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力 耕 第 二

大 夫 曰 : 「 王 者 塞 天 財 , 禁 關 市 , 執 準 守 時 , 以 輕 重 御 民 。 豐 年 歲 登 , 則 儲 積 以 備 乏 絕 ; 凶 年 惡 歲 , 則 行 幣 物 ; 流 有 餘 而 調 不 足 也 。 昔 禹 水 湯 旱 , 百 姓 匱 乏 , 或 相 假 以 接 衣 食 。 禹 以 歷 山 之 金 , 湯 以 莊 山 之 銅 , 鑄 幣 以 贖 其 民 , 而 天 下 稱 仁 。 往 者 財 用 不 足 , 戰 士 或 不 得 祿 ,而 山 東 被 災 , 齊 、 趙 大 饑 , 賴 均 輸 之 蓄 , 倉 廩 之 積 , 戰 士 以 奉 , 饑 民 以 賑 。 故 均 輸 之 物 , 府 庫 之 財 , 非 所 以 賈 萬 民 而 專 奉 兵 師 之 用 , 亦 所 以 賑 困 乏 而 備 水 旱 之 災 也 。」

文 學 曰 : 「 古 者 , 十 一 而 稅 , 澤 梁 以 時 入 而 無 禁, 黎 民 咸 被 南 畝 而 不 失 其 務 。 故 三 年 耕 而 餘 一 年 之 蓄 ,九 年 耕 有 三 年 之 蓄 。 此 禹 、 湯 所 以 備 水 旱 而 安 百 姓 也 。草 萊 不 闢 , 田 疇 不 治 , 雖 擅 山 海 之 財 , 通 百 末 之 利 , 猶 不 能 贍 也 。 是 以 古 者 尚 力 務 本 而 種 樹 繁 , 躬 耕 趣 時 而 衣 食 足 , 雖 累 凶 年 而 人 不 病 也 。 故 衣 食 者 民 之 本 , 稼 穡 者民 之 務 也 。 二 者 修 , 則 國 富 而 民 安 也 。 詩 云 : 『 百 室 盈止 , 婦 子 寧 止 』 也 。 」

大 夫 曰 : 「 賢 聖 治 家 非 一 寶 , 富 國 非 一 道 。 昔 管 仲 以 權 譎 霸 , 而 紀 氏 以 強 本 亡 。 使 治 家 養 生 必 於 農 , 則 舜 不 甄 陶 而 伊 尹 不 為 庖 。 故 善 為 國 者 , 天 下 之 下 我 高 ,天 下 之 輕 我 重 。 以 末 易 其 本 , 以 虛 蕩 其 實 。 今 山 澤 之 財, 均 輸 之 藏 , 所 以 御 輕 重 而 役 諸 侯 也 。 汝 、 漢 之 金 , 纖 微 之 貢 , 所 以 誘 外 國 而 釣 羌、胡 之 寶 也 。 夫 中 國 一 端 之 縵 , 得 匈 奴 累 金 之 物 , 而 損 敵 國 之 用 。 是 以 贏 驢 馲 駝 ,御 尾 入 塞 , 驒 騱 騵 馬 , 盡 為 我 畜 , 鼲 貂 狐 貉 , 采 旃 文 罽, 充 於 內 府 , 而 璧 玉 珊 瑚 瑠 璃 , 咸 為 國 之 寶 。 是 則 外 國 之 物 內 流 , 而 利 不 外 泄 也 。 異 物 內 流 則 國 用 饒 , 利 不 外 泄 則 民 用 給 矣 。 詩 曰 : 『 百 室 盈 止 , 婦 子 寧 止 。 』 」

