Shuo Yuan (說苑) · Volume 4

水濁則魚困，令苛則民亂，城峭則必崩，岸竦則必。故夫治國，譬若張琴，大弦急則小弦絕矣，故曰急轡御者非千里御也。有聲之聲，不過百里，無聲之聲，延及四海；故祿過其功者損，名過其實者削，情行合而民副之，禍福不虛至矣。詩云：“何其處也，必有與也；何其久也，必有以也。”此之謂也。

When the water is muddy the fish are in distress, when laws and orders are harsh the people are in disorder, when city walls are steep they surely collapse, and when river banks are high they surely (the character here in the original is illegible). So governing a state is like tuning a zither: if the big strings are tight the small strings break, so it is said that a driver with tight reins is not a driver of a thousand li. A sound that has sound does not go beyond a hundred li; a sound that is without sound reaches the four seas. So one whose salary exceeds his merit is diminished, one whose name exceeds the reality is cut down, and when feeling and conduct match and the people accord with them, calamity and blessing do not come out of nothing. The Book of Poetry says: "Why are you at rest? There must be those who are with you. Why so long? There must be a reason." This is what is meant.

公叔文子為楚令尹三年，民無敢入朝，公叔子見曰：“嚴矣。”文子曰：“朝廷之嚴也，寧雲妨國家之治哉？”公叔子曰：“嚴則下喑，下喑則上聾，聾喑不能相通，何國之治也？順針縷者成帷幕，合升斗者實倉廩，幷小流而成江海；明主者有所受命而不行，未嘗有所不受也。”

Gongshu Wenzi served as prime minister of Chu for three years, and none of the people dared to enter the court. Gongshu Zi came to see him and said: "It is severe." Wenzi said: "Would the severity of the court harm the governing of the state?" Gongshu Zi said: "If it is severe, those below are mute; if those below are mute, those above are deaf; deaf and mute cannot communicate, so how can one speak of governing the state? Following needle and thread one completes a curtain; combining pints and pecks one fills a granary; combining small streams one makes the rivers and seas. An enlightened ruler may receive orders and not carry them out, but has never been one who does not receive them."

衛靈公謂孔子曰：“有語寡人為國家者，謹之於廟堂之上而國家治矣，其可乎？”孔子曰：“可。愛人者，則人愛之；惡人者，則人惡之；知得之己者，亦知得之人；所謂不出於環堵之室而知天下者，知反之己者也。”

Duke Ling of Wei said to Confucius: "Someone told me that in governing a state, to be careful in the temple hall is enough for the state to be governed; is that so?" Confucius said: "Yes. One who loves people, people love him; one who hates people, people hate him; one who knows what he gains from himself also knows what he gains from others; what is called knowing the world without leaving a walled room is knowing how to return to oneself."

子貢問治民於孔子，孔子曰：“懍懍焉如以腐索御奔馬。”子貢曰：“何其畏也！”孔子曰：“夫通達之國皆人也，以道導之，則吾畜也；不以道導之，則吾讎也，若何而毋畏？”

Zigong asked Confucius about governing the people, and Confucius said: "Be as apprehensive as one driving galloping horses with a rotten rope." Zigong said: "Why so afraid!" Confucius said: "The states that are reached are all people; if I guide them with the Way, they are what I nourish; if I do not guide them with the Way, they are my enemies; how can one not be afraid?"

齊桓公謂管仲曰：“吾欲舉事於國，昭然如日月，無愚夫愚婦皆曰善，可乎？”仲曰：“可。然非聖人之道。”桓公曰：“何也？”對曰：“夫短綆不可以汲深井，知鮮不可以與聖人言，慧士可與辨物，智士可與辨無方，聖人可與辨神明；夫聖人之所為，非眾人之所及也。民知十己，則尚與之爭，曰不如吾也，百己則疵其過，千己則誰而不信。是故民不可稍而掌也，可幷而牧也；不可暴而殺也，可麾而致也；眾不可戶說也，可舉而示也。”

Duke Huan of Qi said to Guan Zhong: "I wish to undertake something in the state that is as bright as the sun and moon, so that there is no foolish man or woman who does not call it good; is that possible?" Zhong said: "It is possible, but it is not the Way of the sage." Duke Huan said: "Why?" He replied: "A short rope cannot draw from a deep well, and one with little wisdom cannot speak with a sage; with a clever scholar one can distinguish things, with a wise scholar one can distinguish what has no fixed direction, and with a sage one can distinguish the spirit and the bright; what a sage does is not what the multitude can catch up with. If the people know ten times as much as themselves, they still contend with him and say he is not as good as I; if a hundred times as much, they pick at his faults; if a thousand times as much, they believe nobody. So the people cannot be managed in small bits but can be shepherded together; they cannot be killed by violence but can be drawn by direction; the multitude cannot be persuaded door to door, but can be shown by example."

衛靈公問於史■曰：“政孰為務？”對曰：“大理為務，聽獄不中，死者不可生也，斷者不可屬也，故曰：大理為務。”少焉，子路見公，公以史■言告之，子路曰：“司馬為務，兩國有難，兩軍相當，司馬執枹以行之，一斗不當，死者數萬，以殺人為非也，此其為殺人亦眾矣，故曰：司馬為務。”少焉，子貢入見，公以二子言告之，子貢曰：“不識哉！昔禹與有扈氏戰，三陳而不服，禹於是修教一年而有扈氏請服，故曰：去民之所事，奚獄之所聽？兵革之不陳，奚鼓之所鳴？故曰：教為務也。”

Duke Ling of Wei asked Shi (the character here in the original is damaged): "In government, what is the urgent task?" He replied: "The Chief Judge is the urgent task; if a trial is not decided properly, the dead cannot be revived and what is cut off cannot be rejoined; so it is said: the Chief Judge is the urgent task." After a while Zilu saw the Duke, and the Duke told him what Shi (the character here in the original is damaged) had said. Zilu said: "The Minister of War is the urgent task; when two states are in difficulty and two armies face each other, the Minister of War holds the drumsticks and directs; if a single battle is not conducted properly, tens of thousands die, and to take killing people as wrong, in that way too many are killed; so it is said: the Minister of War is the urgent task." After a while Zigong went in and saw him, and the Duke told him what the two had said. Zigong said: "They do not know! In the past Yu fought the Youhu clan, and set out in battle line three times without their submitting; Yu then cultivated teaching and transformation for a year, and the Youhu asked to surrender; so it is said: remove what the people are engaged in, and what trials are there to hear? If armor and weapons are not drawn up, what is the drum to sound for? So it is said: teaching and transformation are the urgent task."

齊桓公出獵，逐鹿而走入山谷之中，見一老公而問之曰：“是為何谷？”對曰：“為愚公之谷。”桓公曰：“何故？”對曰：“以臣名之。”桓公曰：“今視公之儀狀，非愚人也，何為以公名？”對曰：“臣請陳之，臣故畜■牛生子而大，賣之而買駒，少年曰：‘牛不能生馬。’遂持駒去。傍鄰聞之，以臣為愚，故名此谷為愚公之谷。”桓公曰：“公誠愚矣，夫何為而與之？”桓公遂歸。明日朝，以告管仲，管仲正衿再拜曰：“此夷吾之愚也，使堯在上，咎繇為理，安有取人之駒者乎？若有見暴如是叟者，又必不與也，公知獄訟之不正，故與之耳，請退而修政。”孔子曰：“弟子記之，桓公，霸君也；管仲，賢佐也；猶有以智為愚者也，況不及桓公管仲者也。”

Duke Huan of Qi went hunting, chased a deer into a mountain valley, and saw an old man and asked him: "What valley is this?" He replied: "It is the Valley of the Foolish Old Man." Duke Huan said: "For what reason?" He replied: "It is named after me." Duke Huan said: "Now looking at your demeanor, you are not a fool; why is it named after you?" He replied: "Allow me to tell you. In the past I raised (the character here in the original is damaged) a cow, and she bore a calf, which grew up, and I sold it and bought a colt; a young man said: 'A cow cannot bear a horse,' and took the colt away. The neighbors beside me heard of it and thought me foolish, and so they call this valley the Valley of the Foolish Old Man." Duke Huan said: "You are indeed foolish; why did you give it to him?" Duke Huan then went back. The next day, at court, he told Guan Zhong, and Guan Zhong arranged his robe and bowed twice, saying: "This is Yiwu's folly: if Yao were above and Gao Yao the judge, how could anyone seize another's colt? If one saw someone being treated with violence like this old man, he would surely not give it up; the old man knew the trials were not just, so he gave it up; I ask to withdraw and put the government in order." Confucius said: "Disciples, record it: Duke Huan was a hegemon; Guan Zhong was a worthy assistant; and still they mistook wisdom for folly, how much more those who do not equal Duke Huan and Guan Zhong."

魯有父子訟者，康子曰：“殺之！”孔子曰：“未可殺也。夫民不知子父訟之不善者久矣，是則上過也；上有道，是人亡矣。”康子曰：“夫治民以孝為本，今殺一人以戮不孝，不亦可乎？”孔子曰：“不孝而誅之，是虐殺不辜也。三軍大敗，不可誅也；獄訟不治，不可刑也；上陳之教而先服之，則百姓從風矣，躬行不從而後俟之以刑，則民知罪矣；夫一仞之牆，民不能踰，百仞之山，童子升而遊焉，陵遲故也！今是仁義之陵遲久矣，能謂民弗踰乎？詩曰：‘俾民不迷！’昔者君子導其百姓不使迷，是以威厲而不至，刑錯而不用。”於是訟者聞之，乃請無訟。

In Lu there was a father and son who went to law, and Kangzi said: "Kill them!" Confucius said: "They cannot be killed. The people have not known for a long time that a father and son going to law is bad, and this is a fault of those above; if those above have the Way, such people will not exist." Kangzi said: "Governing the people takes filial piety as the root; now to kill one person to shame the unfilial, would it not be acceptable?" Confucius said: "To execute for unfilial conduct is to cruelly kill the innocent. When three armies are greatly defeated, one cannot execute; when lawsuits cannot be governed, one cannot use punishment; if those above lay out teaching and first practice it themselves, the people follow like grass in the wind; if they practice it themselves and the people still do not follow, then wait to use punishment, and the people will know their guilt; a wall of one ren cannot be climbed by the people, but a mountain of a hundred ren is climbed by children at play, because the slope is gentle! Now this benevolence and righteousness has long been gently declining; can one say the people do not cross over? The Book of Poetry says: 'Let the people not be confused!' In the past the gentleman guided the people so as not to confuse them, so that his severity did not need to be used and punishment was set aside and not used." The father and son who had gone to law heard of this and asked to stop going to law.

魯哀公問政於孔子，對曰：“政有使民富且壽。”哀公曰：“何謂也？”孔子曰：“薄賦斂則民富，無事則遠罪，遠罪則民壽。”公曰：“若是則寡人貧矣。”孔子曰：“詩云：‘凱悌君子，民之父母’，未見其子富而父母貧者也。”

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius about government, and he replied: "Government should make the people rich and long-lived." The Duke said: "What do you mean?" Confucius said: "If levies are light, the people are rich; if there is no trouble, they stay far from crime, and if they stay far from crime, they are long-lived." The Duke said: "In that case I will be poor." Confucius said: "The Book of Poetry says: 'The gentle and easy gentleman is the father and mother of the people'; I have never seen a case where the son is rich and the parents poor."

