If
you will have me speak, let it be about the principles of attaining to
the Royal sway."
The king said, "Of what kind must his virtue be who can attain to the
Royal sway?" Mencius said, "If he loves and protects the people, it is
impossible to prevent him from attaining it."
The king said, "Is such an one as poor I competent to love and protect
the people?" "Yes," was the reply. "From what do you know that I am
competent to that?" "I have heard," said Mencius, "from Hoo Heih the
following incident:--'The king,' said he, 'was sitting aloft in the
hall, when some people appeared leading a bull past below it. The king
saw it, and asked where the bull was going, and being answered that they
were going to consecrate a bell with its blood, he said, "Let it go, I
cannot bear its frightened appearance--as if it were an innocent person
going to the place of death." They asked in reply whether, if they did
so, they should omit the consecration of the bell, but the king said,
"How can that be omitted? Change it for a sheep."' I do not know whether
this incident occurred."
"It did," said the king, and Mencius replied, "The heart seen in this is
sufficient to carry you to the Royal sway. The people all supposed that
your Majesty grudged the animal, but your servant knows surely that it
was your Majesty's not being able to bear the sight of the creature's
distress which made you do as you did.
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