文 學 曰 : 「 古 者 , 商 通 物 而 不 豫 , 工 致 牢 而 不 偽。 故 君 子 耕 稼 田 魚 , 其 實 一 也 。 商 則 長 詐 , 工 則 飾 罵 ,內 懷 闚 窬 而 心 不 怍 , 是 以 薄 夫 欺 而 敦 夫 薄 。 昔 桀 女 樂 充 宮 室 , 文 繡 衣 裳 , 故 伊 尹 高 逝 遊 薄 , 而 女 樂 終 廢 其 國 。今 贏 驢 之 用 , 不 中 牛 馬 之 功 , 鼲 貂 旃 罽 , 不 益 錦 綈 之 實。 美 玉 珊 瑚 出 於 昆 山 , 珠 璣 犀 象 出 於 桂 林 , 此 距 漢 萬 有 餘 里 。 計 耕 桑 之 功 , 資 財 之 費 , 是 一 物 而 售 百 倍 其 價 也, 一 揖 而 中 萬 鍾 之 粟 也 。 夫 上 好 珍 怪 , 則 淫 服 下 流 , 貴 遠 方 之 物 , 則 貨 財 外 充 。 是 以 王 者 不 珍 無 用 以 節 其 民 ,不 愛 奇 貨 以 富 其 國 。 故 理 民 之 道 , 在 於 節 用 尚 本 , 分 土 井 田 而 已 。 」

大 夫 曰 : 「 自 京 師 東 西 南 北 , 歷 山 川 , 經 郡 國 ,諸 殷 富 大 都 , 無 非 街 衢 五 通 , 商 賈 之 所 湊 , 萬 物 之 所 殖 者 。 故 聖 人 因 天 時 , 智 者 因 地 財 , 上 士 取 諸 人 , 中 士 勞 其 形 。 長 沮 、 桀 溺 , 無 百 金 之 積 , 蹠 蹻 之 徒 , 無 猗 頓 之富 , 宛 、 周 、 齊 、 魯 , 商 遍 天 下 。 故 乃 商 賈 之 富 , 或 累 萬 金 , 追 利 乘 羡 之 所 致 也 。 富 國 何 必 用 本 農 , 足 民 何 必 井 田 也 ? 」

文 學 曰 : 「 洪 水 滔 天 , 而 有 禹 之 績 , 河 水 泛 濫 ,而 有 宣 房 之 功 。 商 紂 暴 虐 , 而 有 孟 津 之 謀 , 天 下 煩 擾 ,而 有 乘 羡 之 富 。 夫 上 古 至 治 , 民 樸 而 貴 本 、 安 愉 而 寡 求。 當 此 之 時 , 道 路 罕 行 , 市 朝 生 草 。 故 耕 不 強 者 無 以 充虛 , 織 不 強 者 無 以 掩 形 。 雖 有 湊 會 之 要 , 陶 、 [宛] 之 術 ,無 所 施 其 巧 。 自 古 及 今 , 不 施 而 得 報 , 不 勞 而 有 功 者 ,未 之 有 也 。 」

Chapter II. Hold Fast the Plough

a. The Lord Grand Secretary: The true King should stopper Nature's wealth, 1 restrict and regulate tax-barriers and markets; in his hand lies the power of adjusting the balance of trade and in his keeping is the right utilization of the seasons; for through his control of the ratio of production2 he can curb the people. In years of abundance with harvest tall, he stores and bins to provide for times of scarcity and want; in evil years of dearth he circulates moneys and goods and tempers the flow of surplus to meet 3 the deficiency. In ancient days during the flood of Yü and the drought of T'ang, when the masses of the people, at the end of their resources, were forced to borrow from one another in order to obtain the prime necessities of life, food and clothing, Yü coined money for the people out of the metal of Li Shan, and T'ang out of the copper of Yen Shan, and the world praised their benevolence. 4 Some time ago, on account of financial difficulties, our fighting forces occasionally could not get their pay. Recently 5 due to natural calamities East of the Mountains, Ch'i and Chao 6 suffered from a major famine. 7 It was entirely due to the stores accumulated through the system of equable marketing and the hoard in public granaries that the troops were provided for and the distressed people succored. Thus the goods of equable marketing and the capital of the Treasury are not for the purpose of exploiting the people or solely for military uses, but also for the relief of the needy and as a recourse against flood and drought.

