble person considers damaging righteousness disgraceful; the multitude value profit and the honest scholar values fame.]. Li Si was greedy for what he desired and brought on what he hated [The Strategies of the Warring States, Fan Ju said: One who desires and does not know to stop loses what he desires; one who has and does not know contentment loses what he has]. Sun Shu'ao saw it early before it sprouted and left office three times without regret [The Zhuangzi says: Jianwu asked Sun Shu'ao: You were chief minister three times and were not made proud, and left three times with no look of worry. At first I doubted you, but now I see how at ease the bridge of your nose is; what is your way of using the heart? Sun Shu'ao said: How do I surpass others? I felt that its coming could not be refused and its going could not be stopped; I thought gain and loss were not mine, and so had no look of worry. How do I surpass others? And furthermore, I do not know whether it is in it or in me. If it is in it, I forget myself; if it is in me, I forget it. I am hesitating, I am looking around, and what leisure have I to consider whether a person is noble or humble?]. It is not that he took joy in being lowly and hated high salary, but that he was far-sighted and avoided harm and was cautious [Fu Liang said: The noble persons of old regarded rank and title as fragrant bait, and so ruin and danger did not reach them; thinking of troubles and preventing them beforehand, acupuncture needles and stones are useless. A great flood is blocked by dikes, a tree of one embrace is broken by a slender shoot. Taking heed of this as a pattern, they rose at the first sign, recognized that high-flying birds go off with the wind, and reflected on sweet wine and threw away their official seals. How could they plan for passage only after being worn out, or think of recovery only after trouble was knotted? So the Odes say: Be careful of your marquis's measure, and guard against the unforeseen. This speaks of preventing the sprout.]. The ox of the suburban sacrifice is fed for a year, clothed in embroidery and brought into the temple hall, and the Grand Steward takes the bell-hilted knife to open its hair. At that moment, wishing to bear a heavy load and stop at a steep slope is not possible [The Zhuangzi says: King Wei of Chu heard that Zhuang Zhou was worthy and sent envoys with rich gifts to welcome him, promising to make him chancellor. Zhuang Zhou laughed and said to the envoys of Chu: A thousand gold is a great profit, and a chancellor's seat is an honored position. Have you not seen the ox for the suburban sacrifice? It is fed for several years and clothed in embroidery and led into the grand temple. At that moment, even if it wanted to be a lone piglet, could it?]. Shang Yang was in difficulty at Pengchi, Wu Qi hid at the king's corpse, and wishing to wear coarse cloth and live in a wormwood hut in a remote village; Li Si was chancellor of Qin, seated in the power of the world, his ambition belittling a ruler of ten thousand chariots, and when he was imprisoned in the jail and torn apart by carriages in the market of Yunyang, he too wished to carry firewood into Honggate and walk the winding streets of Shangcai, but could not [The Records of the Grand Historian, 'Biography of Lord Shang,' says: After Lord Shang entered Qin, he fled to Shang city, and with his followers raised the city troops and went north to attack Zheng. Qin sent troops against Lord Shang and killed him at Mianchi in Zheng. Xu Guang said: Mian is sometimes written Peng. 'Biography of Wu Qi' says: The feudal lords worried about Chu's strength, so all the nobles of Chu wanted to harm Wu Qi. When King Dao died, the royal kinsmen and great ministers rebelled and attacked Wu Qi. Wu Qi ran to the king's corpse and lay on it. Those who attacked Qi shot and stabbed Wu Qi and hit King Dao as well. 'Biography of Li Si' says: In the second year of the Second Emperor, Si was subjected to the five punishments and sentenced to be cut at the waist in the market of Xianyang. When Si came out of prison with his second son, he turned to him and said: I want to lead the yellow dog with you out of the east gate of Shangcai to chase the cunning hare, but how could we?]. Su Qin and Wu Qi killed themselves by power, and Shang Yang and Li Si destroyed themselves by high position; all coveted salary and longed for glory and so lost their lives. A hundred following carriages were not enough to carry their disaster [The record says: Profit is the root of harm and fortune comes before disaster. Only one who does not seek profit has no harm, and only one who does not seek fortune has no disaster. The Odes say: Neither jealous nor greedy, what can go wrong? Fu Liang said: The four paths favor humility, the three powers avoid fullness, auspice gathers in an empty room and ghosts peer into a lofty house. A luxurious house meets the calamity of a curtained home, and tripod meals do not last a hundred years of rank. Yet those who follow desire and enrich life are careless and not warned, and those who know advancing but forget retreating have never been checked. The carriage ahead is already broken yet the following carriage does not stop, riding on danger and hoping for safety, walking on peril and hoping for luck, and so there is the disaster of falling and perishing and the omen of ruined life and early death. Why? They are carried away and forget to return, and make their bodies light for things.]

大夫曰伯夷以防飢尾生以信死【古史考曰伯夷叔齊殷之末世孤竹君之二子也隠扵首陽山采薇而食之野有婦人謂之曰子義不食周粟此亦周之草木也扵是餓死雜篇曰尾生與女子期扵梁下女子不來水至不去抱梁柱而死】由小器而虧大體匹夫匹婦之為諒也絰扵溝瀆而莫之知也何功名之有蘇秦張儀知【去聲】足以強國勇足以威敵一怒而諸侯懼安居而天下息萬乘【去聲】之主莫不屈體卑辭幣請交此所謂天下名士也【拾遺記曰蘇秦張儀二人同志好學迭翦髪而鬻之以相養防傭力寫書非聖人之書不讀遇見墳典行途無所題記以墨書掌及股裡夜還而寫之析竹為簡二人毎假食扵路剝樹皮編以為書帙以盛天下良書嘗息大樹之下假息而寐有一先生問二子何勤苦也儀秦又問之子何國人答曰吾生扵歸谷亦云谷者歸也又云歸者谷名也乃謂其術教以千世出俗之辨即探內得二巻說書言輔時之事古史考雲穀子也歸相近也論衡曰蘇秦張儀學縦橫之術扵谷先生先生曰防說我泣出則防分天皇之紀秦說谷先生先生泣霑襟】夫【音扶】智不足與謀而權不能舉當世民斯為下也今舉亡【音無】而為有虗而為盈布衣穿履深念徐行若有遺亡非立功成名之士而亦未免於世俗也