文王問於呂望曰：“為天下若何？”對曰：“王國富民，霸國富士；僅存之國，富大夫；亡道之國，富倉府；是謂上溢而下漏。”文王曰：“善！”對曰：“宿善不祥。是日也，發其倉府，以賑鰥、寡、孤、獨。”

King Wen asked Lu Wang: "How should one govern the world?" He replied: "A state that rules as king makes the people rich; a state that rules as hegemon makes the scholars rich; a state that merely survives makes the great officers rich; a state without the Way makes its granaries and treasuries rich; this is called overflowing above and leaking below." King Wen said: "Good!" He replied: "To let a good deed stay overnight is ill-omened. On this very day, open the granaries and treasuries, and relieve widowers, widows, orphans and the childless."

武王問於太公曰：“治國之道若何？”太公對曰：“治國之道，愛民而已。”曰：“愛民若何？”曰：“利之而勿害，成之勿敗，生之勿殺，與之勿奪，樂之勿苦，喜之勿怒，此治國之道，使民之誼也，愛之而已矣。民失其所務，則害之也；農失其時，則敗之也；有罪者重其罰，則殺之也；重賦斂者，則奪之也；多徭役以罷民力，則苦之也；勞而擾之，則怒之也。故善為國者遇民，如父母之愛子，兄之愛弟，聞其飢寒為之哀，見其勞苦為之悲。”

King Wu asked Taigong: "What is the way of governing a state?" Taigong replied: "The way of governing a state is to love the people." He said: "How does one love the people?" He said: "Benefit them and do not harm them, help them succeed and do not ruin them, let them live and do not kill them, give to them and do not take from them, let them enjoy and do not make them suffer, let them be glad and do not make them angry; this is the way of governing a state and the principle of employing the people: just to love them. If the people lose what they are engaged in, that is harming them; if farmers lose the season, that is ruining them; to punish heavily those who are guilty is killing them; to impose heavy levies is taking from them; to have many labor services that wear out the people's strength is making them suffer; to toil them and again disturb them is making them angry. So one who governs a state well treats the people as parents love their children and an elder brother loves his younger brother: on hearing of their hunger and cold he grieves for them, and on seeing their toil he is sad for them."

武王問於太公曰：“賢君治國何如？”對曰：“賢君之治國，其政平，其吏不苛，其賦斂節，其自奉薄，不以私善害公法，賞賜不加於無功，刑罰不施於無罪，不因喜以賞，不因怒以誅，害民者有罪，進賢舉過者有賞，後宮不荒，女謁不聽，上無淫慝，下不陰害，不幸宮室以費財，不多觀遊臺池以罷民，不雕文刻鏤以逞耳目，宮無腐蠹之藏，國無流餓之民，此賢君之治國也。”武王曰：“善哉！”

King Wu asked Taigong: "How does a worthy ruler govern a state?" He replied: "When a worthy ruler governs a state, the government is even-handed, officials are not harsh, levies are moderate, his own provisions are modest, he does not harm public law with private kindness, he does not give rewards to those without merit or punishments to those without guilt, he does not reward out of joy or execute out of anger, those who harm the people are guilty, and those who advance the worthy and point out faults are rewarded; the rear palace is not neglected, the women's petitions are not heeded, there is no licentiousness above and no secret harming of people below, he does not raise the palace higher and so exhaust wealth, does not multiply sightseeing terraces and ponds and so tire the people, does not carve and engrave to indulge ears and eyes; in the palace there are no rotting stores, and in the state there are no wandering or starving people. This is how a worthy ruler governs a state." King Wu said: "Excellent!"

武王問於太公曰：“為國而數更法令者何也？”太公曰：“為國而數更法令者，不法法，以其所善為法者也；故令出而亂，亂則更為法，是以其法令數更也。”

King Wu asked Taigong: "Why does a state change its laws and orders again and again?" Taigong said: "A state that changes its laws and orders again and again does not take the law as its model but takes what it thinks good as the law; so when an order is issued it brings disorder, and when disorder arises it changes the law again; therefore laws and orders change again and again."

成王問政於尹逸曰：“吾何德之行而民親其上？”對曰：“使之以時而敬順之，忠而愛之，布令信而不食言。”王曰：“其度安至？”對曰：“如臨深淵，如履薄冰。”王曰：“懼哉！”對曰：“天地之間，四海之內，善之則畜之，不善則讎也；夏、殷之臣，反讎桀、紂而臣湯、武，夙沙之民，自攻其主而歸神農氏。此君之所明知也，若何其無懼也？”

King Cheng asked Yin Yi about government, saying: "What virtue should I practice so that the people are close to those above?" He replied: "Employ them according to the seasons and be reverent and compliant, be loyal and love them, issue orders and keep faith without going back on your word." The King said: "How far should the standard go?" He replied: "Like facing a deep abyss, like treading on thin ice." The King said: "How fearful!" He replied: "Between Heaven and Earth and within the four seas, if one treats them well they are nourished, and if one treats them badly they are enemies; the ministers of Xia and Yin turned instead to hate Jie and Zhou and submitted to Tang and Wu; the people of Susha themselves attacked their lord and went over to the house of Shen Nong. This is what Your Lordship clearly knows; how can you not be afraid?"

仲尼見梁君，梁君問仲尼曰：“吾欲長有國，吾欲列都之得，吾欲使民安不惑，吾欲使士竭其力，吾欲使日月當時，吾欲使聖人自來，吾欲使官府治，為之奈何？”仲尼對曰：“千乘之君，萬乘之主，問於丘者多矣，未嘗有如主君問丘之術也，然而儘可得也。丘聞之，兩君相親，則長有國；君惠臣忠，則列都之得；毋殺不辜，毋釋罪人，則民不惑；益士祿賞，則竭其力；尊天敬鬼，則日月當時；善為刑罰，則聖人自來；尚賢使能，則官治。”梁君曰：“豈有不然哉！”

Zhongni met the Lord of Liang, and the Lord of Liang asked Zhongni: "I want to hold my state for a long time, I want to obtain the cities in a row, I want to make the people settled and free of doubt, I want to make scholars give their utmost strength, I want to make the sun and moon keep their seasons, I want to make sages come of themselves, and I want to make the government offices well governed; what should I do?" Zhongni replied: "Lords of a thousand chariots and masters of ten thousand chariots have asked me many questions, but none has ever asked me in the way you do, my lord; yet all of this can be obtained. I have heard that when two rulers are close, a state is held for a long time; when the ruler is kind and the ministers loyal, the cities in a row are obtained; if one does not kill the innocent or release the guilty, the people are not in doubt; if one increases the salaries and rewards of scholars, they give their utmost; if one honors Heaven and reveres the spirits, the sun and moon keep their seasons; if one is skilled in using punishment, sages come of themselves; if one honors the worthy and employs the capable, the offices are well governed." The Lord of Liang said: "How could it be otherwise!"

子貢曰：“葉公問政於夫子，夫子曰：‘政在附近來遠’，魯哀公問政於夫子，夫子曰：‘政在於諭臣’。齊景公問政於夫子，夫子曰：‘政在於節用’。三君問政於夫子，夫子應之不同，然則政有異乎？”孔子曰：“夫荊之地廣而都狹，民有離志焉，故曰在於附近而來遠。哀公有臣三人，內比周公以惑其君，外障諸侯賓客以蔽其明，故曰政在諭臣。齊景公奢於臺榭，淫於苑囿，五官之樂不解，一旦而賜人百乘之家者三，故曰政在於節用，此三者政也，詩不云乎：‘亂離斯瘼，爰其適歸’，此傷離散以為亂者也，‘匪其止共，惟王之邛’，此傷奸臣蔽主以為亂者也，‘相亂蔑資，魯莫惠我師’，此傷奢侈不節以為亂者也，察此三者之所欲，政其同乎哉！”

Zigong said: "Lord Ye asked the Master about government, and the Master said: 'Government lies in being close to those near and drawing in those far.' Duke Ai of Lu asked the Master about government, and the Master said: 'Government lies in enlightening the ministers.' Duke Jing of Qi asked the Master about government, and the Master said: 'Government lies in economy of expenditure.' Three rulers asked the Master about government and the Master answered differently; is there then difference in government?" Confucius said: "The land of Jing was broad but its capital narrow, and the people had hearts inclined to scatter, so I said it lies in being close to those near and drawing in those far. Duke Ai had three ministers who, within, allied themselves with the Duke of Zhou's line to confuse their ruler and, without, blocked the feudal lords and guests to obscure his clear sight, so I said government lies in enlightening the ministers. Duke Jing of Qi was extravagant on terraces and pavilions, indulgent in parks and gardens, never relieving the pleasures of the five senses, and in a single morning gave away households of a hundred chariots three times, so I said government lies in economy of expenditure. These three are all government. Does the Book of Poetry not say: 'In such disorder and suffering, where will one return to?' This laments scattering as the cause of disorder; 'It was not that they stopped at reverence, only that they made sickness for the king,' this laments treacherous ministers obscuring the ruler as the cause of disorder; 'They disturb one another and there is no resource; no one in Lu gives kindness to my multitude,' this laments extravagance without restraint as the cause of disorder. Look at what these three want; could the government be the same!"

公儀休相魯，魯君死，左右請閉門，公儀休曰：“止！池淵吾不稅，蒙山吾不賦，苛令吾不布，吾已閉心矣！何閉於門哉？”

Gongyi Xiu was prime minister of Lu, and when the ruler of Lu died, his attendants asked to close the gates. Gongyi Xiu said: "Stop! I did not tax the ponds and deeps, I did not levy on Mount Meng, I did not promulgate harsh orders; I have already closed my heart! Why must I close the gates?"

子產相鄭，簡公謂子產曰：“內政毋出，外政毋入。夫衣裘之不美，車馬之不飾，子女之不潔，寡人之醜也；國家之不治，封疆之不正，夫子之醜也。”子產相鄭，終簡公之身，內無國中之亂，外無諸侯之患也；子產之從政也，擇能而使之：馮簡子善斷事，子太叔善決而文，公孫揮知四國之為而辨於其大夫之族姓，變而立至，又善為辭令，裨諶善謀，於野則獲，於邑則否，有事乃載裨諶與之適野，使謀可否，而告馮簡子斷之，使公孫揮為之辭令，成乃受子太叔行之，以應對賓客，是以鮮有敗事也。

Zichan was prime minister of Zheng, and Duke Jian said to Zichan: "Do not let internal government go out and do not let external government come in. If clothing and furs are not fine, carriages and horses not adorned, and sons and daughters not clean, that is my disgrace; if the state is not governed and the borders are not set right, that is yours." Zichan was prime minister of Zheng until the end of Duke Jian's life; within there was no disorder in the state, and without there was no trouble from the feudal lords. In his government, Zichan chose capable men and used them: Feng Jianzi was good at deciding affairs, Zi Taishu was good at deciding and had literary grace, and Gongsun Hui knew the doings of the four states and could distinguish the clans of their great officers, and when there was an incident he arrived at once and was also good at composing replies, while Bi Chen was good at planning, with ideas coming in the countryside but not in the city; when there was an affair, he would carry Bi Chen in his carriage to the countryside, have him plan whether it could be done, then tell Feng Jianzi to decide, have Gongsun Hui compose the reply, and when it was finished hand it to Zi Taishu to carry out in receiving guests; so there were few failures.

