it to him," was the reply.

"Heaven gave it to him? Did Heaven confer the appointment on him with
specific injunctions?" Mencius said, "No. Heaven does not speak. It
simply showed its will by his personal conduct, and by his conduct of
affairs."

"'It showed its will by his personal conduct, and by his conduct of
affairs,'" returned the other; "how was this?" Mencius said, "The
emperor can present a man to Heaven, but he cannot make Heaven give
that man the empire. A feudal prince can present a man to the emperor
to take his place, but he cannot make the emperor give the princedom
to that man. A great officer can present a man to his prince, but he
cannot cause the prince to make that man a great officer in his own
room. Anciently Yaou presented Shun to Heaven, and Heaven accepted
him; he displayed him to the people, and the people accepted him.
Therefore I say, 'Heaven does not speak. It simply indicated its will
by his personal conduct, and by his conduct of affairs.'"

Chang said, "I presume to ask how it was that Yaou presented Shun to
Heaven, and Heaven accepted him, and displayed him to the people, and
the people accepted him." The reply was, "He caused him to preside
over the sacrifices, and all the Spirits were well pleased with them;
thus it was that Heaven accepted him. He caused him to preside over
the conduct of affairs, and affairs were well administered, so that
all the people reposed under him; thus it was that the people accepted
him. Heaven gave the empire to him, and the people gave it to him.
Therefore I said, 'The emperor cannot give the empire to another.'

"Shun assisted Yaou in the government for twenty and eight years; this
was more than man could have done, and was from Heaven. When the three
years' mourning consequent on the death of Yaou were accomplished,
Shun withdrew from the son of Yaou to the south of the southern Ho.
The princes of the empire, however, repairing to court, went not to
the son of Yaou, but to Shun. Litigants went not to the son of Yaou,
but to Shun. Singers sang not the son of Yaou, but Shun. Therefore I
said that it was Heaven that gave him the empire. It was after this
that he went to the Middle State, and occupied the seat of the son of
Heaven. If he had before these things taken up his residence in the
palace of Yaou, and applied pressure to his son, it would have been an
act of usurpation, and not the gift of Heaven.

"This view of Shun's obtaining the empire is