The Grand Secretary said: Boyi starved for integrity and Weisheng died for good faith [The Ancient History Examined says: Boyi and Shuqi were the two sons of the Lord of Guzhu at the end of the Yin dynasty and lived in seclusion on Mount Shouyang, eating bracken. A woman in the wilds said to them: You say it is righteous not to eat the grain of Zhou; yet this too is plants and trees of Zhou. So they starved to death. The 'Miscellaneous' chapter says: Weisheng arranged to meet a woman beneath a bridge; the woman did not come, and when the water rose he did not leave but embraced the bridge pillar and died.]. They lost the great body by small vessels; the faithfulness of a common man and woman passes through ditches and drains without anyone knowing it; what merit and fame is there? Su Qin and Zhang Yi had wisdom enough to strengthen a state and courage enough to overawe enemies; with one anger the feudal lords were afraid, and living at ease the world was at rest, and none of the rulers of ten thousand chariots failed to bow their bodies and lower their words and present gifts to seek their friendship; these are what is called the famous scholars of the world [The Record of Lost Things says: Su Qin and Zhang Yi shared a will and loved study; they took turns cutting their hair and selling it to support each other, and hired themselves out to write books, reading only the writings of the sages. When they came upon ancient books and had nowhere to write notes while traveling, they wrote in ink on their palms and inner thighs, and copied them out at night, splitting bamboo into slips. They often begged food on the road, stripped tree bark and wove it into book-wrappers to hold the world's fine books. Once they rested under a great tree and dozed, and an old master asked the two why they toiled. Yi and Qin asked him: What state are you from? He replied: I was born at Guigu, which is also called Ghost Valley. 'Ghost' means returning, and 'Gui' is also the name of a valley. Then he talked about his techniques and taught them a thousand generations' eloquence beyond the ordinary, and he took from his bosom two scrolls of writing about assisting the times. The Ancient History Examined says he was Guiguzi; 'ghost' and 'gui' are close. The Balanced Discourses says: Su Qin and Zhang Yi studied the arts of vertical and horizontal alliances under Master Guigu. The master said: Try persuading me; if tears come out you may divide the Heavenly Sovereign's records. Qin persuaded Master Guigu, and the master wept until his collar was wet.]. Where wisdom is not enough to plan and power cannot move the age, one is of the lowest. Now one who takes nothing as something and emptiness as fullness, in cloth clothes and worn shoes, thinking deeply and walking slowly as if he had lost something, is not a scholar who builds merit and makes a name, and yet cannot escape the common run of the world.

文學曰蘇秦以從【音縦】顯扵趙張儀以衡【音橫】任扵秦【司馬貞曰山東地形從長蘇秦相六國合從親而擯秦闗西地形衡長張儀相六國連衡而事秦故蘓為合從張為連衡也】方此之時非不尊貴也然知【去聲】士隨而憂之知夫【音扶】不以道進必不以道退不以義得者必不以義亡季孟之權三桓之富不可及也孔子為之曰微為人臣權均扵君富侔扵國者亡故其位彌髙而罪彌重祿滋厚而罪滋多【文子曰身有榮華心有愁悴】夫【音扶】行者先全已而後求名仕者先闢【音避】害而後求祿【曽子曰飛鳥以山為卑而層巢其巔魚鱉以淵為淺而穿穴其中然所以得者餌也君子苟能無以利害身則辱安從至乎潘尼曰夫榮之所不能動者則辱之所不防加也利之所不能勸者則害之所不防嬰也譽之所不能益者則毀之所不防損也】夫【音扶】香餌【音貳】非不美也龍聞而深藏鸞鳳見而髙逝者知其害身也夫【音扶】為烏鵲魚鱉食香餌【音貳】而後狂飛奔走遜身屈遰【音逓圍繞也】無益扵死【吳越春秋曰髙飛之鳥死扵美食深淵之魚死扵芳餌太公家教曰網羅之鳥悔不髙飛吞餌之魚悔不忍飢】今有司盜秉國法進不顧罪卒然有急然後車馳人趨無益扵死所盜不足償扵臧獲【臧獲奴婢也】妻子奔亡無處所身在深牢莫知恤視方此之時何暇得以笑乎【蔡澤曰翠鵠犀象其處勢非不逺死也而所以死者惑扵餌也蘇秦智伯之智非不足以闢辱逺死也而所以死者惑扵貪利不止也】

The Literati said: Su Qin became prominent in Zhao through the vertical alliance and Zhang Yi was employed in Qin through the horizontal alliance [Sima Zhen said: The land east of the mountains is long north-south, and Su Qin, as chancellor of the six states, united them in vertical alliance to resist Qin; the land west of the pass is long east-west, and Zhang Yi, as chancellor of Qin, combined the six states in horizontal alliance to serve Qin. So Su made the vertical alliance and Zhang the horizontal.]. At that time they were not unhonored, yet wise scholars followed them and worried for them, knowing that one who does not advance by the Way will surely not retire by the Way, and one who did not obtain by righteousness will surely not perish by righteousness. The power of Ji and Meng and the wealth of the Three Huan families could not be matched, and Confucius said about them: Alas! A minister whose power equals the ruler's and whose wealth rivals the state is doomed. So the higher his position, the heavier his guilt, and the richer his salary, the more his offenses [The Wenzi says: The body has glory and the heart has sorrow.]. One who acts first preserves himself and then seeks a name, and one who serves first avoids harm and then seeks salary [Zengzi said: Flying birds think mountains are low and nest at their tops, and fish and turtles think abysses are shallow and burrow in them, yet what catches them is bait. If a noble person can avoid harming himself by profit, how would disgrace come? Pan Ni said: One who cannot be moved by glory cannot be burdened by disgrace; one who cannot be urged by profit cannot be ensnared by harm; one who cannot be increased by praise cannot be diminished by slander.]. Fragrant bait is not unbeautiful, yet tortoises and dragons hear of it and hide deep, and phoenixes see it and soar far away, knowing it would harm them. Crows, magpies, fish and turtles eat the fragrant bait and then fly wildly and run about, writhing and circling, but it is no help to their death [The Annals of Wu and Yue says: Birds that fly high die from fine food and fish in deep abysses die from fragrant bait. The Family Instructions of Taigong says: A bird in a net regrets not flying high, and a fish that swallowed bait regrets not enduring hunger.]. Now officials who steal and handle the state's law do not heed guilt when advancing; when an emergency suddenly arises, they rush by carriage and run on foot, but it is no help to their death. What they stole is not enough to repay bondservants (servants and slaves), their wives and children run away with nowhere to go, and while they are in deep prison no one cares. At such a time, what leisure have they to laugh? [Cai Ze said: The kingfisher, swan, rhinoceros and elephant live in positions not far from death, but they die because they are deluded by bait. The wisdom of Su Qin and Zhi Bo was not insufficient to avoid disgrace and keep away from death, but they died because they were deluded by endless greed for profit.]

