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【Wan Zhang Chapter II】\n\nMencius said: Bo Yi would not look with his eyes at a bad sight, nor listen with his ears to a bad sound. He would not serve a prince whom he did not approve, nor command a people whom he did not esteem. In a time of good government he took office; in a time of disorder he retired. He could not bear to dwell in a court from which a corrupt administration emanated, or among a people where oppressive government prevailed. To dwell among boorish villagers seemed to him like sitting in mud or charcoal with court robes and court cap. In the time of Zhou, he dwelt on the shores of the North Sea, waiting for the purification of the world. Therefore, when men now hear the character of Bo Yi, the corrupt become pure, and the weak acquire determination.\nYi Yin said: 'What prince may I not serve? What people may I not command?' In a time of good government he took office, and in a time of disorder he also took office. He said: 'Heaven's production of mankind, making the first know to awaken the later, and the first awaken to awaken the later. I am one of Heaven's people who have awakened first; I will awaken this people by this Way.' He thought that if any man or woman among the people of the world did not share in the benefits of Yao and Shun, it was as if he himself pushed them into a ditch—for he took upon himself the heavy responsibility of the world.\nLiu Xia Hui was not ashamed to serve a corrupt prince, and did not decline a low office. When in office, he did not conceal his worth, but always acted according to his principles. When dismissed and neglected, he did not murmur; when straitened and poor, he did not grieve. When dwelling among boorish villagers, he was perfectly at ease and could not bear to leave them. 'You are you, and I am I. Though you stand by my side with breast and arms bare, or with your body naked, how can you defile me?' Therefore, when men now hear the character of Liu Xia Hui, the mean become generous, and the niggardly become liberal.\nWhen Confucius left Qi, he strained off the water in which his rice was soaking and departed. When he left Lu, he said: 'I will take my time about departing—this is the way to leave the state of one's parents.' He could hasten when it was proper to hasten, and delay when it was proper to delay; he could retire when it was proper to retire, and take office when it was proper to take office—this was Confucius.\nMencius said: 'Bo Yi was the sage who was pure; Yi Yin was the sage who undertook responsibility; Liu Xia Hui was the sage who was harmonious; Confucius was the sage who was timely. Confucius may be called the complete concert. In being the complete concert, he is like the sound of the bell-metal beginning, and the jade-stone ending it. The sound of the bell-metal is the beginning of order; the sound of the jade-stone is the end of order. The beginning of order lies in the work of the wise; the end of order lies in the work of the sage. Wisdom may be compared to skill; sageness may be compared to strength. It is like shooting from beyond a hundred paces: its reaching the target is due to your strength, but its hitting the mark is not due to your strength.'\nBei Gong Qi asked: 'How did the house of Zhou regulate rank and emolument?'\nMencius said: 'The particulars of that arrangement cannot be learned. The princes, disliking that they were injurious to themselves, have all destroyed the records of them. Nevertheless, I have heard the outlines of them. The Son of Heaven constituted one degree; the dukes one; the marquises one; the earls, viscounts, and barons one degree—in all, five degrees. The ruler constituted one degree; the chief ministers one; the great officers one; the officers of the first class one; the officers of the middle class one; the officers of the lowest class one—in all, six degrees. The territory of the Son of Heaven was a thousand li square. Dukes and marquises had a hundred li square. Earls had seventy li square. Viscounts and barons had fifty li square—in all, four degrees. A territory not amounting to fifty li could not have access to the Son of Heaven, but was attached to some prince, and was called an appendage. The chief ministers of the Son of Heaven received territory equal to that of a marquis; a great officer received as much as an earl; an officer of the first class as much as a viscount or baron. In a great state of a hundred li square, the ruler had ten times the revenue of a chief minister; a chief minister had four times that of a great officer; a great officer had double that of an officer of the first class; an officer of the first class had double that of one of the middle class; an officer of the middle class had double that of one of the lowest class; an officer of the lowest class had the same revenue as the common people employed in government offices—sufficient to replace their farming. In a state of the next order, of seventy li square, the ruler had ten times the revenue of a chief minister; a chief minister had three times that of a great officer; a great officer had double that of an officer of the first class; an officer of the first class had double that of one of the middle class; an officer of the middle class had double that of one of the lowest class; an officer of the lowest class had the same revenue as the common people employed in government offices—sufficient to replace their farming. In a small state of fifty li square, the ruler had ten times the revenue of a chief minister; a chief minister had double that of a great officer; a great officer had double that of an officer of the first class; an officer of the first class had double that of one of the middle class; an officer of the middle class had double that of one of the lowest class; an officer of the lowest class had the same revenue as the common people employed in government offices—sufficient to replace their farming. As to what the farmers received, each husbandman had a hundred mu. With the manuring of these hundred mu, the best husbandmen could support nine persons, the next best eight, the next seven, the next six, and the lowest five. The salaries of the common people employed in government offices were regulated according to these differences.'\nWan Zhang asked: 'I venture to ask the principles of friendship.'\nMencius replied: 'Friendship should be maintained without any presumption on the ground of one's superior age, or station, or the circumstances of his relatives. Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority. Meng Xianzi, the head of a family of a hundred chariots, had five friends: Yue Zheng Qiu and Mu Zhong. The other three I have forgotten. Xianzi maintained friendship with these five men because they thought nothing about his family. If they had thought about his family, he would not have maintained friendship with them. Not only the head of a family of a hundred chariots acted thus. The same thing is exemplified in the case of a prince of a small state.\nDuke Hui of Fei said: "I regard Zisi as my teacher. I regard Yan Ban as my friend. As to Wang Shun and Chang Xi, they serve me." Not only the prince of a small state acted thus. The same thing is exemplified in the case of a prince of a large state. Duke Ping of Jin, with regard to Hai Tang, when he told him to come in, came; when he told him to sit, sat; when he told him to eat, ate. There might only be coarse rice and soup of vegetables, but he always ate his fill, not daring to do otherwise. Here, however, he stopped, and went no further. He did not share with him his heavenly rank, nor govern with him his heavenly office, nor eat with him his heavenly emolument. This was a scholar's respect for worth, not that shown by a king or a duke to a worthy. Shun went to see the Emperor, who lodged his son-in-law in the second palace. He also feasted Shun, and they were alternately host and guest. Here we have the Son of Heaven maintaining friendship with a common man. Respect shown by inferiors to superiors is called giving honor to the honorable. Respect shown by superiors to inferiors is called giving honor to the worthy. The principle of giving honor to the honorable and giving honor to the worthy is the same.'\n…