b. The Literati: The rulers of antiquity taxed the people but a tithe, while they kept open the ponds and weirs according to season without restrictions, so that all the Black Haired People spread themselves in the southern fields8 never neglecting their occupations. Thus three years' farming would yield a store of one year's surplus; nine years' farming would yield a store of three years' surplus.9 This is how Yü and T'ang prepared against flood and drought and made the people content. But if the grass and weeds be not cleared and the fields not regularly cultivated, there would be no sufficiency even though a monopoly over the wealth of the mountains and seas be effected and a hundred sorts of profit 10 be developed. Hence the ancients honored manual labor and attended to the fundamental industry, so that they sowed and planted in abundance, everyone worked on the land according to season, and food and clothing were always sufficient. People did not suffer even in the face of several bad years. Agriculture should be the fundamental occupation of men, clothes and food being of primary necessity to the people. With both of these attended to, the country will be rich and the people at peace. In the words of the Book of Poetry: Those hundred houses being full, the wives and children have a feeling of repose.11

c. The Lord Grand Secretary: The worthies and the sages did not found their families by means of one room, 12 nor did they enrich the state through one way. Thus Kuan Chung 13 won the Protectorate through the shrewd use of his power, while the Fan 14 clan perished because of its strength and size. If one must resort to agriculture alone to make a living and found a family, then Shun 15 would not have had to make pottery and I Yin 16 would not have had to be a cook. Hence, the Empire Builder acts according to the principle: I honor what the whole world despises and value what the whole world slights.17 He would exchange the non-essential for the fundamental and secure the substantial with his own emptiness. Now the treasures of the mountains and marshes and the reserves of the equable marketing system are means of holding the balance of natural wealth and controlling the principalities. Ju Han gold 18 and other insignificant articles of tribute are means of inveigling foreign countries and snaring the treasures of the Ch'iang and the Hu. 19 Thus, a piece of Chinese plain silk can be exchanged with the Hsiung Nu for articles worth several pieces of gold and thereby reduce the resources of our enemy. Mules, donkeys and camels enter the frontier in unbroken lines; horses, dapples and bays and prancing mounts, 20 come into our possession. The furs of sables, marmots, foxes and badgers, colored rugs and decorated carpets 21 fill the Imperial treasury, while jade and auspicious stones, corals and crystals, become national treasures. That is to say, foreign products keep flowing in, while our wealth is not dissipated. Novelties flowing in, the government has plenty. National wealth not being dispersed abroad, the people enjoy abundance. So the Book of Poetry describes it: Those hundred houses being full, the wives and children have a feeling of repose.

d. The Literati: In ancient times merchants circulated goods without premeditation, artisans got their price 22 without cheating. Therefore when the true gentleman farmed, hunted or fished he was in reality doing but one thing. Trade promotes dishonesty. Artisans provoke disputes. 23 They lie in wait for their chance without a scruple. Thus avaricious men become cheats and honest men avaricious. In the olden time when Chieh filled the palace halls with singing girls in embroidered clothes, I Yin withdrew himself and went to Pao, 24 while the singing girls finally ruined his state. Now mules and donkeys are not as useful as cattle and horses. Sable and marmot furs, wool and felt goods do not add substance to silk. Beautiful jades and corals come from mount K'un. 25 Pearls and ivory 26 are produced in Kuei Lin. 27 These places are more than ten thousand li distant from Han. 28 Calculating the labor for farming and silk raising and the costs in material and capital, it will be found that one article of foreign import costs a price one hundred times its value, and for one handful, ten thousand weight of grain are paid. As the rulers take delight in novelties, extravagant clothing is adopted among the masses. As the rulers treasure the goods from distant lands, wealth flows outward. Therefore, a true King does not value useless things, so to set an example of thrift to his subjects; does not love exotic articles, so to enrich his country. Thus the principle of administering the people lies only in carefulness in expenditure, 29 in honoring the primary occupation, and in distribution of land according to the "well tithe". 30

e. The Lord Grand Secretary: From the capital, 31 east, west, north and south, across the mountains and rivers, and throughout the provinces and the demesnes, you will find that none of the prosperous, rich and great municipalities has not streets extending in all directions, where the merchants gather and all commodities are exposed. Thus, the Sage utilizes nature's seasons and the Wise utilizes the wealth of the land. Superior men acquire through others. The mediocre burden their own bodies. Thus Chang Chü and Chieh Ni 32 never accumulated even a hundred pieces of gold, and the followers of Chih and Ch'iao 33 never possessed the wealth of I-Tun. 34 But the merchants of Yuan, Chou, Ch'i and Lu 35 spread all over the world. These merchants doubtless amass 36 fortunes of ten thousands of pieces of gold by going after profit and utilizing the surplus. Why then must one encourage simple agriculture in order to enrich the country, and observe the "well-tithe" to provide for the people?