董安於治晉陽，問政於蹇老，蹇老曰：“曰忠、曰信、曰敢。”董安於曰：“安忠乎？”曰：“忠於主。”曰：“安信乎？”曰：“信於令。”曰：“安敢乎？”曰：“敢於不善人。”董安於曰：“此三者足矣。”

Dong Anyu was governing Jinyang, and asked Jian Lao about government. Jian Lao said: "It is called loyalty, it is called good faith, and it is called daring." Dong Anyu said: "How is loyalty?" He said: "Loyal to the lord." He said: "How is good faith?" He said: "Faithful to orders." He said: "How is daring?" He said: "Daring in dealing with the not good." Dong Anyu said: "These three are enough."

魏文侯使西門豹往治於鄴，告之曰：“必全功成名布義。”豹曰：“敢問全功成名布義為之奈何？”文侯曰：“子往矣！是無邑不有賢豪辨博者也，無邑不有好揚人之惡，蔽人之善者也。往必問豪賢者，因而親之；其辨博者，因而師之；問其好揚人之惡，蔽人之善者，因而察之，不可以特聞從事。夫耳聞之不如目見之，目見之不如足踐之，足踐之不如手辨之；人始入官，如入晦室，久而愈明，明乃治，治乃行。”

Marquis Wen of Wei sent Ximen Bao to go and govern Ye, and told him: "You must complete your achievement, establish your name, and spread righteousness." Bao said: "May I ask how to complete achievement, establish a name and spread righteousness?" Marquis Wen said: "Go! There is no town without worthy and outstanding men of broad learning, and no town without people who like to spread others' evils and cover up others' good. When you go, you must ask the outstanding and worthy and so be close to them; those of broad learning you should take as teachers; ask about those who like to spread others' evils and cover up others' good and so examine them; you cannot handle affairs only by what you hear. What the ears hear is not as good as what the eyes see, what the eyes see is not as good as what the feet tread, and what the feet tread is not as good as what the hands distinguish; a man who has just taken office is like entering a dark room, and as time passes he sees more and more clearly; when it is clear he governs, and when he has governed he carries things out."

宓子賤治單父，彈鳴琴，身不下堂而單父治。巫馬期亦治單父，以星出，以星入，日夜不出，以身親之，而單父亦治。巫馬期問其故於宓子賤，宓子賤曰：“我之謂任人，子之謂任力；任力者固勞，任人者固佚。”人曰宓子賤，則君子矣，佚四肢，全耳目，平心氣而百官治，任其數而已矣。巫馬期則不然，弊性事情，勞煩教詔，雖治猶未至也。

Mi Zijian governed Danfu, playing the zither, and without himself stepping down from the hall, Danfu was governed. Wuma Qi also governed Danfu, going out under the stars and coming in under the stars, not coming out day or night, doing it all himself, and Danfu was also governed. Wuma Qi asked Mi Zijian the reason, and Mi Zijian said: "I am called one who relies on people, and you are called one who relies on strength; one who relies on strength is originally toiling, and one who relies on people is originally at ease." People said Mi Zijian was a gentleman indeed, who rested his limbs, kept his ears and eyes whole, and harmonized his heart and breath, so that the hundred officials were governed, and simply employed his methods. Wuma Qi was not like that; he wore out his nature and toiled over affairs, troubled himself with teaching and edicts, and though he governed, he had not yet reached the utmost.

孔子謂宓子賤曰：“子治單父而眾說，語丘所以為之者。”曰：“不齊父其父，子其子，恤諸孤而哀喪紀。”孔子曰：“善小節也小民附矣，猶未足也。”曰：“不齊也，所父事者三人，所兄事者五人，所友者十一人，”孔子曰：“父事三人，可以教孝矣；兄事五人，可以教弟矣；友十一人，可以教學矣。中節也，中民附矣，猶未足也。”曰：“此地民有賢於不齊者五人，不齊事之，皆教不齊所以治之術。”孔子曰：“欲其大者，乃於此在矣。昔者堯、舜清微其身，以聽觀天下，務來賢人，夫舉賢者，百福之宗也，而神明之主也，不齊之所治者小也，不齊所治者大，其與堯、舜繼矣。”

Confucius said to Mi Zijian: "You govern Danfu and the multitude are pleased; tell me the reason you can do it." He said: "Buqi treats others' fathers as fathers, treats others' sons as sons, takes pity on orphans and grieves for funerals." Confucius said: "Good, but this is a minor measure; the common people become attached to you, but it is not enough." He said: "There are three people I serve as I would a father, five I serve as I would an elder brother, and eleven I take as friends." Confucius said: "With the three you serve as a father, you can teach filial piety; with the five you serve as an elder brother, you can teach brotherly respect; with the eleven friends, you can teach learning. This is a middle measure; the middling people become attached, but it is not enough." He said: "There are five men among the people of this place who are worthier than Buqi, and Buqi serves them, and they all teach Buqi the methods of governing." Confucius said: "What you wanted that is great is here. In the past Yao and Shun made themselves humble and subtle in order to listen and observe the world, and strove to draw in the worthy; raising the worthy is the ancestor of the hundred blessings and also the master of the spirits. What Buqi governs is small, but what Buqi governs is also great, and he continues the line of Yao and Shun."

宓子賤為單父宰，辭於夫子，夫子曰：“毋迎而距也，毋望而許也；許之則失守，距之則閉塞。譬如高山深淵，仰之不可極，度之不可測也。”子賤曰：“善，敢不承命乎！”宓子賤為單父宰，過於陽晝曰：“子亦有以送僕乎？”陽晝曰：“吾少也賤，不知治民之術，有釣道二焉，請以送子。”子賤曰：“釣道奈何？”陽晝曰：“夫扱綸錯餌，迎而吸之者也，陽橋也，其為魚薄而不美；若存若亡，若食若不食者，魴也，其為魚也博而厚味。”宓子賤曰：“善。”於是未至單父，冠蓋迎之者交接於道，子賤曰：“車驅之，車驅之。”夫陽晝之所謂陽橋者至矣，於是至單父請其耆老尊賢者而與之共治單父。

When Mi Zijian was appointed magistrate of Shanfu, he took leave of the Master, and the Master said: "Do not refuse as soon as you meet something, and do not agree as soon as you see it; agreeing loses your integrity, and refusing closes you off. It should be like a high mountain and a deep abyss: looking up, you cannot reach its limit; measuring, you cannot fathom it." Zijian said: "Good; how dare I not accept the command!" When Mi Zijian was passing through on the way to Shanfu, he said to Yang Zhou: "Do you have anything to give me?" Yang Zhou said: "I am young and lowly and do not know the art of governing people, but I have two principles of fishing, which I would like to give you." Zijian said: "What are the principles of fishing?" Yang Zhou said: "When you drop the line and place the bait, the one that comes up and snaps at it is the yangqiao; that fish is thin and not delicious. The one that seems to be there and not there, seems to eat and not eat, is the bream; that fish is large and its flavor rich." Mi Zijian said: "Good." Then, before he reached Shanfu, officials in caps and canopies came to greet him, crossing paths along the road, and Zijian said: "Drive on, drive on." The yangqiao that Yang Zhou had spoken of had arrived, and so, on reaching Shanfu, he invited the elders and honored worthies to govern Shanfu together with him.

孔子弟子有孔蔑者，與宓子賤皆仕，孔子往過孔蔑，問之曰：“自子之仕者，何得、何亡？”孔蔑曰：“自吾仕者未有所得，而有所亡者三，曰：王事若襲，學焉得習，以是學不得明也，所亡者一也。奉祿少鬻，鬻不足及親戚，親戚益疏矣，所亡者二也。公事多急，不得吊死視病，是以朋友益疏矣，所亡者三也。”孔子不說，而復往見子賤曰：“自子之仕，何得、何亡也？”子賤曰：“自吾之仕，未有所亡而所得者三：始誦之文，今履而行之，是學日益明也，所得者一也。奉祿雖少鬻，鬻得及親戚，是以親戚益親也，所得者二也。公事雖急，夜勤，吊死視病，是以朋友益親也，所得者三也。”孔子謂子賤曰：“君子哉若人！君子哉若人！魯無君子也，斯焉取斯？”

Among Confucius's disciples there was one named Kong Mie, who served in office along with Mi Zijian. Confucius went and passed by Kong Mie and asked him: "Since you took office, what have you gained and what have you lost?" Kong Mie said: "Since I took office I have gained nothing, but have lost three things: royal business comes one thing after another, so how can I review my studies, and so my learning is not clear; this is the first loss. My salary is small and does not stretch to my relatives, so my relatives have grown more distant; this is the second loss. Public matters are many and urgent, and I cannot condole with the dead or visit the sick, so my friends have grown more distant; this is the third loss." Confucius was displeased, and went on to see Zijian, saying: "Since you took office, what have you gained and what have you lost?" Zijian said: "Since I took office I have lost nothing and gained three things: what I at first recited in texts I now carry out in practice, so my learning grows clearer day by day; this is the first gain. Although my salary is small, it stretches to my relatives, so my relatives have grown closer; this is the second gain. Although public matters are urgent, I work diligently at night, condole with the dead and visit the sick, so my friends have grown closer; this is the third gain." Confucius said to Zijian: "A noble man indeed, this man! A noble man indeed, this man! If Lu had no noble men, where would he have gotten this from?"

晏子治東阿三年，景公召而數之曰：“吾以子為可，而使子治東阿，今子治而亂，子退而自察也，寡人將加大誅於子。”晏子對曰：“臣請改道易行而治東阿，三年不治，臣請死之。”景公許之。於是明年上計，景公迎而賀之曰：“甚善矣！子之治東阿也。”晏子對曰：“前臣之治東阿也，屬託行，貨賂至，並會賦斂，倉庫少內，便事左右，陂池之魚，入於權家。當此之時，飢者過半矣，君乃反迎而賀臣，愚不能復治東阿，願乞骸骨，避賢者之路，再拜便辟。”景公乃下席而謝之曰：“子強復治東阿；東阿者，子之東阿也，寡人無復與焉。”

Master Yan governed Dong'a for three years, and Duke Jing summoned him and rebuked him, saying: "I thought you capable and so had you govern Dong'a, but now your governance is in disorder; go back and examine yourself, and I will add to your punishment." Master Yan replied: "I request to change my way and conduct and govern Dong'a anew; if after three years it is not well governed, I request to die for it." Duke Jing agreed. In the second year, he presented the accounts, and Duke Jing welcomed him and congratulated him, saying: "Very good! You have governed Dong'a." Master Yan replied: "Formerly when I governed Dong'a, private recommendations flowed freely, bribes arrived, taxes were levied in one lump, the storehouses took in little, the officials around were conveniently served, and the fish of the ponds went into the homes of the powerful. At that time more than half the people were starving, yet Your Lordship now welcomes and congratulates me. I am too foolish to govern Dong'a again, and wish to beg leave to retire and give way to the worthy." He bowed twice and withdrew. Duke Jing then left his mat and apologized, saying: "Please make an effort to govern Dong'a again; Dong'a is your Dong'a, and I will no longer interfere."

子路治蒲，見於孔子曰：“由願受教。”孔子曰：“蒲多壯士，又難治也。然吾語汝，恭以敬，可以攝勇；寬以正，可以容眾；恭以潔，可以親上。”

Zilu was governing Pu, and saw Confucius, saying: "You wishes to receive instruction." Confucius said: "Pu has many strong men and is hard to govern. But I tell you: be respectful and cautious, and you can subdue the bold; be lenient and upright, and you can embrace the crowd; be respectful and honest, and you can win the closeness of your superiors."