大夫曰文學髙行【去聲】矯然若不可卷盛莭潔言皦【音皎】然若不可湼【音乃結反詩云我心匪席不可卷也孔子云不曰白乎而不緇皦潔白貌】然戍【音絮】卒陳勝釋挽【音挽】輅首為叛逆自立張楚【陳勝世家曰秦二世二年陳勝自立為將軍吳廣為都尉攻大澤鄉乃入據陳數日號令召三老豪傑與皆來防計事三老豪傑皆曰將軍身披堅執銳伐無道誅暴秦復立楚國之社稷功宜為王陳勝乃立為王號為張楚當此時諸郡縣苦秦吏者皆刑其長吏殺之以應陳勝李竒曰欲張大其楚國故稱張楚也】素非有囘由處士之行【去聲顔囘仲由皆孔子弟子】宰相【去聲】列臣之位也奮扵大澤不過旬月而齊魯儒墨薦紳之徒【徐廣曰薦紳即縉紳也古字假借】肆其長衣長衣官之也負孔氏之禮器詩書委質【音至】為臣【質即贄也古字假借正義曰贄之為言至也自五玉三帛二生一死皆所以為贄以見其君者也古之慾仕者出其疆必載質而行故謂為臣者曰委贄也】孔甲為涉博士【陳勝字涉孔鮒字甲孔子之八世孫也為陳王涉博士死扵陳下】卒俱死陳為天下大笑深蔵髙逝者固若是也

The Grand Secretary said: The Literati's lofty conduct is so upright it seems it cannot be rolled up, and their abundant integrity and pure words are so bright it seems they cannot be blackened [The Odes say: My heart is not a mat, it cannot be rolled up. Confucius said: Is it not said to be white? Dye it and it does not turn black. 'Jiao' means pure white in appearance]. Yet the garrison soldier Chen Sheng put down his cart-pole, was the first to rebel, and set himself up as Zhang Chu [The Records of the Grand Historian, 'Hereditary House of Chen She,' says: In the second year of the Second Emperor of Qin, Chen Sheng set himself up as general and Wu Guang as commandant, attacked Daze Township and entered to occupy Chen. After a few days they called the elders and heroes by proclamation to gather and discuss affairs. The elders and heroes all said: General, you put on armor and take up sharp weapons, attack the lawless and execute cruel Qin, and restore the altars of Chu; your merit deserves the title of king. So Chen Sheng established himself as king with the title Zhang Chu. At this time, the commanderies and counties suffering from Qin officials all punished their chief officials and killed them in response to Chen Sheng. Li Qi said: He wanted to enlarge his Chu state and so called it Zhang Chu ('Enlarged Chu').]. He had never had the conduct of a scholar like Yan Hui or Zhong You (Yan Hui and Zhong You were both disciples of Confucius), nor the position of a chancellor or ranked minister; he rose in Daze in barely a month, and the Confucians and Mohists and gentry of Qi and Lu [Xu Guang said: 'Jian shen' is 'jin shen,' ancient characters borrowed] spread their long robes (long robes are official dress) and carrying Confucius's ritual vessels and Odes and Documents, bowed and became his ministers ["Zhi" is "zhi" (gift), ancient characters borrowed. The Zhengyi says: 'Gift' means to arrive; from the five jades, three silks, two live animals and one dead one, all serve as gifts to present to one's ruler. Those in ancient times who wanted to hold office carried gifts when they went out of their borders, so one who became a minister was said to 'lay down a gift.']. Kong Jia served as erudite for She (Chen Sheng's style name was She, and Kong Fu's style name was Jia, a descendant of Confucius in the eighth generation, who served as erudite for King She of Chen and died at Chen), and all died at Chen and were laughed at by the whole world. Is this what those who hide deep and go far away are like?

文學曰周室衰禮義壊不能統理天下諸侯交爭相滅亡併為六國兵革不休民不得寧息秦以虎狼之心蠺食諸侯【顔師古曰食謂漸吞滅之如之食葉也】併吞戰國以為郡縣【秦紀曰始皇二十六年分天下以為三十六郡郡置守尉監】伐能矜功自以為過堯舜而羞與之同棄仁義而尚刑罰以為今時不師扵文而決扵武趙髙治獄扵內防恬治兵扵外百姓愁苦同心而患秦【揚雄曰神明所祚兆民所託罔不雲道徳仁義禮智獨秦崛起西戎邠荒岐雍之疆因襄文宣靈之僣跡立基孝公茂恵文奮昭荘至政破從擅衡併吞六國遂稱乎始皇盛從鞅儀韋斯之邪政馳騖起翦恬賁之用兵剗滅古文刮語燒書弛禮崇樂塗民耳目遂欲流唐漂虞滌殷蕩周防除仲尼之篇籍自勒功業改制度軌量鹹稽之扵秦紀是以耆儒碩老抱其書而逺遜禮官博士卷其舌而不談來儀之鳥肉角之獸狙獷而不臻甘露嘉醴景曜浸潭之瑞潛大茀經霣巨狄信之妖發神歇靈繹海水群飛二世而亡何其劇與帝王之道兢兢乎不可離己】陳王赫然奮爪牙為天下首事道雖兇而儒墨幹之者以為無王久矣道擁遏不得行自孔子以至扵茲而秦復重禁之故發憤扵陳王也【司馬遷曰嗟乎夫周室衰而闗雎作幽厲微而禮樂壊諸侯恣行政由強國故孔子閔王路廢而邪道興扵是論次詩書修起禮樂適齊聞韶三月不知肉味自衛返魯然後樂正雅頌各得其所世以混濁莫防用是以仲尼幹七十餘君無所遇曰苟有用我者期月而已矣西狩獲麟曰吾道窮矣故因史記作春秋以寓王法其辭微而指博後世學者多録焉自孔子卒後七十子之徒散防諸侯大者為師傅卿相小者友教士大夫防隠而不見故子路居衛子張居陳澹防子羽居楚子夏居西河子貢終於齊如田子方段幹木吳起禽滑釐之屬皆受業扵子夏之倫為王者師是時獨魏文侯好學後陵遲以至於始皇天下並爭扵戰國儒術既絀焉然齊魯之門學者獨不廢也扵威宣之際孟子荀卿之列鹹遵夫子之業而潤色之以學顯扵當世及至秦之季世焚詩書坑術士六藝從此缺焉陳涉之王也而魯諸儒持孔子之禮器徃歸陳王扵是孔甲為陳涉博士卒與涉俱死陳涉起匹夫驅瓦合適戊旬月以王楚不滿半嵗竟滅亡其事至微淺然而薦紳先生之徒負孔子禮器徃委質為臣者何也以秦焚其業積怨而發憤扵陳王也】孔子曰如有用我者吾其為東周乎庶防成湯文武之功為百姓除殘去賊豈貪祿樂【音洛】位哉

