Part I

Mencius went to see King Hwuy of Lëang. [1] The king said, "Venerable
Sir, since you have not counted it far to come here a distance of a
thousand li, may I presume that you are likewise provided with counsels
to profit my kingdom?" Mencius replied, "Why must your Majesty used that
word 'profit'? What I am likewise provided with are counsels to
benevolence and righteousness; and these are my only topics.

"If your Majesty say, 'What is to be done to profit my kingdom?' the
great officers will say, 'What is to be done to profit our families?'
and the inferior officers and the common people will say, 'What is to be
done to profit our persons?' Superiors and inferiors will try to take
the profit the one from the other, and the kingdom will be endangered.
In the kingdom of ten thousand chariots, the murderer of his ruler will
be the chief of a family of a thousand chariots. In the State of a
thousand chariots, the murderer of his ruler will be the chief of a
family of a hundred chariots. To have a thousand in ten thousand, and a
hundred in a thousand, cannot be regarded as not a large allowance; but
if righteousness be put last and profit first, they will not be
satisfied without snatching all.

"There never was a man trained to benevolence who neglected his parents.
There never was a man trained to righteousness who made his ruler an
after consideration. Let your Majesty likewise make benevolence and
righteousness your only themes--Why must you speak of profit?"

When Mencius, another day, was seeing King Hwuy of Lëang, the King went
and stood with him by a pond, and, looking round on the wild geese and
deer, large and small, said, "Do wise and good princes also take