子貢為信陽令，辭孔子而行，孔子曰：“力之順之，因子之時，無奪無伐，無暴無盜。”子貢曰：“賜少日事君子，君子固有盜者邪！”孔子曰：“夫以不肖伐賢，是謂奪也；以賢伐不肖，是謂伐也；緩其令，急其誅，是謂暴也；取人善以自為己，是謂盜也。君子之盜，豈必當財幣乎？吾聞之曰：知為吏者奉法利民，不知為吏者，枉法以侵民，此皆怨之所由生也。臨官莫如平，臨財莫如廉，廉平之守，不可攻也。匿人之善者，是謂蔽賢也；揚人之惡者，是謂小人也；不內相教而外相謗者，是謂不足親也。言人之善者，有所得而無所傷也；言人之惡者，無所得而有所傷也。故君子慎言語矣，毋先己而後人，擇言出之，令口如耳。”

Zigong was made magistrate of Xinyang, and took leave of Confucius to go. Confucius said: "Use strength in accordance, rely on the proper time, do not usurp, do not attack, do not be violent, do not steal." Zigong said: "Ci has served the noble man since youth; does the noble man also have stealing!" Confucius said: "To use the unworthy to attack the worthy is called usurping; to use the worthy to attack the unworthy is called attacking; slow in laws and urgent in punishments is called violence; taking another's goodness as one's own is called stealing. The noble man's stealing, must it be about money? I have heard: those officials who know how to carry out the law benefit the people; those who do not know bend the law to encroach on the people; these are how resentment arises. In holding office nothing is better than fairness, in dealing with wealth nothing is better than honesty; the integrity of honesty and fairness cannot be broken. One who hides another's goodness is called obstructing the worthy; one who proclaims another's evil is called a petty man; those who do not teach each other within but slander each other outside are called not fit to be close to. Speaking of another's goodness brings gain and no harm; speaking of another's evil brings no gain and harm. So the noble man is careful with his words and does not put himself first and others after; he selects his words before they leave his mouth, making the mouth like the ear."

楊朱見梁王，言治天下如運諸掌然，梁王曰：“先生有一妻一妾不能治，三畝之園不能芸，言治天下如運諸手掌何以？”楊朱曰：“臣有之，君不見夫羊乎，百羊而群，使五尺童子荷杖而隨之，欲東而東，欲西而西；君且使堯牽一羊，舜荷杖而隨之，則亂之始也。臣聞之，夫吞舟之魚不遊淵，鴻鵠高飛不就汙池，何則？其志極遠也。黃鐘大呂，不可從繁奏之舞，何則？其音疏也。將治大者不治小，成大功者不小苛，此之謂也。”

Yang Zhu saw the King of Liang and said that governing the world is as easy as turning it in the palm of one's hand. The King of Liang said: "You cannot manage one wife and one concubine, and you cannot weed a garden of three mu; why do you say that governing the world is as easy as turning it in the palm of your hand?" Yang Zhu said: "I have a reason for saying so. Has Your Majesty not seen the sheep? A hundred sheep make a flock, and a five-foot child with a staff can follow them and drive them east if he wishes east, west if he wishes west; but if Your Majesty had Yao lead one sheep and Shun carry a staff and follow, it would be the start of disorder. I have heard that a fish that can swallow a boat does not swim in a shallow pool, and a swan flying high does not go to a stagnant pond; why? Their aims are very far. The Huangzhong and Dalu pitches cannot accompany a dance of busy, mixed music; why? Their sounds are broad and sparse. One who is going to govern the great does not govern the small, and one who accomplishes great merit is not exacting about small matters; this is what is meant."

景差相鄭，鄭人有冬涉水者，出而脛寒，後景差過之，下陪乘而載之，覆以上衽，晉叔向聞之曰：“景子為人國相，豈不固哉！吾聞良吏居之三月而溝渠修，十月而津梁成，六畜且不濡足，而況人乎？”

Jing Cha was chancellor of Zheng. A man of Zheng crossed water in winter and came out with his shins freezing. Later Jing Cha passed by, had the attendant in his carriage get down, put the man in, and covered him with his upper garment. Shuxiang of Jin heard of this and said: "Master Jing, as a chancellor of a state, is he not narrow-minded! I have heard that when a good official stays in a place for three months, the ditches are repaired, and by the tenth month the fords and bridges are built, so that even the six domestic animals do not wet their feet, let alone people."

魏文侯問李克曰：“為國如何？”對曰：“臣聞為國之道，食有勞而祿有功，使有能而賞必行，罰必當。”文侯曰：“吾嘗罰皆當而民不與，何也？”對曰：“國其有淫民乎？臣聞之曰：奪淫民之祿以來四方之士；其父有功而祿，其子無功而食之，出則乘車馬衣美裘以為榮華，入則修竽琴、鍾石之聲而安其子女之樂，以亂鄉曲之教，如此者奪其祿以來四方之士，此之謂奪淫民也。”

Marquis Wen of Wei asked Li Ke: "How should a state be governed?" He replied: "I have heard that the Way of governing a state is to give food to those who labor and salary to those with merit, to employ the able, and to see that rewards are always carried out and punishments always fitting." Marquis Wen said: "I have given rewards and punishments that were fitting, yet the people have not drawn close; why?" He replied: "Perhaps the state has idle spendthrifts? I have heard: take away the salaries of idle spendthrifts in order to attract scholars of the four quarters. If their father had merit and received a salary, and the son has no merit yet eats from it, going out riding carriages and horses wearing fine furs and thinking it glorious, and coming in tuning pipes, zithers, bells and chimes and being content with the pleasures of sons and daughters, thereby disrupting the instruction of the village, then to take away such a person's salary to attract the scholars of the four quarters is called taking away from the idle spendthrifts."

齊桓公問管仲曰：“國何患？”管仲對曰：“患失社鼠。”桓公曰：“何謂也？”管仲對曰：“夫社束木而塗之，鼠因往托焉，燻之則恐燒其木，灌之則恐敗其塗，此鼠所以不可得殺者，以社故也。夫國亦有社鼠，人主左右是也；內則蔽善惡於君上，外則賣權重於百姓，不誅之則為亂，誅之則為人主所察，據腹而有之，此亦國之社鼠也。人有酤酒者，為器甚潔清，置表甚長而酒酸不售，問之里人其故，里人云：‘公之狗猛，人挈器而入，且酤公酒，狗迎而噬之，此酒所以酸不售之故也。’夫國亦有猛狗，用事者也；有道術之士，欲明萬乘之主，而用事者迎而齕之，此亦國之猛狗也。左右為社鼠，用事者為猛狗，則道術之士不得用矣，此治國之所患也。”

Duke Huan of Qi asked Guan Zhong: "What does a state worry about?" Guan Zhong replied: "It worries about rats in the altar of the soil." Duke Huan said: "What do you mean?" Guan Zhong replied: "The altar of the soil is made by binding wood and plastering it with mud, and rats then take shelter in it; smoke them out and one fears burning the wood, flood them and one fears ruining the plaster; this is why the rats cannot be caught and killed, because of the altar. A state also has altar rats, namely those around the ruler; within they obscure good and evil from the ruler, outside they sell the weight of authority to the people; if not punished they cause disorder, and if punished they are protected by the ruler, so they hold the heart of the matter and keep it; these too are the altar rats of the state. There was a man who sold wine, with very clean vessels and a very long sign, but his wine turned sour and could not be sold, and he asked the neighbors why. The neighbors said: 'Your dog is fierce; when people come in carrying a vessel to buy your wine, the dog comes out and bites them; this is why the wine goes sour and cannot be sold.' A state also has fierce dogs, namely the officials in charge of affairs; when a scholar with the Way wishes to make a ruler of ten thousand chariots understand, the officials in charge come out and bite him; these are the fierce dogs of the state. The ruler's attendants are altar rats and the officials in charge are fierce dogs, so scholars with the Way cannot be used; this is what governing a state worries about."

齊侯問於晏子曰：“為政何患？”對曰：“患善惡之不分。”公曰：“何以察之？”對曰：“審擇左右，左右善，則百僚各得其所宜而善惡分。”孔子聞之曰：“此言也信矣，善言進，則不善無由入矣；不進善言，則善無由入矣。”

The Marquis of Qi asked Master Yan: "What does conducting government worry about?" He replied: "It worries about being unable to distinguish good from evil." The Duke said: "How can one examine this?" He replied: "Be careful in choosing those around you; if those around you are good, the hundred officials each obtain their proper place and good and evil are distinguished." Confucius heard of it and said: "These words are true; when good words come in, what is not good has no way to enter; when good words are not admitted, goodness has no way to enter."

復槁之君朝齊，桓公問治民焉，復槁之君不對，而循口操衿抑心，桓公曰：“與民共甘苦飢寒乎？”“夫以我為聖人也，故不用言而諭。”因禮之千金。晉文公時，翟人有封狐、文豹之皮者，文公喟然嘆曰：“封狐文豹何罪哉？以其皮為罪也。”大夫欒枝曰：“地廣而不平，財聚而不散，獨非狐豹之罪乎？”文公曰：“善哉！說之。”欒枝曰：“地廣而不平，人將平之；財聚而不散，人將爭之。”於是列地以分民，散財以賑貧。

The ruler of Fugao came to court at Qi, and Duke Huan asked about governing the people, but the ruler of Fugao did not answer, instead following his mouth, gripping the front of his garment, and pressing his heart. Duke Huan said: "Is it to share the sweet and bitter, the hunger and cold, with the people?" "He thinks I am a sage, so I can make it clear without speaking." So he treated him with a gift of a thousand pieces of gold. In the time of Duke Wen of Jin, the Di people had skins of the large fox and the spotted leopard, and Duke Wen sighed deeply, saying: "What is the fault of the large fox and spotted leopard? They are at fault because of their skins." The grandee Luan Zhi said: "Land that is broad but not evenly divided, wealth accumulated but not distributed; is this not also the fault of the fox and leopard?" Duke Wen said: "Good! Go on." Luan Zhi said: "If land is broad and not evenly divided, people will divide it evenly themselves; if wealth is accumulated and not distributed, people will fight to seize it." So he divided the land and gave it to the people, and distributed wealth to relieve the poor.

晉文侯問政於舅犯，舅犯對曰：“分熟不如分腥，分腥不如分地；割以分民而益其爵祿，是以上得地而民知富，上失地而民知貧，古之所謂致師而戰者，其此之謂也。”

Marquis Wen of Jin asked Jiufan about government, and Jiufan replied: "Dividing cooked food is not as good as dividing raw meat, and dividing raw meat is not as good as dividing land; divide it up and give it to the people and increase their rank and salary, so that when the ruler gains land the people know they are rich, and when the ruler loses land the people know they are poor; what the ancients called attracting troops to fight is this."

晉侯問於士文伯曰：“三月朔，日有蝕之，寡人學惛焉，詩所謂：‘彼日而蝕，於何不臧’者，何也？”對曰：“不善政之謂也；國無政不用善，則自取謫於日月之災，故不可不慎也。政有三而已：一曰因民，二曰擇人，三曰從時。”

The Marquis of Jin asked Shi Wenbo: "On the first day of the third month there was an eclipse of the sun; I am dim in learning; what does the Book of Songs mean by 'that sun is eclipsed; how is it not good'?" He replied: "It speaks of bad government; when a state has no government and does not use the good, it takes reproof from the disasters of the sun and moon, so one cannot fail to be careful. There are only three things in government: the first is called following the people, the second is called choosing the right men, and the third is called following the seasons."