The Literati said: When the Zhou house declined and ritual and righteousness were ruined, it could not govern the world; the feudal lords fought one another and destroyed one another until they merged into six states, and weapons and armor never rested and the people could not find peace. Qin, with the heart of a tiger and wolf, devoured the feudal lords like a silkworm [Yan Shigu says: 'silkworm-eating' (the character here in the original was lost in transcription) means gradually swallowing them up, as a silkworm eats leaves], annexed the Warring States and made them commanderies and counties [the 'Annals of the First Emperor of Qin' in the Records of the Grand Historian says: in the twenty-sixth year of the First Emperor the realm was divided into thirty-six commanderies, each with a governor, a commandant and an inspector], boasted of its achievements and held itself above Yao and Shun, ashamed to be compared with them, abandoned benevolence and righteousness and exalted punishment, thinking that in the present age one should not take learning as a teacher but decide by force. Zhao Gao handled trials within, Meng Tian (the original reads 'fang tian') commanded troops without, and the people were wretched and bitter and with one heart were troubled by Qin [Yang Xiong says: What the spirits bless and the myriad people entrust themselves to is nothing but the Way and virtue, benevolence, righteousness, ritual and wisdom. Qin alone arose from the western Rong, in the wilds of Bin, Qi and Yong, built on the presumptuous traces of Dukes Xiang, Wen, Xuan and Ling, laid its foundation with Duke Xiao, flourished under Huiwen, and rose under Zhao and Zhuang, until Zheng broke the vertical alliance, monopolized the balance, annexed the six states, and took the title of First Emperor. It was greatly given to the wicked government of Shang Yang, Zhang Yi, Lu Buwei and Li Si, galloped in the use of troops by Bai Qi, Wang Jian, Meng Tian and Wang Ben, cut off and destroyed the ancient writings, scraped away speech and burned books, relaxed ritual and exalted music, smeared people's ears and eyes, and wanted to flood away Tang and Yu and wash out Yin and Zhou, cut off (the original reads 'fang chu') the books of Confucius, and have their own achievements carved, changing the institutions, wheel tracks and measures, all to be examined in the Annals of Qin. Because of this the old Confucians and great elders embraced their books and withdrew far, and the officials of ritual and erudites rolled up their tongues and did not speak. The birds that come to dance in ceremony and the fleshy-horned beasts shied away and did not arrive, the omens of sweet dew and fine wine and gleaming lights sank into hiding, great comets passed and fell, and the ill omens of giants and ghosts (the character here in the original was lost in transcription) were announced; the spirits were exhausted, the sea water flew about in swarms, and in two generations it perished; how drastic! The way of emperors and kings must be guarded with care and cannot be left.]. King Chen rose fiercely with claws and fangs and began the great affair of the world; though the Way was fierce, the Confucians and Mohists (the character here in the original was lost in transcription) approached him, because they thought there had been no true king for a long time, the Way was blocked and could not be practiced, from Confucius until now, and Qin again forbade it heavily, so they were roused to action for King Chen [Sima Qian says: Alas, when the Zhou house declined, the 'Guan Ju' was written; when You and Li grew weak, ritual and music were ruined, the feudal lords acted at will, and government came from the strong states. So Confucius grieved that the kingly road was abandoned and the wicked way arose, and therefore ordered and arranged the Poetry and Documents and revived ritual and music; when he went to Qi and heard the 'Shao,' for three months he did not know the taste of meat; after returning from Wei to Lu he set the music right, and the 'Ya' and 'Song' each found their place. The age was turbid and no one (the original reads 'mo fang') could use him, so Zhongni solicited more than seventy rulers and met none, saying: 'If anyone employs me, in a year I would have it done.' When a qilin was captured in the western hunt he said: 'My Way is exhausted.' So, based on the court histories, he wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals to lodge the king's law in it; its words are subtle and its meanings broad, and later scholars mostly copied it. After Confucius died, his seventy disciples scattered (the original reads 'san fang') among the feudal lords, the great ones becoming teachers, tutors, ministers and chancellors, the small ones becoming friends and teachers of officers, and some hid (the original reads 'fang yin') and did not appear. So Zilu lived in Wei, Zizhang in Chen, Tantai Ziyu in Chu, Zixia in Xihe, and Zigong ended in Qi. Tian Zifang, Duangan Mu, Wu Qi, Qin Guli and their like all received instruction from Zixia's kind and became teachers of kings. At that time only Marquis Wen of Wei loved learning. Later it declined gradually until the First Emperor, and the world contended in the Warring States; the Confucian art was already pushed aside, but among the learners at the gates of Qi and Lu it alone was not abandoned. In the time of Kings Wei and Xuan, Mencius and Xunzi and their line all followed the Master's work and polished it, and became known in their own age for learning. When it came to the last generation of Qin, the Poetry and Documents were burned and the learned scholars buried, and the Six Arts were thereafter lacking. When Chen She became king, the Confucians of Lu carried Confucius's ritual vessels and went to King Chen, and Kong Jia became an erudite for Chen She and in the end died with She. Chen She rose from the common people, drove a patched-together band of garrison conscripts, became king of Chu within a month, and was destroyed in less than half a year; his deeds were very slight, yet why did the gentlemen in official sashes carry Confucius's ritual vessels to go and pledge themselves as his ministers? Because Qin burned their work, and with accumulated resentment they were roused for King Chen.]. Confucius said: 'If anyone employs me, will I not make an Eastern Zhou?' He hoped to achieve the work of Cheng Tang, King Wen and King Wu, removing cruelty and thieves for the people; how could he be greedy for salary and delight (the original gives the pronunciation 'luo') in position?

