Page:Horæ Sinicæ, Translations from the Popular Literature of the Chinese (horsinictran00morrrich, Morrison, 1812).djvu/49

Rh has not been, that the treasury in such circumstances has been without money in it.

Mung-hien-tsi said, "He who keeps a horse and carriage should not extort hens and swine. He who is in such circumstances as to preserve ice for his use in summer, should not feed cows and sheep. The prince who has a thousand chariots, should not have an avaricious minister. If he has an avaricious minister, he might as well have a thief. Thus a nation reckons, not wealth, but righteousness, its greatest advantage.

If the leaders of a nation set their minds on wealth, they will draw worthless persons about them, will call them good, and will commission them to administer the nation. But judgments from heaven, and distress from man, will come at once; and then, though they should have good men, they will find it impossible to restore things.

The reverse of this is, for a nation to seek prosperity, not from wealth, but from righteousness.

On the right is delivered the tenth sec-