延陵季子游於晉，入其境曰：“嘻，暴哉國乎！”入其都曰：“嘻，力屈哉，國乎！”立其朝曰：“嘻，亂哉國乎！”從者曰：“夫子之入境未久也，何其名之不疑也？”延陵季子曰：“然，吾入其境田畝荒穢而不休，雜增崇高，吾是以知其國之暴也。吾入其都，新室惡而故室美，新牆卑而故牆高，吾是以知其民力之屈也。吾立其朝，君能視而不下問，其臣善伐而不上諫，吾是以知其國之亂也。齊之所以不如魯者，太公之賢不如伯禽，伯禽與太公俱受封，而各之國三年，太公來朝，周公問曰：“何治之疾也？”對曰：“尊賢，先疏後親，先義後仁也。”此霸者之跡也。周公曰：“太公之澤及五世。”五年伯禽來朝，周公問曰：“何治之難？”對曰：“親親者，先內後外，先仁後義也。”此王者之跡也。周公曰：“魯之澤及十世。”故魯有王跡者，仁厚也；齊有霸跡者，武政也；齊之所以不如魯也，太公之賢不如伯禽也。

Jizi of Yanling was traveling in Jin. Entering the border he said: "Ah, this state is oppressive!" Entering the capital he said: "Ah, this state's strength is exhausted!" Standing in the court he said: "Ah, this state is in disorder!" His attendants said: "The Master has not been in the state long; why name it so without doubt?" Jizi of Yanling said: "It is so. When I entered the border, the fields were overgrown and unmaintained, with weeds heaped up, and from this I knew the state is oppressive. When I entered the capital, the new houses were ugly and the old houses fine, the new walls low and the old walls high, and from this I knew the people's strength is exhausted. Standing in the court, the ruler can see but does not ask those below, his ministers are good at boasting but do not remonstrate upward, and from this I knew the state is in disorder. The reason Qi is not as good as Lu is that Taigong's worthiness was not equal to Bo Qin's. Bo Qin and Taigong were both enfeoffed, and each went to his state; after three years Taigong came to court, and the Duke of Zhou asked: 'Why have you governed so quickly?' He answered: 'I honored the worthy, put the distant before the close, and righteousness before benevolence.' This is the footprint of a hegemon. The Duke of Zhou said: 'Taigong's favor will extend to the fifth generation.' After five years Bo Qin came to court, and the Duke of Zhou asked: 'Why have you governed so slowly?' He answered: 'I loved my kin, put the inner before the outer, and benevolence before righteousness.' This is the footprint of a true king. The Duke of Zhou said: 'Lu's favor will extend to the tenth generation.' So Lu has the footprint of a king, which is generosity and benevolence; Qi has the footprint of a hegemon, which is martial government; the reason Qi is not as good as Lu is that Taigong's worthiness was not equal to Bo Qin's."

景公好婦人而丈夫飾者，國人盡服之，公使吏禁之曰：“女子而男子飾者，裂其衣，斷其帶。”裂衣斷帶相望而不止，晏子見，公曰：“寡人使吏禁女子而男子飾者，裂其衣，斷其帶，相望而不止者，何也？”對曰：“君使服之於內而禁之於外，猶懸牛首於門而求買馬肉也；公胡不使內勿服，則外莫敢為也。”公曰：“善！”使內勿服，不旋月而國莫之服也。

Duke Jing liked women to dress up like men, and the people of the state all dressed that way. The Duke sent officials to forbid it, saying: "Women who dress like men, tear their clothes and cut their sashes." Clothes were torn and sashes cut where all could see, yet it did not stop. Master Yan came to see him, and the Duke said: "I sent officials to forbid women to dress like men, to tear their clothes and cut their sashes, and they are seen by all, yet it does not stop; why?" He replied: "Your Lordship has them dress this way inside while forbidding it outside, like hanging an ox head on the door while seeking to sell horse meat; why does the Duke not forbid it inside, and then no one outside will dare do it?" The Duke said: "Good!" He forbade it inside, and in less than a month no one in the state dressed this way.

齊人甚好轂擊相犯以為樂，禁之不止，晏子患之，乃為新車良馬出與人相犯也，曰：“轂擊者不祥，臣其察祀不順，居處不敬乎？”下車棄而去之，然後國人乃不為。故曰：“禁之以制，而身不先行也，民不肯止，故化其心莫若教也。”

The people of Qi were very fond of crashing their carriage hubs into each other for fun, and they were forbidden but did not stop. Master Yan was troubled by this, so he made a new carriage, harnessed fine horses, went out and collided with others, saying: "Hub crashing is inauspicious; perhaps my sacrifices have not been in order and my conduct at home has not been respectful?" He got down from the carriage, abandoned it and left, and only then did the people of the state stop. So it is said: "To forbid by regulation while not first practicing it oneself, the people will not stop; so there is nothing better than instruction for changing their hearts."

魯國之法，魯人有贖臣妾於諸侯者，取金於府；子貢贖人於諸侯而還其金，孔子聞之曰：“賜失之矣，聖人之舉事也，可以移風易俗，而教導可施於百姓，非獨適其身之行也。今魯國富者寡而貧者眾，贖而受金則為不廉；不受則後莫復贖，自今以來，魯人不復贖矣。”孔子可謂通於化矣。故老子曰：“見小曰明。”

Under the law of Lu, if a man of Lu ransomed a servant from the feudal lords, he took the gold from the treasury; Zigong ransomed someone from the feudal lords but returned the gold. Confucius heard of it and said: "Ci is wrong. When a sage acts, he can change customs, and his teaching can be applied to the people; it is not conduct suited only to oneself. Now in Lu the rich are few and the poor many; if one ransoms and accepts the gold, that is not honest; if one does not accept, then no one will ransom anyone afterward; from now on, the people of Lu will no longer ransom." Confucius can be said to have understood instruction. So Laozi said: "Seeing the small is called clarity."

孔子見季康子，康子未說，孔子又見之，宰予曰：“吾聞之夫子曰：‘王公不聘不動。’今吾子之見司寇也少數矣。”孔子曰：“魯國以眾相陵，以兵相暴之日久矣，而有司不治，聘我者孰大乎？”於是魯人聞之曰：“聖人將治，何以不先自為刑罰乎？”自是之後，國無爭者。孔子謂弟子曰：“違山十里，蟪蛄之聲猶尚存耳，政事無如膺之矣。”古之魯俗，塗裡之間，羅門之羅，收門之魚，獨得於禮，是以孔子善之夫塗裡之間，富家為貧者出；羅門之羅，有親者取多，無親者取少；收門之漁，有親者取巨，無親者取小。

Confucius went to see Ji Kangzi, and Kangzi was displeased, but Confucius went again. Zai Yu said: "I heard the Master say: 'A prince or duke, if he has not summoned me, I do not move.' Now have you not already seen the Minister of Justice too many times?" Confucius said: "In Lu, bullying with numbers and violence with weapons has gone on for a long time, and the officials do not deal with it; who is a greater summoner of me?" Then the people of Lu heard of it and said: "A sage is about to govern; why not first make punishments for ourselves?" From then on, there was no quarreling in the state. Confucius said to his disciples: "Ten li from the mountain, the sound of the cicadas is still in my ears; nothing in government is better than taking it on in person." In the ancient customs of Lu, between the paths and villages, those who spread the net at the gate and collected the fish at the gate alone could attain ritual, and so Confucius praised it. Between the paths and villages, rich families gave out on behalf of the poor; at the gate of nets, those with relatives took more and those without took less; at the gate of the catch, those with relatives took the large ones and those without took the small.

春秋曰：四民均則王道興而百姓寧；所謂四民者，士、農、工、商也。婚姻之道廢，則男女之道悖，而淫泆之路興矣。

The Spring and Autumn Annals says: when the four classes of people are even and balanced, the kingly way arises and the hundred families are at peace; the so-called four classes of people are scholars, farmers, artisans and merchants. When the Way of marriage is abandoned, the Way of man and woman is confused, and the road of licentiousness arises.

人君之慾平治天下而垂榮名者，必尊賢而下士。易曰：“自上下下，其道大光。”又曰：“以貴下賤，大得民也。”夫明王之施德而下下也，將懷遠而致近也。夫朝無賢人，猶鴻鵠之無羽翼也，雖有千里之望，猶不能致其意之所欲至矣；是故遊江海者托於船，致遠道者托於乘，欲霸王者托於賢；伊尹、呂尚、管夷吾、百里奚，此霸王之船乘也。釋父兄與子孫，非疏之也；任庖人釣屠與仇讎僕虜，非阿之也；持社稷立功名之道，不得不然也。猶大匠之為宮室也，量小大而知材木矣，比功效而知人數矣。是故呂尚聘而天下知商將亡，而周之王也；管夷吾，百里奚任，而天下知齊秦之必霸也，豈特船乘哉！夫成王霸固有人，亡國破家亦固有人；桀用於莘，紂用惡來，宋用唐鞅，齊用蘇秦，秦用趙高，而天下知其亡也；非其人而欲有功，譬其若夏至之日而欲夜之長也，射魚指天而欲發之當也；雖舜禹猶亦困，而又況乎俗主哉！

A ruler who wishes to bring peace to the world and leave a glorious name must honor the worthy and lower himself to treat scholars. The Changes says: "Descending from above to below, his Way is greatly bright." It also says: "Using the noble to defer to the lowly, he greatly gains the people." An enlightened king applies virtue and lowers himself to treat those below, and is about to soothe the far and attract the near. A court without worthy men is like a swan without wings; even with a thousand-li hope, it cannot yet reach where the heart intends; therefore those who cross rivers and seas rely on boats, those who reach far roads rely on carriages, and those who wish to be hegemon or king rely on the worthy; Yi Yin, Lu Shang, Guan Yiwu and Baili Xi are the boats and carriages of hegemons and kings. To set aside fathers, brothers, sons and grandsons is not to distance them; to employ cooks, fishermen, butchers and enemies and slaves is not to favor them; to hold the altars of soil and grain and establish the Way of merit and fame, one cannot do otherwise. It is like a great craftsman building a palace: measuring the size shows the timber needed, and comparing the work shows the number of workers needed. Therefore when Lu Shang was summoned, the world knew that Shang was about to fall and Zhou was about to become king; when Guan Yiwu and Baili Xi were employed, the world knew that Qi and Qin would surely become hegemons; how could they be only boats and carriages! Success as king or hegemon certainly depends on people, and ruin of states and families certainly depends on people; Jie used Shen, Zhou used E Lai, Song used Tang Yang, Qi used Su Qin, Qin used Zhao Gao, and the world knew they would perish; to want merit without the right people is like wanting the night to be long on the summer solstice, or shooting fish by looking at the sky and wanting to hit; even Shun and Yu would be hard pressed, let alone ordinary rulers!

