UL
On the Duties of the Sovereign.
Mencius maintained the impo ciple that the right to the throu follow from the accident of b does not admit that the country are the private possessions of the sovereign, as is the furniture of the palace his concubines, that be inherited by his eldest son. Indeed, during tha years of China's legendary period, Li earlier years of the Jewish mongrel throne did not descend from father Tt was presented by Heaven to the w it deemed most fit for the hon and Heaven showed its will Un expressed opinions amd somer monts of the people. When Heaven we the empire to the worthiest.
ye worthiest. When gave it to the son of the preceding: peror, it was given to him, Shun yn Vu ws Heaven. Seventeen years elapsed and then Shun died. When the three years were expired, Vu withdrew from the son of Shun to Yang-shing. 'The people of the empire followed hin, just as after the death of Yaou; instead of following his son, they full lowed Shun." The first' Emperors of that early period were not able to place their own sons upon the throne, for Heaven into and selected the riv able mini er and gave him the honour. Mencius. i cognised the he diary principle, and admitted that special cases and for special purposes this he departed tru Tu the ease ofa private individual the empire. there must be in him sal to that-of Shun or Vu, be " present preceding account that Confu empire. When the empire is possessed by natural 1 the Emperor who is displaced by Heaven must. be like Keih Chow." The adv: y hard ships to a strong mind a ly. are ygnised by the to which he refers with absolute apy "When Heaven welses his mind with and his sinews and bones with toi It exposes his body to hunger, and subjects him to extreme poverty. It confounds his undertakings. By all these iethuals it stimulates his mind. hardens his natu and supplies his incompetencies.
eral examples are then adduced who were compelled wal labour, but who afteroceapy the throu of trust almost example wa who worked as fields. But refer re made te others, who after though they started frames, fish and salt. jailer," "the sea shor market place." One is early history of Saul and David n these references and in later times of the humble of such splendid men as Lincoln and As the throne by may not cling to it after that he is unable, from any to discharge the duties onneeted it. He receives it as a Heaven. in order that y care for the people. and when unable to discharge this duty he "Formerly, when king Tai dwelt in Pin, the barbarians of the north wore constantly making incursions upon it. He served them with skins and silks, and still he suffered from them. He served them with dogs and horses, and still. suffered from them. He served them with pearls and gems and still he suffered from them.
this, he assembled the old men, and {anounced to them say What the' bar-parians want is this, that a Lwith that where wi lit In "My children, why peuld you be troubled hav tw prince. I will leave this.' According he leit Pin, and crused the mountain Liang, built a town at the foot mount Kee, and dwelt there, The people of Pin stid, *He is a benevolent Finan, we must not'lose him.' Those that followed him looked like crowds hastening Thus the general principles are illustrated that the lit to the throne ngs to him because Unit Heav has, elected him, and net by virtue birthright. amd when the sovereign isnot, able to discharge his duties then he should abdicate and give way to these who can.
The first and greatest duty of a sov-oreign is not to enjoy the pleasures of life, "nor to fill his own coffers, but to secure the Lappiness and prosperity of all the people er whom he rules. One way of accom-pushing this is to pay a personal visit, to look into the work of 1 those under his cha ge. It is net enough that a ruler should palace, and receive the reports of ants, much less should he give any essential part of his time to hunting and luxury. He must personally be cognisant abuses that are cropping up and 1 the complaints. that may" be heard ud must set himself to remove them.
When the emperor visited the princes, it kras called a tour of inspection. that is, he tes under his care. When the princes attended at the court. of the Emperor. it was called a report: of office, reported the administration of Thus, neither of the proceed ings was without a purpose. And more over in the spring, they examined the ploughing. and supplied any deficiency of the autumn they examined "the reaping, and supplied the deficiency of yield. "There is a saying of the Hia ty:—If our king do not take his ra what. will become of his happiness?
king do not make his excursion, what will become of our help? That ramble and that excursion were a pattern to the princes." It seems strange that. the habits of the modern rulers of China, should cut right into the tectit of this wise counsel. They never leave their imperial palaces, except te perform some religious ceremony near by. and then they are not allowed to sce sing thing of the outside world unless perchance they have to seo from before foreign armies which the dread. The ideal sovereign is "wise and good." He will esteem "benevolence and Tigintcousne>s his only themes." Moreover he who alves his whole attention to these, will attain imperial sway and nothing can prevent it. "If indeed your majesty will dispense a benevolent government: to the people, being xparing in the use of punishments and fines, and making the taxes and the levies light. so causing that the fichis shall be ploughed deep, and the weeding of them carefully attended to, and that the strong-bodied. during their days of leisure, shall cultivate their filial piety. fraternal respectfulness, sincerity and truthfulness, serving theroby home their fathers and elder bro-abroad, their elders and super-you will then have a people that can be employed, with sticks which they have prepared, to oppose the strong mail sharp weapons of the troops of Ty s'00." The one great principle insisted on is that all pleasures enjoyed shall be shared with all his subjects, whereupon there will be little difficulty with those within or without his domain Your Majesty is having music here. The people hear the noise
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.