“The rulers of those States rob their people of their time, so that they cannot plough and weed their fields in order to support their parents.  Parents suffer from cold and hunger; elder and younger brothers, wives and children, are separated and scattered abroad.  Those rulers drive their people into pitfalls or into the water; and your Majesty will go to punish them.  In such a case, who will oppose your Majesty?  In accordance with this is the saying, ‘The benevolent has no enemy!’ I beg your Majesty not to doubt what I said.”

Mencius had an interview with King Seang[2] of Leang.  When he came out he said to some persons, “When I looked at him from a distance, he did not appear like a ruler; when I drew near to him, I saw nothing venerable about him.  Abruptly he asked me, ’How can the kingdom, all under the sky, be settled?’ I replied, ’It will be settled by being united under one sway,’

“‘Who can so unite it?’ he asked.

“I replied, ‘He who has no pleasure in killing men can so unite it.’

“‘Who can give it to him?’ he asked.

“I replied, ’All under heaven will give it to him.  Does your Majesty know the way of the growing grain?  During the seventh and eighth months, when drought prevails, the plants become dry.  Then the clouds collect densely in the heavens, and send down torrents of rain, so that the grain erects itself as if by a shoot.  When it does so, who can keep it back?  Now among those who are shepherds of men throughout the kingdom, there is not one who does not find pleasure in killing men.  If there were one who did not find pleasure in killing men, all the people under the sky would be looking towards him with outstretched necks.  Such being indeed the case, the people would go to him as water flows downwards with a rush, which no one can repress.”

King Seuen of Ts’e asked, saying, “May I be informed by you of the transactions of Hwan of Ts’e and Wan of Ts’in?”

Mencius replied, “There were none of the disciples of Chung-ne who spoke about the affairs of Hwan and Wan, and therefore they have not been transmitted to these after-ages; your servant has not heard of them.  If you will have me speak, let it be about the principles of attaining to the Royal sway.”

The king said, “Of what kind must his virtue be who can attain to the Royal sway?” Mencius said, “If he loves and protects the people, it is impossible to prevent him from attaining it.”

The king said, “Is such an one as poor I competent to love and protect the people?” “Yes,” was the reply.  “From what do you know that I am competent to that?” “I have heard,” said Mencius, “from Hoo Heih the following incident:—­’The king,’ said he, ’was sitting aloft in the hall, when some people appeared leading a bull past below it.  The king saw it, and asked where the bull was going, and being answered that they were going to consecrate a bell with its blood, he said, “Let it go, I cannot bear its frightened appearance—­as if it were an innocent person going to the place of death.”  They asked in reply whether, if they did so, they should omit the consecration of the bell, but the king said, “How can that be omitted?  Change it for a sheep."’ I do not know whether this incident occurred.”