春秋之時，天子微弱，諸侯力政，皆叛不朝；眾暴寡，強劫弱，南夷與北狄交侵，中國之不絕若線。桓公於是用管仲、鮑叔、隰朋、賓胥無、甯戚，三存亡國，一繼絕世，救中國，攘戎狄，卒脅荊蠻，以尊周室，霸諸侯。晉文公用咎犯、先軫、陽處父，強中國，敗強楚，合諸侯，朝天子，以顯周室。楚莊王用孫叔敖、司馬子反、將軍子重，徵陳從鄭，敗強晉，無敵於天下。秦穆公用百里子、蹇叔子、王子廖及由余，據有雍州，攘敗西戎。吳用延州萊季子，幷翼州，揚威於雞父。鄭僖公富有千乘之國，貴為諸侯，治義不順人心，而取弒於臣者，不先得賢也。至簡公用子產、裨諶、世叔、行人子羽，賊臣除，正臣進，去強楚，閤中國，國家安寧，二十餘年，無強楚之患。故虞有宮之奇，晉獻公為之終夜不寐；楚有子玉得臣，文公為之側席而坐，遠乎賢者之厭難折沖也。夫宋襄公不用公子目夷之言，大辱於楚；曹不用僖負羈之諫，敗死於戎。故共惟五始之要，治亂之端，在乎審己而任賢也。國家之任賢而吉，任不肖而兇，案往世而視己事，其必然也，如合符，此為人君者，不可以不慎也。國家惛亂而良臣見，魯國大亂，季友之賢見，僖公即位而任季子，魯國安寧，外內無憂，行政二十一年，季子之卒後，邾擊其南，齊伐其北，魯不勝其患，將乞師於楚以取全耳（或作身），故傳曰：患之起必自此始也。公子買不可使戍衛，公子遂不聽君命而擅之晉，內侵於臣下，外困於兵亂，弱之患也。僖公之性，非前二十一年常賢，而後乃漸變為不肖也，此季子存之所益，亡之所損也。夫得賢失賢，其損益之驗如此，而人主忽於所用，甚可疾痛也。夫智不足以見賢，無可奈何矣，若智能見之，而強不能決，猶豫不用，而大者死亡，小者亂傾，此甚可悲哀也。

In the Spring and Autumn period, the Son of Heaven was weak, and the feudal lords held government by force, all rebelling and not attending court; the many oppressed the few, the strong coerced the weak, the southern Yi and northern Di raided in turn, and the central states hung by a thread. Duke Huan then employed Guan Zhong, Bao Shu, Xi Peng, Bin Xuwu and Ning Qi, three times preserving perishing states and once reviving a severed line, rescued the central states, drove off the Rong and Di, and finally forced Jing and Man to submit, honoring the house of Zhou and becoming hegemon among the feudal lords. Duke Wen of Jin employed Jiufan, Xian Zhen and Yang Chufu, made the central states strong, defeated mighty Chu, assembled the feudal lords, paid court to the Son of Heaven, and made the house of Zhou illustrious. King Zhuang of Chu employed Sunshu Ao, Sima Zifan and General Zizhong, campaigned against Chen, made Zheng submit, defeated mighty Jin, and had no match in the world. Duke Mu of Qin employed Baili Xi, Jian Shu and Prince Liao, along with You Yu, held Yongzhou, and drove off and defeated the western Rong. Wu employed Jizi of Yanzhou Lai, annexed Jizhou, and displayed its might at Jifu. Duke Xi of Zheng was rich with a state of a thousand chariots and as noble as a feudal lord, but his governance was unrighteous and against the people's hearts, and he was killed by his ministers, because he did not first obtain worthy men. When it came to Duke Jian, who employed Zichan, Pi Chen, Shi Shu and the envoy Ziyu, the traitorous ministers were removed and upright ministers promoted, he left mighty Chu, joined the central states, and the state was at peace for more than twenty years without the trouble of mighty Chu. So when Yu had Gong Zhiqi, Duke Xian of Jin could not sleep all night over it; when Chu had Zi Yu Dechen, Duke Wen sat with his mat to one side over it; how far the worthy suppress disasters and break the enemy's charge! Duke Xiang of Song did not use the words of Prince Mu Yi and was greatly humiliated by Chu; Cao did not use the remonstrance of Xi Fuji and was defeated and died among the Rong. So, reverently thinking of it, the crux of the five beginnings and the thread of order and disorder lie in examining oneself and employing the worthy. When a state employs the worthy it is auspicious, and when it employs the unworthy it is ill-omened; looking at one's own affairs in the light of past ages, it will fit like a tally; this is why a ruler cannot fail to be careful. When a state is in confusion and disorder, good ministers appear; when Lu was in great disorder, the worthiness of Ji You became evident; when Duke Xi took the throne and employed Jizi, Lu was at peace and had no troubles within or without, and governed for twenty-one years. After Jizi died, Zhu attacked from the south and Qi attacked from the north, and Lu could not overcome the trouble and was about to ask Chu for troops in order to seek preservation (a note in the original text: some versions have 'person'), so tradition says: the rise of trouble must begin from this. Prince Mai could not be sent to garrison, Prince Sui did not obey the ruler's command and went to Jin on his own authority, so within he was pressed by his ministers and outside he was trapped by military disorder; this is the trouble of weakness. Duke Xi's nature was not that he was constantly worthy for the first twenty-one years and only afterward gradually became unworthy; it is what was added when Jizi was there and what was lost when he was gone. The verification of gaining and losing the worthy is like this, and that rulers neglect those they employ is very painful. If one's wisdom is not enough to see the worthy, nothing can be done; but if one's wisdom can see them yet one cannot decide, hesitates and does not use them, the great perish and the small fall into disorder and collapse, which is very sad.

以宋殤公不知孔父之賢乎，安知孔父死，己必死，趨而救之，趨而救之者，是知其賢也。以魯莊公不知季子之賢乎，安知疾將死，召季子而授之國政，授之國政者，是知其賢也。此二君知能見賢而皆不能用，故宋殤公以殺死，魯莊公以賊嗣，使宋殤蚤任孔父，魯莊素用季子，乃將靖鄰國，而況自存乎！

Do you think Duke Shang of Song did not know the worthiness of Kong Fu? How did he know that if Kong Fu died he himself would surely die, and hurry to rescue him? His hurrying to rescue him was knowing his worthiness. Do you think Duke Zhuang of Lu did not know the worthiness of Jizi? How did he know, when ill and about to die, to summon Jizi and hand him the government of the state? Handing him the government was knowing his worthiness. These two rulers had the wisdom to see the worthy but could not use them, and so Duke Shang of Song was killed because of it, and Duke Zhuang of Lu had his heir harmed because of it. If Duke Shang of Song had employed Kong Fu early, and Duke Zhuang of Lu had always employed Jizi, they would still have pacified neighboring states, much less merely preserved themselves!

鄒子說梁王曰：“伊尹故有莘氏之媵臣也，湯立以為三公，天下之治太平。管仲故成陰之狗盜也，天下之庸夫也，齊桓公得之以為仲父。百里奚道之於路，傳賣五羊之皮，秦穆公委之以政。甯戚故將車人也，叩轅行歌於康之衢，桓公任以國。司馬喜髕腳於宋，而卒相中山。範睢折脅拉齒於魏而後為應侯。太公望故老婦之出夫也，朝歌之屠佐也，棘津迎客之舍人也，年七十而相周，九十而封齊。故詩曰：‘綿綿之葛，在於曠野，良工得之，以為絺紵，良工不得，枯死於野。’此七士者，不遇明君聖主，幾行乞丐，枯死於中野，譬猶綿綿之葛矣。”

Zou Zi persuaded the King of Liang, saying: "Yi Yin was formerly an accompanying servant of the Youxin clan, and Tang made him one of the three dukes, and the world was well governed and at peace. Guan Zhong was formerly a dog-thief of Chengyin, a commonplace man of the world, and Duke Huan of Qi obtained him and made him his second father. Baili Xi begged for food on the road, was sold for five sheepskins, and Duke Mu of Qin entrusted the government to him. Ning Qi was formerly a cart driver, singing while tapping on the shaft on a broad road, and Duke Huan entrusted the affairs of the state to him. Sima Xi suffered the kneecap-cutting punishment in Song and in the end became chancellor of Zhongshan. Fan Ju in Wei had his ribs broken and teeth knocked out and later became Marquis of Ying. Taigong Wang was formerly the husband of an old woman who divorced him, an assistant to a butcher in Zhaoge, and a guest-house keeper at Jijin, and at seventy was chancellor of Zhou and at ninety enfeoffed in Qi. So the Book of Songs says: 'The trailing kudzu vines are in the wild; a skilled worker who gets them makes fine and coarse cloth; if the skilled worker does not get them, they wither in the field.' These seven scholars, if they had not met enlightened rulers and sage lords, would almost have gone begging and withered in the wilds, like trailing kudzu vines."

眉睫之徵，接而形於色；聲音之風，感而動乎心。甯戚擊牛角而商歌，桓公聞而舉之；鮑龍跪石而登嵼，孔子為之下車；堯、舜相見不違桑陰，文王舉太公不以日久。故賢聖之接也，不待久而親；能者之相見也，不待試而知矣。故士之接也，非必與之臨財分貨，乃知其廉也；非必與之犯難涉危，乃知其勇也。舉事決斷，是以知其勇也；取與有讓，是以知其廉也。故見虎之尾，而知其大於狸也；見象之牙，而知其大於牛也。一節見則百節知矣。由此觀之，以所見可以占未發，睹小節固足以知大體矣。

The omen of the eyebrow and eyelash shows on the face at a touch; the breeze of sound moves in the heart in response. Ning Qi struck an ox horn and sang a song in the shang mode, Duke Huan heard it and promoted him; Bao Long knelt on a stone and climbed a rock, and Confucius got down from his carriage for him; when Yao and Shun met they did not leave the shade of the mulberry tree, and King Wen promoted Taigong without waiting a long time. So when worthies and sages meet, they become close without waiting long; when able people meet, they know each other without waiting to test. So in meeting scholars, one need not face him over dividing goods and profit to know he is honest, and one need not brave calamity and pass through danger with him to know he is brave. One who acts and decides, therefore, is known to be brave; one who is modest in taking and giving is known to be honest. So on seeing a tiger's tail one knows it is larger than a wildcat, and on seeing an elephant's tusk one knows it is larger than an ox. When one joint is seen, the hundred joints are known. From this it follows that what one sees can be used to predict what has not yet happened, and seeing a small point is truly enough to know the whole.