大夫曰文學言行【去聲】雖有伯夷之亷不及栁下之貞不過髙瞻下視潔言汚行【去聲】觴酒豆肉遷延相讓辭小取大雞防狼吞趙綰王臧之等以儒術擢為上卿而有奸利殘忍之心主父偃以口舌取大官竊權重欺紿【音怠亦欺也】宗室受諸侯之賂卒皆誅死【儒林傳曰蘭陵王臧既受詩以事孝景帝為太子太傅免去今上初即位臧廼上書宿衛上累遷一嵗中為郎中令及代趙綰亦嘗受詩申公綰為御史大夫太皇竇太后好老子言不說儒術得趙綰王臧之過以讓上上盡下趙綰王臧吏後皆自殺主父偃傳曰偃上書闕下朝奏暮召入見拜偃為謁者一嵗中四遷偃大臣皆畏其口賂遺累千金元朔二年主父偃言齊王內淫佚行僻上拜偃為齊相至齊乃使人以王與姊奸事動王王以為終不得脫罪乃自殺有司以聞上大怒以為偃刼其王令自殺乃徴下吏治服受諸侯金實不刼王令自殺上欲勿誅是時公孫為御史大夫乃言曰齊王自殺無後國除為郡入漢主父偃夲首惡陛下不誅主父偃無以謝天下乃遂族主父偃】東方朔自稱辯略消堅釋石當世無雙然省其私行【去聲】狂夫不忍為【風俗通曰東方朔平原人也孝武皇帝時招延賢良文學之士待以不次之位故四方多上書言得失自鬻者扵是朔詣闕自陳十二失父長養兄嫂年十三學書十四擊劍十六誦詩十九學孫吳兵法又常服子路之言臣朔年二十三長九尺三寸目若懸珠齒若編貝勇若孟賁捷若慶忌亷如鮑叔信若尾生若此可以為天子大臣矣朔文辭不遜髙自稱譽由是見偉稍益親倖詔拜以為郎嘗在側侍中數召至前談語人主未嘗不說也時詔賜之食扵前飯已盡懐其餘肉持去衣盡汚數賜縑帛擔掲而去徒用所賜錢帛取少婦扵長安中好女率取婦一嵗所者即棄去更取婦所賜錢財盡索之扵女子人主左右諸郎半呼之狂人揚雄曰朔恢誕多端不名一行應諧似優不窮似智正諫似直穢徳似隠非夷齊是栁恵其滑稽之雄乎】況無東方朔之口其餘無足觀者也

The Grand Secretary said: The Literati speak of conduct (the original gives the pronunciation as the falling tone); though they claim the integrity of Bo Yi, they do not reach the constancy of Liuxia Hui (the character here in the original was lost in transcription), and amount to no more than looking high and glancing down, speaking clean and acting foul, passing a cup of wine and a dish of meat while courteously yielding, declining the small and taking the large, fighting like chickens and gulping like wolves. Zhao Wan and Wang Zang were raised to the rank of senior minister through Confucian arts yet had hearts of treacherous gain and cruelty; Zhufu Yan took high office with his tongue, stole heavy power, deceived (the original gives the pronunciation 'dai', also meaning to deceive) the imperial clan, accepted bribes from the feudal lords, and in the end all were executed [the 'Biographies of Confucians' in the Book of Han says: Wang Zang of Lanling had received the Poetry and served Emperor Xiaojing as Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and was dismissed. When the present emperor first ascended the throne, Zang submitted a memorial to serve in the guard, and was repeatedly promoted, becoming Superintendent of the Palace within a year. When he replaced Zhao Wan, he had also studied the Poetry with Master Shen, and Wan became Imperial Counselor. The Grand Empress Dowager Dou liked the words of Laozi and disliked the Confucian art, found Zhao Wan's and Wang Zang's faults and blamed the emperor, and the emperor handed Zhao Wan and Wang Zang over to the officials, and later they both killed themselves. The 'Biography of Zhufu Yan' says: Yan submitted a memorial at the palace gate, was presented in the morning and summoned for audience in the evening, appointed an usher and promoted four times within a year. The great ministers all feared his mouth, and gifts and bribes amounted to thousands in gold. In the second year of Yuanshuo Zhufu Yan said that the King of Qi was licentious within and perverse in conduct, and the emperor appointed Yan prime minister of Qi. Arriving at Qi, he had people use the king's affair with his sister to move the king. The king thought he would never escape guilt and killed himself. The officials reported it and the emperor was furious, thinking Yan had coerced the king into killing himself, and summoned him down to the officials, and he confessed to taking gold from the feudal lords but in fact had not coerced the king into killing himself. The emperor wished not to execute him. At that time Gongsun Hong (the character here in the original was lost in transcription) was Imperial Counselor, and said: The King of Qi killed himself without heirs, and the state was abolished and became a commandery of Han. Zhufu Yan was the original chief of the wickedness; if Your Majesty does not execute Zhufu Yan, there is no way to answer the world. So he exterminated Zhufu Yan's clan.]. Dongfang Shuo called himself a debater and strategist who could melt iron and dissolve stone, matchless in his age, yet when one examines his private conduct (the original gives the pronunciation as the falling tone), even a madman would not bear to do it [the Fengsu Tong says: Dongfang Shuo was from Pingyuan. In the time of Emperor Xiaowu, worthy and literary men were invited and treated with irregular positions, so many from the four quarters submitted memorials discussing gains and losses and boasted and offered themselves. Then Shuo came to the palace gate and stated: I lost my father at twelve and was raised by my elder brother and his wife; at thirteen I learned writing, at fourteen swordsmanship, at sixteen recited the Poetry, at nineteen studied the military methods of Sunzi and Wu Qi, and I also constantly wore the words of Zilu. Your servant Shuo is twenty-three, nine chi three cun tall, with eyes like hanging pearls and teeth like strung shells, brave as Meng Ben, quick as Qing Ji, honest as Bao Shu, and trustworthy as Weisheng; with these I can be a great minister of the Son of Heaven. Shuo's writing was immodest and he praised himself highly, and for that he was considered remarkable, and gradually became more favored, was ordered appointed gentleman, and once served at the emperor's side in the palace and was often summoned to speak before him, and the ruler was never displeased. At that time when ordered to be given a meal before the emperor, when he had finished eating he put the leftover meat in his bosom and took it away, so that his clothes were all soiled; he was often given bolts of silk and carried them off on his shoulder; he used the money and silk he was given to take young wives from among the fine girls of Chang'an, and generally after a year would abandon a wife and take another, and all the money and wealth he was given was spent on women. Half of the gentlemen around the emperor called him a madman. Yang Xiong says: Shuo was grand and extravagant with many sides, not named for one conduct; in reply he was witty like an actor, never at a loss like a wise man, he remonstrated honestly like a straightforward man, and concealed his foul conduct like a hermit; he criticized Yi and Qi and approved Liuxia Hui; was he not the champion of wit?]. And those without Dongfang Shuo's mouth are not worth looking at at all.

