Gao Zi II · Passage 07 / 16 · 孟子 6B.7

Mencius 6B.7: why call the five hegemonic lords

Mencius contrasts hegemonic success with a higher standard of political inspection: whether land, fields, elders.

孟子曰：「五霸者，三王之罪人也。今之諸侯，五霸之罪人也。今之大夫，今之諸侯之罪人也。天子適諸侯曰巡狩；諸侯朝於天子曰述職。春省耕而補不足，秋省斂而助不給。入其疆，土地辟，田野治，養老、尊賢、俊杰在位，則有慶，慶以地。入其疆，土地荒蕪，遺老、失賢，掊克在位，則有讓。一不朝，則貶其爵；再不朝，則削其地；三不朝，則六師移之。是故天子討而不伐，諸侯伐而不討。五霸者，摟諸侯以伐諸侯者也，故曰：五霸者，三王之罪人也。五霸，桓公為盛。葵丘之會，諸侯束牲載書而不歃血。初命曰：『誅不孝，無易樹子，無以妾為妻。』再命曰：『尊賢、育才，以彰有德。』三命曰：『敬老、慈幼，無忘賓旅。』四命曰：『士無世官，官事無攝，取士必得，無專殺大夫。』五命曰：『無曲防，無遏糴，無有封而不告。』曰：『凡我同盟之人，既盟之後，言歸于好。』今之諸侯，皆犯此五禁，故曰：今之諸侯，五霸之罪人也。長君之惡，其罪小；逢君之惡，其罪大。今之大夫皆逢君之惡，故曰：今之大夫，今之諸侯之罪人也。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「wǔ bà zhě， sān wáng zhī zuì rén yě。 jīn zhī zhū hóu， wǔ bà zhī zuì rén yě。 jīn zhī dài fu， jīn zhī zhū hóu zhī zuì rén yě。 tiān zǐ shì zhū hóu yuē xún shòu； zhū hóu cháo wū tiān zǐ yuē shù zhí。 chūn shěng gēng ér bǔ bù zú， qiū shěng liǎn ér zhù bù gěi。 rù qí jiāng， tǔ dì pì， tián yě zhì， yǎng lǎo、 zūn xián、 jùn jié zài wèi， zé yǒu qìng， qìng yǐ dì。 rù qí jiāng， tǔ dì huāng wú， yí lǎo、 shī xián， póu kè zài wèi， zé yǒu ràng。 yí bù cháo， zé biǎn qí jué； zài bù cháo， zé xiāo qí dì； sān bù cháo， zé liù shī yí zhī。 shì gù tiān zǐ tǎo ér bù fá， zhū hóu fá ér bù tǎo。 wǔ bà zhě， lǒu zhū hóu yǐ fá zhū hóu zhě yě， gù yuē： wǔ bà zhě， sān wáng zhī zuì rén yě。 wǔ bà， huán gōng wéi shèng。 kuí qiū zhī huì， zhū hóu shù shēng zài shū ér bú shà xuè。 chū mìng yuē：『zhū bú xiào， wú yì shù zǐ， wú yǐ qiè wéi qī。』 zài mìng yuē：『zūn xián、 yù cái， yǐ zhāng yǒu dé。』 sān mìng yuē：『jìng lǎo、 cí yòu， wú wàng bīn lǚ。』 sì mìng yuē：『shì wú shì guān， guān shì wú shè， qǔ shì bì dé， wú zhuān shā dà fū。』 wǔ mìng yuē：『wú qǔ fáng， wú è dí， wú yǒu fēng ér bú gào。』 yuē：『fán wǒ tóng méng zhī rén， jì méng zhī hòu， yán guī yú hǎo。』 jīn zhī zhū hóu， jiē fàn cǐ wǔ jìn， gù yuē： jīn zhī zhū hóu， wǔ bà zhī zuì rén yě。 cháng jūn zhī è， qí zuì xiǎo； féng jūn zhī è， qí zuì dà。 jīn zhī dà fū jiē féng jūn zhī è， gù yuē： jīn zhī dài fu， jīn zhī zhū hóu zhī zuì rén yě。」

Mencius said, 'The five chiefs of the princes were sinners against the three kings. The princes of the present day are sinners against the five chiefs. The Great officers of the present day are sinners against the princes. The sovereign visited the princes, which was called "A tour of Inspection." The princes attended at the court of the sovereign, which was called "Giving a report of office." It was a custom in the spring to examine the ploughing, and supply any deficiency of seed; and in autumn to examine the reaping, and assist where there was a deficiency of the crop. When the sovereign entered the boundaries of a State, if the new ground was being reclaimed, and the old fields well cultivated; if the old were nourished and the worthy honoured; and if men of distinguished talents were placed in office: then the prince was rewarded - rewarded with an addition to his territory. On the other hand, if, on entering a State, the ground was found left wild or overrun with weeds; if the old were neglected and the worthy unhonoured; and if the offices were filled with hard taxgatherers: then the prince was reprimanded. If a prince once omitted his attendance at court, he was punished by degradation of rank; if he did so a second time, he was deprived of a portion of his territory; if he did so a third time, the royal forces were set in motion, and he was removed from his government. Thus the sovereign commanded the punishment, but did not himself inflict it, while the princes inflicted the punishment, but did not command it. The five chiefs, however, dragged the princes to punish other princes, and hence I say that they were sinners against the three kings. 'Of the five chiefs the most powerful was the duke Huan. At the assembly of the princes in Kui Qiu, he bound the victim and placed the writing upon it, but did not slay it to smear their mouths with the blood. The first injunction in their agreement was, "Slay the unfilial; change not the son who has been appointed heir; exalt not a concubine to be the wife." The second was, "Honour the worthy, and maintain the talented, to give distinction to the virtuous." The third was, "Respect the old, and be kind to the young. Be not forgetful of strangers and travellers." The fourth was, "Let not offices be hereditary, nor let officers be pluralists. In the selection of officers let the object be to get the proper men. Let not a ruler take it on himself to put to death a Great officer." The fifth was, "Follow no crooked policy in making embankments. Impose no restrictions on the sale of grain. Let there be no promotions without first announcing them to the sovereign." It was then said, "All we who have united in this agreement shall hereafter maintain amicable relations." The princes of the present day all violate these five prohibitions, and therefore I say that the princes of the present day are sinners against the five chiefs. 'The crime of him who connives at, and aids, the wickedness of his prince is small, but the crime of him who anticipates and excites that wickedness is great. The officers of the present day all go to meet their sovereigns' wickedness, and therefore I say that the Great officers of the present day are sinners against the princes.'