The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-02-11
THE PACIFIC
s commercial A0Oertlsrr
FEBRUARY II. 1882.
SATURDAY
The Chinese Classics.
(COHhHued.)
CONFUCIUS AND MENCICS.

love OF music! MenciuS feplled, IL the
Kings love of music were very great, the
kingdom of Ts'e would be near TO a state of
good government"
Another day, Mencius, having had an
audience of the King, said, You, o King,
7 have heard told the officer Chwau0. that
you love music was it so =" The Kin
changed color, and said, 81 am unable to
love the music Of the ancient sovereigns (; l
only love the music that suits the manners
of the present age
Mencius said, "If your love of music
were very great, o King, Ts'e would be
near to a state of good government! The
music of the present day is just like the
music of antiquity, in regard to effectiug
that"
The King said, MAY / hear from you
the proof ofthat?" Mencius asked, (Which
is the more pleasant-to enjoy music by
yourself alone, or to enjoy it along with
others - TO enjoy it along with othersn
was the reply" "And which is the more
pleasant-to enjoy music along with a few,
or to enjoy it along with many" "To
enjoy it along with many"
MenciuS proceeded, Your servant begs
to explain what have said about music to
you, y King. Now you, OKing, are having
music here. The people near the noise of
your bells and drums, and the notes of your
hfes and pipes, and they ALL, with aching
heads, knit their brows,. and say to one
another, That's how our king likes his
music! But why does he reduce us to this
extremity of distress feathers and sons
cannot see one another. Elder brothers and
younger brothers., wives and children, are
separated and scattered abroad Now you,
y King, are hunting here. The people
hear the noise of your carriages and horses.
and see the beauty of your plumes and
streamcrS, and they all, with aching heads,
knit their brows, and say to one another,
That's how our king likes hunting! But
why does he reduce us to this extremity of
distress FATHERS and sons cannot see one
another. Elder brothers and younger
brothers wives "A nd plilHrpn arc IONA raf ted
and scattered abroad Their feeling is from
no other reason, but that you do not give
the people to have pleasure as well as your
self. Nov you, o King, are having music
here. The people hear the noise of your
bells and drums, and the notes of your flies
and pipes, and they all, delighted and with
joyful looks, say TO one another, That
sounds as If our king were free from all
enjoy this music p Now you, o King, are
hunting here. The people hear the noise
Of your carriages and horses, and see the
beauty of your plumes and streamers, and
they all, delighted and with joyful looks,
say TO one another, THAT looks as if our
king were free from all sickness! If he
were not, how could he enjoy this hunt
ing?, Their feeling thus is from no other
reason but that you cause them to have
their pleasure as you have yours. If you,
o King, now will make pleasure n thing
common to the people and yourself, the
Imperial sway awaits you"
The King, Seuen, of Use, asked, Was
it so, that the park of King Wan contained
seventy square te?' Mencius replied, at
is so in the records"
WAS it so large as that ? - exclaimed
he King: 1.-THE people, said Mencius,
"still looked on it as small" The King
square Il, and the people still look upon it
as large. How is this?' 1.-The park of
King Wan" was the reply, CONTAINED
seventy square (n.p.) Ie,. but the grass
cutters and fuel-gatherers had the privilege
of entrance to it so also had the catchers
of pheasants and hares. He shared it with
the people, and was it not with reason that
they looked OH it as small? When l first
arrived at the borders of your State, L in
quired about the great prohibitory regula-
tious before / would venture to enter it;
and l heard that inside the border-gates
there was a park of forty square te, and that
he who killed II deer in it was held guilty
of the same crime as if he had killed a man.
Thus those forty square lie are a pitfall in
the middle of the kingdom. Is 1T not with
with reason that the people look upon them
as large?"
The King Seuen, of Use, had an inter
view with Mencius i'll the Snow Palace,
and said To him, "Do men of talent and
worth likewise find pleasure in these
thiugs?' Mencius replied They do and
if people generally are not able to enjoy
themselves, they condemn their superiors.
For them, when they cannot enjoy them
selves, to condemn their superiors is wrong
but when the superiors of the people do not
make enjoyment a common thing to the
people and themselves, they also do wrong.
When a ruler rejoices in the joy of his
people, they also rejoice in his JOY when
he grieves at the sorrow of his people, they
also grieve at his sorrow. \ sympathy of
joy will pervade the empire; a sympathy
of sorrow will do the same. In such a state
of things, il cannot be but that the ruler
attain TO the Imperial dignity"
The King said, May I hear from you
what the true royal government is?"
- Formerly" was the reply, king VANS
government of Kie was as follows The
husbandmen cultivated for the Government
One-ninth of the land the descendants of
officers were salaried at the passes and in
the markets, strangers were Inspected, but
the goods were not taxed there were nc
prohibitions respecting the ponds and
weirs the wives and children of criminals
were not involved in their guilt. There
were the old and wifeless, or widowers the
old and husbandless, or widows; the old
and childless, or solitaries the young and
fatheTless, or orphans these four classes
are the most destitute of the people, and
have non to whom they can tell their
wants and King Wan, in the institution
of his government with its benevolent ac-
ton, made them the first objects of his
regard, as it is said in the Book of Poetry:
e" Ihe rich may get through;
But alas for the miserable and solitary
The King said, 40 excellent words !"
Mencius said, "Since you, o King, deem
them excellent, why do you not practise
them ?" al have an infirmity,' said the
King; 81 am fond of wealth." The reply
was, Formerly, Kung-lew was fond of
wealth. II is said in the Book of Poetry
.s. He reared his ricks. and filled his granaries
He tied up dried provisions and grain
In buttomless bags and sacks,
That he might gather his people together, and slorify
E- STATE.
WITH bows and arrows al+displayed
"iih shields, aud spears, and battle-aAe'' large and
lie commenced his march
In this way those who remained i'll their
old seats had their ricks and granaTies, and
those who marched had their bags of pro-
visions. 1t was not till after this that he
thought he could commence his march. If
you, o King, love wealth, let the people be
able TO crafty the same feeling, and what
difficulty will there be in your attaining
the Imperial sway ="
Mencius said to the King Suen Of Ts'e,
20 King, suppose that one of your Minis
tiers We're TO entrust his wife and children TO
the care of his friend, while he himself
went into Ts'oo TO travel. and that, on his
r.trrn Ia. sbpuIH find that the friend had