禹以夏王，桀以夏亡；湯以殷王，紂以殷亡。闔廬以吳戰勝無敵於天下，而夫差以見禽于越，文公以晉國霸，而厲公以見弒於匠麗之宮，威王以齊強於天下，而愍王以弒死於廟梁，穆公以秦顯名尊號，而二世以劫於望夷，其所以君王者同，而功跡不等者，所任異也！是故成王處襁褓而朝諸侯，周公用事也。趙武靈王五十年而餓死於沙丘，任李充故也。桓公得管仲，九合諸侯，一匡天下，失管仲，任豎刁易牙，身死不葬，為天下笑，一人之身，榮辱俱施焉，在所任也。故魏有公子無忌，削地復得；趙任藺相如，秦兵不敢出鄢陵；任唐睢，國獨特立。楚有申包胥，而昭王反位；齊有田單，襄王得國。由此觀之，國無賢佐俊士，而能以成功立名，安危繼絕者，未嘗有也。故國不務大而務得民心；佐不務多，而務得賢俊。得民心者民往之，有賢佐者士歸之，文王請除炮烙之刑而殷民從，湯去張網者之三面而夏民從，越王不隳舊冢而吳人服，以其所為之順於民心也。故聲同則處異而相應，德合則未見而相親，賢者立於本朝，則天下之豪，相率而趨之矣，何以知其然也？曰：管仲，桓公之賊也，鮑叔以為賢於己而進之為相，七十言而說乃聽，遂使桓公除報讎之心而委國政焉。桓公垂拱無事而朝諸侯，鮑叔之力也；管仲之所以能北走桓公無自危之心者，同聲於鮑叔也。紂殺王子比干，箕子被髮而佯狂，陳靈公殺洩冶而鄧元去陳；自是之後，殷兼於周，陳亡於楚，以其殺比干、洩冶而失箕子與鄧元也。燕昭王得郭隗，而鄒衍、樂毅以齊趙至，蘇子、屈景以周楚至，於是舉兵而攻齊，棲閔王於莒，燕校地計眾，非與齊均也，然所以能信意至於此者，由得士也。故無常安之國，無恆治之民；得賢者則安昌，失之者則危亡，自古及今，未有不然者也。

Yu became king through Xia, and Jie was destroyed through Xia; Tang became king through Yin, and Zhou was destroyed through Yin. Helu through Wu won victories with no match in the world, and Fuchai was captured by Yue because of it; Duke Wen through the state of Jin became hegemon, and Duke Li was assassinated in the Jiangli palace because of it; King Wei through Qi was strong in the world, and King Min was assassinated at the temple beam because of it; Duke Mu through Qin gained fame and a lofty title, and the Second Emperor was coerced at Wangyi because of it. They were the same in being rulers and kings, yet their merits and deeds were not equal, because of whom they employed! So when King Cheng was in swaddling clothes and the feudal lords came to court, it was the Duke of Zhou who managed affairs. King Wuling of Zhao died of hunger at Shaqiu in his fiftieth year because he employed Li Chong. Duke Huan obtained Guan Zhong, and convened the feudal lords nine times and set the world right at once; when he lost Guan Zhong and employed Shu Diao and Yi Ya, he died and could not be buried and was laughed at by the world; in one man both glory and disgrace were applied, and it lay in whom he employed. So Wei had Prince Wuji, and land that was cut off was regained; Zhao employed Lin Xiangru and the Qin troops dared not come out from Yanling; employing Tang Ju, the state alone could stand. Chu had Shen Baoxu, and King Zhao returned to his throne; Qi had Tian Dan, and King Xiang regained the state. From this it follows that there has never been a state without worthy assistants and outstanding scholars that could achieve success and establish a name, make the endangered safe and revive the severed. So a state does not need to be large but needs to win the people's hearts; assistants need not be many but need to be worthy and outstanding. Where the people's hearts are won, the people go there; where there are worthy assistants, scholars attach themselves. King Wen asked to abolish the roasting punishment and the Yin people followed him; Tang removed three sides from a hunter's net and the Xia people followed him; the King of Yue did not destroy old tombs and the Wu people submitted; because what they did followed the people's hearts. So where sounds are the same, they respond even from different places; where virtues match, they are close before meeting; when a worthy man stands in the court, the heroes of the world follow him one after another. How do we know this? It is said: Guan Zhong was Duke Huan's enemy, but Bao Shu thought him more worthy than himself and recommended him as chancellor; after he spoke seventy times to persuade him, the Duke finally listened, and so Duke Huan gave up his heart of revenge and entrusted government to him. Duke Huan let his garments hang and folded his hands with nothing to do and the feudal lords came to court, which was Bao Shu's strength; the reason Guan Zhong could go north to Duke Huan without any heart of danger to himself was that his voice was the same as Bao Shu's. Zhou killed Prince Bi Gan, Jizi let down his hair and feigned madness; Duke Ling of Chen killed Xie Ye and Deng Yuan left Chen; after that Yin was absorbed by Zhou and Chen destroyed by Chu, because by killing Bi Gan and Xie Ye they lost Jizi and Deng Yuan. King Zhao of Yan obtained Guo Wei, and Zou Yan and Yue Yi came from Qi and Zhao, Su Zi and Qu Jing came from Zhou and Chu, and then he raised troops to attack Qi and made King Min take refuge in Ju. Yan's land and people were not equal to Qi's, yet it was able to carry out its intent this far because it obtained scholars. So there is no state that is always at peace and no people always well governed; those who obtain the worthy are at peace and flourish, and those who lose them are in danger and perish, and from ancient times to now it has always been so.

明鏡所以昭形也，往古所以知今也，夫知惡往古之所以危亡，而不務襲跡於其所以安昌，則未有異乎卻走而求逮前人也，太公知之，故舉微子之後而封比干之墓，夫聖人之於死尚如是其厚也，況當世而生存者乎！則其弗失可識矣。

A bright mirror is used to show one's appearance, and the past is used to know the present. To know and hate what caused the ancients' danger and ruin but not strive to follow the footprints of what brought their peace and prosperity is no different from running backward and seeking to catch up with those in front. Taigong knew this, so he promoted the descendants of the Viscount of Wei and built up the tomb of Bi Gan. A sage is this generous even toward the dead, let alone the living of his own day! Then it can be seen that one should not lose them.

齊景公問於孔子曰：“秦穆公其國小，處僻而霸，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；親舉五羖大夫於系縲之中，與之語三日而授之政，以此取之，雖王可也，霸則小矣。”

Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius: "Duke Mu of Qin's state was small and located in a remote place, yet he became hegemon; why?" He replied: "His state was small but his aims were great; though located in a remote place, his government was balanced, his actions decisive, his plans harmonious, and his orders not careless; he personally promoted the Five-Ram-Skins Grandee from bonds, and after talking with him for three days handed him the government. By this means, even becoming king would have been possible; becoming hegemon was too small."

或曰：“將謂桓公仁義乎？殺兄而立，非仁義也；將謂桓公恭儉乎？與婦人同輿，馳於邑中，非恭儉也；將謂桓公清潔乎？閨門之內，無可嫁者，非清潔也。此三者亡國失君之行也，然而桓公兼有之，以得管仲隰朋，九合諸侯，一匡天下，畢朝周室，為五霸長，以其得賢佐也；失管仲隰朋，任豎刁易牙，身死不葬，蟲流出戶。一人之身，榮辱俱施者，何者？其所任異也。”由此觀之，則任佐急矣。周公旦白屋之士，所下者七十人，而天下之士皆至；晏子所與同衣食者百人，而天下之士亦至；仲尼修道行，理文章，而天下之士亦至矣。伯牙子鼓琴，鍾子期聽之，方鼓而志在太山，鍾子期曰：“善哉乎鼓琴！巍巍乎若太山。”少選之間，而志在流水，鍾子期復曰：“善哉乎鼓琴！湯湯乎若流水。”鍾子期死，伯牙破琴絕弦，終身不復鼓琴，以為世無足為鼓琴者。非獨鼓琴若此也，賢者亦然，雖有賢者而無以接之，賢者奚由盡忠哉！驥不自至千里者，待伯樂而後至也。

Someone said: "Shall we say Duke Huan was benevolent and righteous? He killed his elder brother and took the throne, which is not benevolent or righteous; shall we say Duke Huan was respectful and frugal? He rode in the same carriage as a woman and galloped through the town, which is not respectful or frugal; shall we say Duke Huan was clean and pure? Within his inner quarters there were none left to marry off, which is not clean. These three are conduct that ruins states and loses rulers, yet Duke Huan had all of them, but because he obtained Guan Zhong and Xi Peng, he convened the feudal lords nine times and set the world right at once, they all came to the house of Zhou, and he was the leader of the Five Hegemons, because he obtained worthy assistants; when he lost Guan Zhong and Xi Peng and employed Shu Diao and Yi Ya, he died and could not be buried, and maggots flowed out of his doors. In one man both glory and disgrace were applied; why? Because of whom he employed." From this it follows that employing assistants is an urgent task. The Duke of Zhou Dan lowered himself toward the scholars in white-walled huts, seventy of them, and the scholars of the world came; Master Yan shared clothes and food with a hundred people, and the scholars of the world also came; Zhongni cultivated virtue and put writings in order, and the scholars of the world also came. Boya played the zither and Zhong Ziqi listened; as soon as he played with his mind on Mount Tai, Zhong Ziqi said: "Well played the zither! Lofty like Mount Tai." A moment later, his mind was on flowing water, and Zhong Ziqi said again: "Well played the zither! Surging like flowing water." When Zhong Ziqi died, Boya smashed his zither and broke the strings and never played the zither again for the rest of his life, thinking that there was no one in the world worth playing it for. Not only with the zither is it like this; so too with the worthy: even if there is a worthy man, if there is no one to receive him, where can the worthy man exert his loyalty! A fine steed does not reach a thousand li by itself; it waits for Bole and then arrives.

周威公問於寧子曰：“取士有道乎？”對曰：“有，窮者達之，亡者存之，廢者起之；四方之士，則四面而至矣。窮者不達，亡者不存，廢者不起；四方之士，則四面而畔矣。夫城固不能自守，兵利不能自保，得士而失之，必有其間，夫士存則君尊，士亡則君卑。”周武公曰：“士壹至如此乎？”對曰：“君不聞夫楚平王有士，曰楚傒胥丘，負客，王將殺之，出亡之晉；晉人用之，是為城濮之戰。又有士曰苗賁皇，王將殺之，出亡走晉；晉人用之，是為鄢陵之戰。又有士曰上解於，王將殺之，出亡走晉；晉人用之，是為兩堂之戰。又有士曰伍子胥，王殺其父兄，出亡走吳；闔閭用之，於是興師而襲郢，故楚之大得罪於梁鄭宋衛之君，猶未遽至於此也。此四得罪於其士，三暴其民骨，一亡其國。由是觀之，士存則國存，士亡則國亡；子胥怒而亡之，申包胥怒而存之；士胡可無貴乎！”

Duke Wei of Zhou asked Master Ning: "Is there a Way for gathering scholars?" He replied: "There is: those who are in hardship, make them successful; those who have fled, make them secure; those who have been discarded, make them rise; then the scholars of the four quarters will come from all sides. If those in hardship are not made successful, those who have fled not made secure, and those discarded not made to rise, then the scholars of the four quarters will turn away from all sides. A city's walls are solid but cannot defend themselves, weapons are sharp but cannot protect themselves; if one gains scholars and then loses them, there must be a gap; if scholars are present, the ruler is honored, and if scholars are gone, the ruler is lowly." Duke Wei of Zhou said: "Do scholars really matter this much?" He replied: "Has Your Lordship not heard that King Ping of Chu had a scholar named Chu Xi Xuqiu, who carried a guest on his back, and the King was going to kill him, so he fled to Jin; the men of Jin employed him, and this was the battle of Chengpu. There was also a scholar named Miao Benhuang, whom the King was going to kill, so he fled and ran to Jin; the men of Jin employed him, and this was the battle of Yanling. There was also a scholar named Shang Xieyu, whom the King was going to kill, so he fled and ran to Jin; the men of Jin employed him, and this was the battle of Liangtang. There was also a scholar named Wu Zixu, whose father and brother the King killed, so he fled and ran to Wu; Helu employed him, and he raised troops and attacked Ying. So Chu greatly offended the rulers of Liang, Zheng, Song and Wei, but it did not immediately come to this. Of these four times Chu offended its scholars, three times it left the people's bones exposed and once it lost its state. From this it follows that when scholars are present the state survives, and when scholars are gone the state perishes; Zixu's anger destroyed it, and Shen Baoxu's anger saved it; how could scholars not be valued!"

