King Hui of Liang II · 孟子 1B.16

Passage 16

魯lǔ平píng公gōng將jiāng出chū，嬖bì人rén臧zāng倉cāng者zhě請qǐng曰yuē：「他tā日rì君jūn出chū，則zé必bì命mìng有yǒu司sī所suǒ之zhī。今jīn乘chéng輿yú已yǐ駕jià矣yǐ，有yǒu司sī未wèi知zhī所suǒ之zhī，敢gǎn請qǐng。」公gōng曰yuē：「將jiāng見jiàn孟mèng子zǐ。」曰yuē：「何hé哉zāi，君jūn所suǒ為wéi輕qīng身shēn以yǐ先xiān於wū匹pǐ夫fū者zhě？以yǐ為wéi賢xián乎hū？禮lǐ義yì由yóu賢xián者zhě出chū；而ér孟mèng子zǐ之zhī後hòu喪sāng逾yú前qián喪sāng。君jūn無wú見jiàn焉yān！」公gōng曰yuē：「諾nuò。」樂lè正zhèng子zǐ入rù見jiàn，曰yuē：「君jūn奚xī為wéi不bú見jiàn孟mèng軻kē也yě？」曰yuē：「或huò告gào寡guǎ人rén曰yuē，『孟mèng子zǐ之zhī後hòu喪sāng逾yú前qián喪sāng』，是shì以yǐ不bù往wǎng見jiàn也yě。」曰yuē：「何hé哉zāi，君jūn所suǒ謂wèi逾yú者zhě？前qián以yǐ士shì，後hòu以yǐ大dài夫fu；前qián以yǐ三sān鼎dǐng，而ér後hòu以yǐ五wǔ鼎dǐng與yǔ？」曰yuē：「否fǒu，謂wèi棺guān槨guǒ衣yī衾qīn之zhī美měi也yě。」曰yuē：「非fēi所suǒ謂wèi逾yú也yě，貧pín富fù不bù同tóng也yě。」樂lè正zhèng子zǐ見jiàn孟mèng子zǐ，曰yuē：「克kè告gào於wū君jūn，君jūn為wéi來lái見jiàn也yě。嬖bì人rén有yǒu臧zāng倉cāng者zhě沮jǔ君jūn，君jūn是shì以yǐ不bù果guǒ來lái也yě。」曰yuē：「行xíng或huò使shǐ之zhī；止zhǐ或huò尼ní之zhī。行xíng、止zhǐ，非fēi人rén所suǒ能néng也yě。吾wú之zhī不bú遇yù魯lǔ侯hóu，天tiān也yě。臧zāng氏shì之zhī子zǐ，焉yān能néng使shǐ予yǔ不bú遇yù哉zāi？」

The duke Ping of Lu was about to leave his palace, when his favourite, one Zang Cang, made a request to him, saying, 'On other days, when you have gone out, you have given instructions to the officers as to where you were going. But now, the horses have been put to the carriage, and the officers do not yet know where you are going. I venture to ask.' The duke said, 'I am going to see the scholar Meng.' 'How is this?' said the other. 'That you demean yourself, prince, in paying the honour of the first visit to a common man, is, I suppose, because you think that he is a man of talents and virtue. By such men the rules of ceremonial proprieties and right are observed. But on the occasion of this Meng's second mourning, his observances exceeded those of the former. Do not go to see him, my prince.' The duke said, 'I will not.' The officer Yue Zheng entered the court, and had an audience. He said, 'Prince, why have you not gone to see Meng Ke?' the duke said, 'One told me that, on the occasion of the scholar Meng's second mourning, his observances exceeded those of the former. It is on that account that I have not gone to see him.' 'How is this!' answered Yue Zheng. 'By what you call "exceeding," you mean, I suppose, that, on the first occasion, he used the rites appropriate to a scholar, and, on the second, those appropriate to a great officer; that he first used three tripods, and afterwards five tripods.' The duke said, 'No; I refer to the greater excellence of the coffin, the shell, the grave-clothes, and the shroud.' Yo-chAng said, 'That cannot be called "exceeding." That was the difference between being poor and being rich.' After this, Yue Zheng saw Mencius, and said to him, 'I told the prince about you, and he was consequently coming to see you, when one of his favourites, named Zang Cang, stopped him, and therefore he did not come according to his purpose.' Mencius said, 'A man's advancement is effected, it may be, by others, and the stopping him is, it may be, from the efforts of others. But to advance a man or to stop his advance is really beyond the power of other men. My not finding in the prince of Lu a ruler who would confide in me, and put my counsels into practice, is from Heaven. How could that scion of the Zang family cause me not to find the ruler that would suit me?'