Mencius replied, "They are only men of education, who, without a certain
livelihood, are able to maintain a fixed heart. As to the people, if
they have not a certain livelihood, they will be found not to have a
fixed heart. And if they have not a fixed heart, there is nothing which
they will not do in the way of self-abandonment, of moral deflection, of
depravity, and of wild license. When they have thus been involved in
crime, to follow them up and punish them, is to entrap the people. How
can such a thing as entrapping the people be done under the rule of a
benevolent man?"

"Therefore, an intelligent ruler will regulate the livelihood of the
people, so as to make sure that, above, they shall have sufficient
wherewith to serve their parents, and below, sufficient wherewith to
support their wives and children; that in good years they shall always
be abundantly satisfied, and that in bad years they shall not be in
danger of perishing. After this he may urge them, and they will proceed
to what is good, for in this case the people will follow after that with
readiness.

"But now the livelihood of the people is so regulated, that, above, they
have not sufficient wherewith to serve their parents, and, below, they
have not sufficient wherewith to support their wives and children; even
in good years their lives are always embittered, and in bad years they
are in danger of perishing. In such circumstances their only object is
to escape from death, and they are afraid they will not succeed in doing
so--what leisure have they to cultivate propriety and righteousness?

"If your Majesty wishes to carry out a benevolent government, why not
turn back to what is the essential step to its attainment?