哀公問於孔子曰：“人若何而可取也？”孔子對曰：“毋取拑者，無取健者，毋取口銳者。”哀公曰：“何謂也？”孔子曰：“拑者大給利不可盡用；健者必欲兼人，不可以為法也；口銳者多誕而寡信，後恐不驗也。夫弓矢和調而後求其中焉；馬愨願順，然後求其良材焉；人必忠信重厚，然後求其知能焉。今有人不忠信重厚而多智能，如此人者，譬猶豺狼與，不可以身近也。是故先其仁義之誠者，然後親之；於是有知能者，然後任之；故曰：親仁而使能。夫取人之術也，觀其言而察其行，夫言者所以抒其匈而發其情者也，能行之士必能言之，是故先觀其言而揆其行，夫以言揆其行，雖有奸軌之人，無以逃其情矣。”哀公曰：“善。”

Duke Ai asked Confucius: "What kind of person may be employed?" Confucius replied: "Do not take the constrained, do not take the strong and contentious, do not take the sharp-tongued." Duke Ai said: "What do you mean?" Confucius said: "The constrained is too ready with convenience and cannot be fully used; the strong and contentious will surely want to annex others and cannot be taken as a model; the sharp-tongued are often exaggerating and have little trustworthiness, and later one fears they will not be borne out. A bow and arrows are adjusted before one asks them to hit; a horse that is honest and willing is then asked for its excellence; a person must be loyal, trustworthy and substantial, and only then should one seek his knowledge and ability. Now if someone is not loyal, trustworthy and substantial but has much knowledge and ability, such a person is like a jackal or wolf, and one must not let him near one's person. So first look at the sincerity of his benevolence and righteousness, and then draw close to him; and if he has knowledge and ability, then employ him; so it is said: draw close to the benevolent and use the able. The method for selecting people is to observe his words and examine his conduct; words are used to express what is in the chest and reveal feelings, and a scholar who can act must be able to speak; so first observe his words and measure his conduct, measuring his conduct by his words, and even if there is a deceitful or lawless person, he has no way to escape the truth." Duke Ai said: "Good."

周公攝天子位七年，布衣之士，執贄所師見者十二人，窮巷白屋所見者四十九人，時進善者百人，教士者千人，官朝者萬人。當此之時，誠使周公驕而且吝，則天下賢士至者寡矣，苟有至者，則必貪而尸祿者也，尸祿之臣，不能存君矣。

The Duke of Zhou acted as regent in the Son of Heaven's place for seven years, and among commoner scholars, those he received carrying gifts to serve as teachers numbered twelve, those he met in poor alleys and white-walled huts numbered forty-nine, those who presented good advice from time to time numbered a hundred, the scholars who received instruction numbered a thousand, and those in the official court numbered ten thousand. At that time, if the Duke of Zhou had been arrogant and stingy, the worthy scholars of the world who came would have been few, and if any had come, they would certainly have been greedy ones who held position and ate salary without doing anything, and a minister who holds position and eats salary without doing anything cannot preserve his ruler.

齊桓公設庭燎，為士之慾造見者，期年而士不至，於是東野鄙人有以九九之術見者，桓公曰：“九九何足以見乎？”鄙人對曰：“臣非以九九為足以見也，臣聞主君設庭燎以待士，期年而士不至，夫士之所以不至者，君、天下賢君也；四方之士，皆自以論而不及君，故不至也。夫九九薄能耳，而君猶禮之，況賢於九九乎？夫太山不辭壤石，江海不逆小流，所以成大也，詩云：‘先民有言，詢於芻蕘。’言博謀也。”桓公曰善，乃因禮之。期月四方之士，相攜而並至，詩曰：“自堂徂基，自羊徂牛。”言以內及外，以小及大也。

Duke Huan of Qi set up courtyard torches to receive scholars who might come to see him, but after a full year no scholar came. Then a rustic man from the eastern wilds came to see him relying on the art of the multiplication table, and Duke Huan said: "How can the multiplication table be enough for an audience?" The rustic replied: "I do not think the multiplication table is enough for an audience; I have heard that Your Lordship has set up courtyard torches to await scholars, and after a full year scholars have not come, and the reason scholars have not come is that Your Lordship is the worthiest ruler in the world; the scholars of the four quarters all think their arguments cannot match yours, and so they do not come. The multiplication table is a shallow skill, yet if Your Lordship still treats it with courtesy, how much more so those more worthy than the multiplication table? Mount Tai does not refuse soil and stones, rivers and seas do not reject small streams, and so they achieve greatness. The Book of Songs says: 'The ancients had a saying: consult the grass-cutters and firewood gatherers.' This speaks of planning widely." Duke Huan said it was good and so treated him with courtesy. In a month the scholars of the four quarters came together hand in hand. The Book of Songs says: "From the hall to the foundation, from sheep to oxen." This speaks of going from inside to outside, from small to large.

齊景公伐宋，至於岐堤之上，登高以望，太息而嘆曰：“昔我先君桓公，長轂八百乘以霸諸侯，今我長轂三千乘，而不敢久處於此者，豈其無管仲歟！”弦章對曰：“臣聞之，水廣則魚大，君明則臣忠；昔有桓公，故有管仲；今桓公在此，則車下之臣儘管仲也。”

Duke Jing of Qi attacked Song, and on reaching the dike of Qi he climbed high to look out, and sighed long, saying: "In the past my late lord Duke Huan, with eight hundred long-hubbed chariots, became hegemon among the feudal lords; now I have three thousand long-hubbed chariots, yet I dare not stay here long; is it that I do not have a Guan Zhong!" Xian Zhang replied: "I have heard that when water is broad the fish are large, and when the ruler is enlightened the ministers are loyal; formerly there was Duke Huan, and so there was Guan Zhong; now if Duke Huan were here, then the ministers beneath your carriage would all be Guan Zhongs."

趙簡子游於河而樂之，嘆曰：“安得賢士而與處焉！”舟人古乘跪而對曰：“夫珠玉無足，去此數千裡而所以能來者，人好之也；今士有足而不來者，此是吾君不好之乎！”趙簡子曰：“吾門左右客千人，朝食不足，暮收市徵，暮食不足，朝收市徵，吾尚可謂不好士乎？”舟人古乘對曰：“鴻鵠高飛遠翔，其所恃者六翮也，背上之毛，腹下之毳，無尺寸之數，去之滿把，飛不能為之益卑；益之滿把，飛不能為之益高。不知門下左右客千人者，有六翮之用乎？將盡毛毳也。”

Zhao Jianzi was enjoying himself on the river and was happy, and sighed: "How can I get worthy scholars to live with?" The boatman Gucheng knelt and replied: "Pearls and jade have no feet, yet they come from thousands of li away, because people love them; now scholars have feet yet do not come; is it that my lord does not love them!" Zhao Jianzi said: "Among the guests at my gate left and right there are a thousand; if what we eat in the morning is not enough, I collect the market tax in the evening; if what we eat in the evening is not enough, I collect the market tax in the morning; can you still say I do not love scholars?" The boatman Gucheng replied: "A swan flies high and far relying on its six strong feathers; the down on its back and the fine fluff on its belly are beyond counting, and if you remove a handful, its flight is not made lower by it; if you add a handful, its flight is not made higher by it. I do not know whether among the thousand guests at your gate there are any with the use of six feathers, or whether they are all merely down."

齊宣王坐，淳于髡侍，宣王曰：“先生論寡人何好？”淳于髡曰：“古者所好四，而王所好三焉。”宣王曰：“古者所好，何與寡人所好？”淳于髡曰：“古者好馬，王亦好馬；古者好味，王亦好味；古者好色，王亦好色；古者好士，王獨不好士。”宣王曰：“國無士耳，有則寡人亦說之矣。”淳于髡曰：“古者驊騮騏驥，今無有，王選於眾，王好馬矣；古者有豹象之胎，今無有，王選於眾，王好味矣；古者有毛廧西施，今無有，王選於眾，王好色矣。王必將待堯舜禹湯之士而後好之，則禹湯之士亦不好王矣。”宣王嘿然無以應。

King Xuan of Qi was sitting with Chunyu Kun in attendance, and King Xuan said: "What do you say I like?" Chunyu Kun said: "The ancients liked four things, and the King likes three." King Xuan said: "What does what the ancients liked have to do with what I like?" Chunyu Kun said: "The ancients liked horses, and the King also likes horses; the ancients liked flavors, and the King also likes flavors; the ancients liked beauty, and the King also likes beauty; the ancients liked scholars, and the King alone does not like scholars." King Xuan said: "It is just that the state has no scholars; if there were, I would delight in them too." Chunyu Kun said: "In antiquity there were Hualiu and Qiji; now there are none, and the King chooses from the many, so the King loves horses; in antiquity there were leopard and elephant fetuses; now there are none, and the King chooses from the many, so the King loves flavors; in antiquity there were Mao Qiang and Xishi; now there are none, and the King chooses from the many, so the King loves beauty. If the King must wait for scholars like those of Yao, Shun, Yu and Tang before he loves them, then the scholars of Yu and Tang would not love the King either." King Xuan was silent and had no answer.

衛君問于田讓曰：“寡人封侯盡千里之地，賞賜盡御府繒帛而士不至，何也？”田讓對曰：“君之賞賜，不可以功及也；君之誅罰，不可以理避也；猶舉杖而呼狗，張弓而祝雞矣；雖有香餌而不能致者，害之必也。”

The ruler of Wei asked Tian Rang: "I have enfeoffed marquises until I have used up a thousand li of land and rewarded until I have used up the silk of the imperial treasury, yet scholars do not come; why?" Tian Rang replied: "Your Lordship's rewards cannot be reached by merit, and Your Lordship's punishments cannot be avoided by reason; it is like raising a staff to call a dog or drawing a bow to call a chicken; even with fragrant bait one cannot attract them, because the harm is certain."

宗衛相齊，遇逐罷歸舍，召門尉田饒等二十有七而問焉，曰：“士大夫誰能與我赴諸侯者乎？”田饒等皆伏而不對。宗衛曰：“何士大夫之易得而難用也！”饒對曰：“非士大夫之難用也，是君不能用也。”宗衛曰：“不能用士大夫何若？”田饒對曰：“廚中有臭肉，則門下無死士矣。今夫三升之稷不足於士；而君雁鶩有餘粟。紈素綺繡靡麗。堂楯從風雨弊，而士曾不得以緣衣；果園梨粟，後宮婦人摭以相擿，而士曾不得一嘗，且夫財者，君之所輕也；死者士之所重也，君不能用所輕之財，而欲使士致所重之死，豈不難乎哉？”於是宗衛面有慚色，逡巡避席而謝曰：“此衛之過也。”

When Zong Wei served as chancellor of Qi, he was driven out and dismissed, and went back to his lodging. He summoned twenty-seven men, including the gate officer Tian Rao, and asked: "Which of you gentlemen and grand masters can flee with me to the feudal lords?" Tian Rao and the others all bowed low and did not answer. Zong Wei said: "Why are gentlemen and grand masters easy to get but hard to use?" Rao replied: "It is not that gentlemen are hard to use; it is that their lord cannot use them." Zong Wei said: "What does it mean that a lord cannot use gentlemen?" Tian Rao replied: "When there is rotten meat in the kitchen, there are no men at the gate willing to die. Today three sheng of millet are not enough for the gentlemen, yet your lordship's geese and ducks have surplus grain. Fine silks and embroidered brocades are lavish, and the railings in the hall are worn by wind and rain, yet the gentlemen cannot use even a scrap to trim their clothes. The pears and chestnuts in the orchard are picked up by the women of the rear palace and thrown at one another, yet the gentlemen cannot taste a single bite. Moreover, wealth is what your lordship makes light of, and death is what a gentleman takes seriously. If you cannot use what you make light of, yet expect the gentlemen to give what they take seriously, is that not difficult?" Zong Wei then looked ashamed, backed away from his mat, and apologized: "This is Wei's fault."