文學曰志善者忘惡謹小者致大俎豆之間足以觀禮閨門之內足以論行【去聲】夫【音扶】服古之服誦古之道舍而為非者鮮【上聲】矣故君子時然後言義然後取不以道得之不居也【人間訓曰忠臣事君也計功而受賞不為苟得積力而受官不貪爵其所防者受之勿辭也其所不防者與之勿喜也】滿而不溢泰而不驕故袁盎親扵景帝秣馬不過一駟公孫即三公之位家不過十乗東方先生說聴言行扵武帝而不驕溢主父見困厄之日久此疾在位者不好【去聲】道而富且貴莫知防士也扵是取饒衍之餘以周窮士之急非為私家之業也【主父偃傳曰主父偃者齊臨菑人也學長短縦橫之術晚乃學易春秋百家言防齊諸生間莫防厚遇也齊諸儒生相與排擯不容扵齊家貧假貸無所得廼北逰燕趙中山皆莫防厚遇為客甚困孝武元光元年中以為諸侯莫足防者乃西入闗見衞將軍衛將軍數言上上不召資用乏留久諸公賓客多厭之乃上書□下朝奏暮召詔拜偃為謁者一嵗中四遷偃大臣皆畏其口賂遺累千金人防說偃曰大橫矣主父曰臣結髪防學四十餘年親不以為子昆弟不收賓客棄我我阨日久矣且丈夫生不五鼎食死即五鼎烹耳吾日暮途逺故倒行逆施之上拜主父為齊相至齊遍召昆弟賓客散五百金予之數之曰始吾貧時昆弟不我衣食賓客不我內門今吾相齊諸君迎我防千里吾與諸君絶矣毋復入偃之門】當世囂囂非患儒之雞防患在位者之虎飽嗌【音益】咽扵求覽無所孑遺耳【嗌咽也爾雅曰江東呼咽曰嗌覽通作攬撮持也詩云周餘黎民靡有孑遺】

The Literati said: One whose will is good forgets evil, and one who is careful in small things achieves great things. Among the sacrificial vessels one can observe ritual, and within the women's quarters one can discuss conduct (the original gives the pronunciation as the falling tone). 'Fu' at the start of a sentence (the original gives the pronunciation 'fu'): of those who wear ancient dress and recite the ancient Way, few (the original gives the pronunciation as the rising tone) abandon it and do wrong. So the gentleman speaks when the time is right, takes what is right, and does not stay in what he obtained not by the Way [the 'Renjian Xun' of the Huainanzi says: A loyal minister serving his ruler calculates his merit and receives a reward without improper gain; accumulates effort and receives office without greed for rank and salary. What is due he receives without refusing, and what is not due he accepts as given without joy.]. He is full but not overflowing, at ease but not arrogant. So Yuan Ang, though close to Emperor Jing, fed horses no more than one team of four; Gongsun Hong (the character here in the original was lost in transcription), on reaching the rank of one of the three dukes, had a household of no more than ten carriages; and Master Dongfang's words and conduct were heard by Emperor Wu without arrogance or excess. Zhufu was in hardship for a long time, and was pained that those in position did not love (the original gives the falling tone) the Way yet were rich and noble and none knew to honor (the original reads 'fang') scholars; so he took surplus and spread it to relieve the urgent needs of poor scholars, and it was not for private business [the 'Biography of Zhufu Yan' in the Records of the Grand Historian says: Zhufu Yan was from Linzi in Qi, studied the arts of vertical and horizontal alliance, and late in life studied the Changes, the Spring and Autumn Annals and the sayings of the hundred schools. Traveling (the original reads 'fang') among the scholars of Qi, none would give him generous treatment. The Confucian scholars of Qi together rejected him and he was not accepted in Qi. His family was poor and he borrowed but got nothing, so he went north to Yan, Zhao and Zhongshan, none of which would treat him generously, and he was in great hardship as a guest. In the first year of Yuanguang of Emperor Xiaowu, thinking none of the feudal lords worth traveling to, he went west into the pass and saw General Wei. General Wei spoke of him to the emperor several times, but the emperor did not summon him. His funds ran out and he stayed a long time, many gentlemen and guests were tired of him, so he submitted a memorial at the palace gate, was presented in the morning and summoned in the evening, and was ordered appointed usher and promoted four times in a year. The great ministers all feared his mouth, and bribes and gifts amounted to thousands in gold. Someone said to Yan: You are too overbearing. Zhufu said: I tied up my hair and traveled to study for more than forty years; my parents did not treat me as a son, my brothers did not take me in, and my guests abandoned me; I was in distress for a long time. Moreover a man who does not eat at five cauldrons in life will be boiled in five cauldrons in death. My day is late and the road is long, so I act contrary to the way. The emperor appointed Zhufu prime minister of Qi. Arriving at Qi, he summoned all his brothers and guests, scattered five hundred in gold to them, and counted them off, saying: When I was poor, my brothers did not clothe or feed me and my guests did not let me in their doors; now I am prime minister of Qi, and you gentlemen come to welcome me a thousand li away. I am done with you gentlemen and let none enter Yan's door again.]. The age is clamorous, and it is not the Confucians' thin integrity (the original reads 'ji fang') that is the trouble, but the tiger-like gorging of those in position, choking (the original gives the pronunciation 'yi') in their grabbing and seizing, leaving not a single survivor [yi means the throat. The Erya says: east of the river they call the throat 'yi.' 'Lan' is the same as 'lan' to grasp. The Poetry says: 'Of the remnant people of Zhou, there is not one survivor.']

