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PT. II. Sect.vl.
THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-BZE.
177
Zze-kang said, 'Formerly Kieh and Kâu each enjoyed the honour of being the sovereign, and all the wealth of the kingdom was his; but if you now say to a (mere) money-grabber, “Your conduct is like that of Kieh or Kâu,” he will look ashamed, and resent the imputation :-(these two sovereigns) are despised by the smallest men. Kung-ni and Mo Ti (on the other hand) were poor, and common men ; but if you say to a Prime Minister that his conduct is like that of Kung-nf or Mo Tỉ, then he will be put out and change countenance, and protest that he is not worthy (to be so spoken of):-(these two philosophers) are held to be truly noble by (all) scholars. Thus it is that the position of sovereign does not necessarily connect with being thought noble, nor the condition of being poor and of common rank with being thought mean. The difference of being thought noble or mean arises from the conduct being good or bad.' Mân Kâu-teh replied, 'Small robbers are put in prison; a great robber becomes a feudal lord; and in the gate of the feudal lord your righteous scholars will be found. For instance, Hsiao-po 1, the duke Hwan, killed his elder brother, and took his sister-in-law to himself, and yet Kwan Kung became his minister; and Thien Khang, styled Khăng-zze, killed his ruler, and usurped the state ?, and yet Confucius received a present of silks from him. In their discussions they would condemn the men, but
1 The name of duke Hwan.
Compare the account of the same transaction in Book X, par. 1. See also Analects, XIV, 22. But there is no evidence but rather the contrary, that Confucius ever received a gift from Thien or Khăn Hùng.
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