f all men the
most destitute of benevolence, and Shun invested him with the State of
Pe; of what crime had the people of Pe been guilty? Does a benevolent
man really act thus? In the case of other men, he cut them off; in the
case of his brother, he invested him with a State." Mencius replied,
"A benevolent man does not lay up anger, nor cherish resentment
against his brother, but only regards him with affection and love.
Regarding him with affection, he wishes him to enjoy honor; loving
him, he wishes him to be rich. The investing him with Pe was to enrich
and ennoble him. If while Shun himself was emperor, his brother had
been a common man, could he have been said to regard him with
affection and love?"

Wan Chang said, "I venture to ask what is meant by some saying that it
was a banishing of Seang." Mencius replied, "Seang could do nothing of
himself in his State. The emperor appointed an officer to manage its
government, and to pay over its revenues to him; and therefore it was
said that it was a banishing of him? How indeed could he be allowed
the means of oppressing the people there? Nevertheless, Shun wished to
be continually seeing him, and therefore he came unceasingly to court,
as is signified in that expression, 'He did not wait for the rendering
of tribute, or affairs of government, to receive the prince of Pe.'"

Heen-k[']ew Mung asked Mencius, saying, "There is the old saying, 'An
officer of complete virtue cannot be employed as a minister by his
ruler, nor treated as a son by his father.' Shun stood with his face
to the south, and Yaou, at the head of all the feudal princes,
appeared in his court with his face to the north. Koo-sow also
appeared at Shun's court with his face to the north; and when Shun saw
him, his countenance assumed a look of distress. Confucius said, 'At
this time the empire was in a perilous condition indeed! How unsettled
was its state!' I do not know whether what is thus said really took
place." Mencius said, "No. These are not the words of a superior man,
but the sayings of an uncultivated person of the east of Ts[']e. When
Yaou was old, Shun took the management of affairs for him. It is said
in the Canon of Yaou, 'After twenty-eight years, Fang-heun demised,
and the people mourned for him as for a parent three years. All within
the four seas, the eight instruments of music were stopped and
hushed." Confucius said, "'There are not two suns in the sky, nor two
sovereigns over the