大夫曰古者經井田制防裡丈夫治其田疇女子治其麻枲【音徙】無曠地無防人故非工商不得食扵利末非良農不得食扵收穫非執政不得食扵官爵今儒者釋耒耜而學不驗之語曠日彌久而無益扵理往來浮游不耕而食不蠶而衣巧為良民以奪農妨政此亦當世之所患也【傳曰土之美者善養禾君之眀者善養士李尋曰馬不伏櫪不可以趨道士不素養不可以重國】

The Grand Secretary said: In ancient times they laid out the well-field system and set up the township units, men tended their fields and women tended their hemp and flax (the original gives the pronunciation 'xi'), no land was left idle and no one was left wandering (the original reads 'fang'). So those who were not artisans or merchants could not eat from profit in the tip, those who were not good farmers could not eat from the harvest, and those who were not in government could not eat from official rank. Now the Confucians put down the plow and learn unverifiable talk, spending long days with no benefit to government, coming and going and wandering, eating without plowing and clothing themselves without raising silkworms, cleverly posing as good people to take from farmers and hamper government; this too is a trouble of the present age [tradition says: Fine earth is good at nurturing grain, and a clear-sighted ruler is good at nurturing scholars. Li Xun says: A horse that does not lie in the stable cannot run on the road; a scholar who is not nurtured at ordinary times cannot make the state weighty.]

文學曰禹蹙洪水身親其勞澤行路宿過門不入當此之時簮墮不掇冠掛【音掛】不顧而暇耕乎【修務訓曰禹沐浴霪雨梳櫛扶風決江疏河鑿龍門闢伊闕修彭蠡之防乘四載隨山刋木平治水土定千八百國聖人不貴尺璧而貴寸隂是故禹之趨時也履遺而弗取冠掛而弗顧】孔子曰詩人疾之不能黙丘疾之不防伏是以東西南北七十說【音稅】而不用然後退而修王道作春秋垂之萬世之後天下折中焉豈與匹夫匹婦耕織同哉【貴徳篇曰聖人見天下強凌弱眾暴寡幼孤羸露死傷系虜不忍其然是以孔子厯七十二君兾道之一行而得施其徳使民全扵生育烝庶安土萬物熈熈各樂其終卒不遇故睹麟而泣哀道不行徳澤不洽扵是退作春秋明素王之道以示後人思施其恵未嘗輟忘是以百王尊之志士法焉誦其文章傳今不絶徳及之也詩曰載馳載驅周爰諮謀此之謂也至公篇曰夫子行說七十諸侯無定處意欲使天下之民各得其所而道不行退而修春秋採毫毛之善貶纎介之惡人事浹王道備精和聖制上通扵天而麟至此天之知夫子也扵是喟然而嘆曰天以至明為不可蔽乎日何為而食地以至安為不可危乎地何為而動天地而尚有動蔽是故聖賢說扵世而不得行其道故災異並作也夫子曰不怨天不尤人下學而上達知我者其天乎】傳【去聲】曰君子當時不動而民無觀也故非君子莫治小人非小人無以養【去聲】君子當不耕織為匹夫匹婦也君子耕而不學則亂之道也【曹劌曰君子務治小人務力繆稱訓曰教夲乎君子小人被其澤利夲乎小人君子享其功昔東戶季子之世道路不拾遺耒耜餘糧宿諸畮首使君子小人各得其冝也】

The Literati said: Yu pressed back the great flood, personally bearing the toil, traveling through marshes and lodging on the road, passing his door without entering. At that time, when his hairpin fell he did not pick it up, and when his cap hung (the original gives the pronunciation 'gua') he did not look back; did he have time to plow? [The 'Xiuwu Xun' of the Huainanzi says: Yu bathed in the continuous rain and combed his hair in the wind, cut channels in the Yangzi and dredged the rivers, cut Longmen and opened Yique, built the dikes of Pengli, rode his four conveyances and followed the mountains cutting trees, leveled and governed the waters and lands, and fixed one thousand eight hundred states. The sage does not value a foot of jade but values an inch of time. So in Yu's hastening with the times, a lost shoe was not taken and a hung cap was not looked at.] Confucius said: 'The poet was pained and could not be silent; I am pained and have no time (the original reads 'bu fang') to hide.' So he went east, west, south and north to persuade (the original gives the pronunciation 'shui') seventy times without being used, and only then withdrew and cultivated the kingly way and wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals, handed down for ten thousand generations, so that the world has taken it as the mean; how could that be the same as ordinary men and women plowing and weaving? [The chapter 'Valuing Virtue' says: The sage saw the strong in the world bullying the weak, the many oppressing the few, the young orphans and weak exposed, the dead and wounded bound and captured, and could not bear it, so Confucius went through seventy-two rulers, hoping the Way would be practiced once so he could apply his virtue, enabling the people to live and grow completely, the multitude to dwell in peace, the myriad things to be prosperous, each delighting in their end. In the end he was not met; so on seeing the qilin he wept, grieving that the Way was not practiced and virtuous kindness did not soak through, and withdrew and wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals, making clear the way of the uncrowned king to show later people, thinking of applying his kindness and never ceasing to remember it. So the hundred kings honor him, men of aspiration imitate him, and his writings are recited and handed down without end, because virtue reached them. The Poetry says: 'Galloping and driving, all around consulting and planning.' This is what is meant. The chapter 'Utmost Impartiality' says: The Master traveled to persuade seventy feudal lords with no fixed place, intending to let the people of the world each find their place, but the Way was not practiced, and he withdrew and cultivated the Spring and Autumn Annals, picking out the good in a hair's breadth and condemning the evil in a speck, so that human affairs were complete and the kingly way prepared, with fine harmony and sagely institution, reaching up to Heaven and so the qilin came, which was Heaven's knowing of the Master. Then he sighed and said: Is Heaven, with its utmost brightness, unable to be obscured? Why then does the sun eclipse? Is Earth, with its utmost security, unable to be endangered? Why then does the earth move? If even heaven and earth have movement and obscuration, so the sages and worthies persuade in the world and cannot carry out their Way, and so disasters and anomalies arise together. The Master said: I do not blame Heaven or men; I study below and reach above; is it Heaven that knows me?]. The commentary (the original gives the pronunciation as the falling tone) says: If the gentleman did not act at the time, the people would have nothing to observe. So without gentlemen none would govern the petty, and without the petty none would nourish (the original gives the pronunciation as the falling tone) the gentleman. One should not plow and weave as ordinary men and women. If a gentleman plowed and did not study, it would be the way to disorder [Cao Gui says: The gentleman devotes himself to governing, the petty man devotes himself to labor. The 'Miucheng Xun' of the Huainanzi says: Teaching is rooted in the gentleman and the petty are covered by its kindness; profit is rooted in the petty and the gentleman enjoys its fruits. In the time of Dong Hu Jizi, nothing lost was picked up on the road, and plows and leftover provisions were left overnight at the head of the fields, letting gentlemen and petty men each get what was fitting.]

大夫曰文學言治尚扵唐虞言義髙扵秋天有華言矣未見其實也昔魯穆公之時公儀為相【去聲】子思子原為之卿然北削扵齊以泗為境南畏楚人西賓秦國孟軻居梁兵折扵齊上將軍死而太子虜西敗扵秦地奪壤削亡河內河外夫【音扶】仲尼之門七十子之徒去父母捐室家負荷【去聲】而隨孔子不耕而學亂乃愈滋故玉屑滿篋不為有寶詩書負笈不為有道要在安國家利人民不苟文繁眾辭而已

The Grand Secretary said: The Literati speak of government as exalting Tang and Yu, and speak of righteousness as higher than the autumn sky; they have flowery words, but I have not seen the substance. In the time of Duke Mu of Lu, Gongyi was prime minister (the original gives the pronunciation as the falling tone), and Zisi and Ziyuan were his ministers, yet in the north Lu was cut back by Qi so that the Si river was its border, in the south it feared the men of Chu, and in the west it served Qin as a guest. When Mencius lived in Liang, its army was broken by Qi, its chief general died and the crown prince was captured, in the west it was defeated by Qin, its land was seized and territory reduced, and it lost the lands within and beyond the river. 'Fu' at the start of the sentence (the original gives the pronunciation 'fu'): Confucius's seventy disciples left their parents and gave up their families, carried burdens (the original gives the falling tone for 'he') and followed Confucius, and did not plow but studied, and disorder only grew. So a case full of jade shavings does not count as having treasure, and carrying the Poetry and Documents in a satchel does not count as having the Way. What is essential is to secure the state and benefit the people, and not to carelessly ornament many words.

文學曰虞不用百里之謀而滅秦穆用之以至伯【音覇】焉夫【音扶】不用賢則亡而不削何可得乎【尊賢篇曰齊景公問扵孔子曰秦穆公其國小處僻而覇何也對曰其國小而志大雖處僻而其政中其舉果其謀和其令不偷親舉五羖大夫扵繫累之中與之語三日而授之政以此取之雖王可也覇則小矣李康曰百里奚在虞而虞亡在秦而秦覇非不才扵虞而才於秦也】孟子適梁恵王問利答以仁義趨舍不合是以不用而去【孟子傳曰孟子騶人也受業子思之門人道既通防事齊宣王宣王不能用適梁梁恵王不果所言則見以為迂逺而濶扵事情當是之時秦用商君富國強兵楚魏用吳起戰勝弱敵齊威王宣王用孫子田忌之徒而諸侯東面朝齊天下方務扵合從連衡以攻伐為賢而孟軻乃述唐虞三代之徳是以所如者不合退而與萬章之徒序詩書述仲尼之意作孟子七篇】夫【音扶】懐寳而無語故有粟不食無益扵飢覩賢不用無益扵削紂之時內有微箕二子外有膠鬲棘子故其不能存言而不用諫而不聽雖賢惡【音烏】得有益扵治也

The Literati said: Yu did not use the plan of Baili and was destroyed, while Duke Mu of Qin used him and reached hegemony (the original gives the pronunciation 'ba' for 'bo'). 'Fu' at the start of the sentence (the original gives the pronunciation 'fu'): if one does not use the worthy one perishes, and how can one escape being reduced? [The chapter 'Honoring the Worthy' says: Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius: Duke Mu of Qin, whose state was small and located in a remote place, became hegemon; why? He replied: His state was small but his ambition was great; though he was in a remote place his government was on the mean, his promotions were decisive, his plans were harmonious, his orders were not careless; he personally raised the Five Rams' Skins Grand Officer from among the bound and tied, spoke with him for three days, and gave him the government. With this he gained it; even to become king would have been possible, and hegemon was small. Li Kang says: When Baili Xi was in Yu, Yu perished; in Qin, Qin became hegemon; it was not that he lacked talent in Yu and had talent in Qin.] When Mencius went to Liang, King Hui asked about profit, and he answered with benevolence and righteousness; their inclinations did not match, and so he was not used and left [the 'Biography of Mencius' in the Records of the Grand Historian says: Mencius was from Zou and received instruction from a disciple of Zisi. When the Way was already mastered, he traveled (the original reads 'fang') to serve King Xuan of Qi, but King Xuan could not use him, and he went to Liang. King Hui of Liang did not carry out what he said, and saw him as impractical and remote from affairs. At that time, Qin used Lord Shang to enrich the state and strengthen the army, Chu and Wei used Wu Qi to defeat weak enemies, and Kings Wei and Xuan of Qi used Sun Bin, Tian Ji and the like, and the feudal lords faced east and paid court to Qi. The world was just devoting itself to vertical and horizontal alliances and counted attack and conquest as worthy, but Mencius recounted the virtue of Tang, Yu and the Three Dynasties, so where he went he did not match, and he withdrew and with Wan Zhang and others set out the Poetry and Documents and recounted Confucius's meaning, and wrote the seven chapters of the Mencius.]. 'Fu' at the start of the sentence (the original gives the pronunciation 'fu'): To hold a treasure and say nothing is like having grain and not eating it, which does nothing for hunger; seeing the worthy and not using them does nothing for reduction. In the time of Zhou, within there were the two men Wei and Ji, and without there were Jiao Ge and Ji Zi, yet he could not survive. If words are not used and remonstrance is not heeded, though one is worthy, how (the original gives the pronunciation 'wu') can there be benefit to government?