f. The Literati: When the great flood threatened Heaven,37 we had the achievement of Yü. 38 When the River broke loose, we had the building of the Hsüan Fang. 39 When Chou of Shang 40 raged in tyranny, we had the plan at the ford of Mêng. 41 When the world is in disturbance, we have speculative fortunes. In remote antiquity when perfect order prevailed, the people were simple and held to the fundamental; peaceful and happy their wants were few. At that time, few travellers were seen on the roads and grass grew in the markets. If farmers do not work hard, there will be nothing to fill the empty stomach; if weavers do not work hard, there will be nothing to cover our bodies; and in spite of the needs of a great congregation of people, there would be no chance for a potter's family to exercise their craft. 42 For from ancient times till now, there has never been reward without contribution or achievement without effort.

Notes

1. The Kuan-tzŭ, ch. LXXXIV, uses the expression 官 天 財.

2. 輕 重, as in chap. XIV, i. e., the balance between agriculture, and industry and trade. The compound lends itself to a variety of interpretations, "the light and the heavy", i. e., weight; "les poids du léger et du lourd" (Chavannes, Mêm. hist., III, 602), "money" (idem, IV, 49). The present rendering is adopted as suiting Huan K'uan's theme.

3. The T'ung-tien reads 拯 for 調.

4. 禹...歷 山,..湯...嚴 山: cf. the Kuan-tzŭ, ch. LXXV: 湯 以 莊 山. For these mountains see glossary.

5. 而, but the T'ung-tien has 今, "more recently", in opposition to 往 者, "some time ago".

6. 齊,趙.

7. Chang quotes the Ku-liang Chuan; "when the Five Cereals do not mature this produces a 大 饑 major famine".

8. 南 畝: agricultural lands in general, as Chavannes concludes. Cf. Mém. hist., III, 572, note 4.

9. This is apparently based upon the Li-chi, Wang Chih 王 制 (Couvreur, I, 285).

10. 通 百 味 之 利; Lu suggests 末. Wang approves as 末 and 未 were frequently confused in ancient times.

11. Shih-ching IV, i, (iii), vi, Leggeis translation.

12. The Lu commentary in Wang's edition makes 術 for 室. The later commentators would doubtless delicately seek to ignore the patent fact that the ancients followed polygamous practices, as disclosed by Granet in his several studies on the matter.

13. 管 仲.

14. 范 氏. Though Chang tries to explain this as a reference to the Fan princely house, one of the "Six Families" of Chin 晉 which brought about its downfall, 范 is undoubtedly a mistake for 紀. See glossary.

15. 舜.

16. 伊 尹.

17. Cf. Kuan-tzŭ, 輕 重,乙.

18. 汝 漢, mentioned in the Shih-chi, ch. CXXIX. These two rivers are spoken of by Mencius (III, i, iv, 7), after the Shu-ching.

19. 羗 胡; cf. the Kuan-tzŭ, ch. LXXX, last para., where Kuan-tzŭ develops this idea.

20. Mules, donkeys and camels and 驒 騱 are mentioned in the Shih-chi, ch. CX, as the 奇 畜rare domestic animals of the Hsiung Nu.

21. 旃, 罽

22. 牢; for this usage, cf. Shih-chi, ch. XXX, 價 直 as explained by one of the commentators.

23. 至. A possible reading, according to , is 飾 or 致 買, "artisans excessively elaborate their wares so as to get exorbitant prices". For 買 as 價, cf. Lun-yü, IX, 12.

24. 亳. The Kuan-tzŭ, chap. LXXX, details this episode. See glossary.

25. 昆 山. Jade is frequently mentioned by Huan K'uan as derived from this mountain (i.e. the west). Coral 珊 瑚 could scareely have the same provenience.

26. 犀 象: lit. "rhinoceri and elephants".

27. 桂 林.

28. 漢: the domain of the Han Emperors.

29. 節 用: an expression employed by the philosopher Mo Ti 墨 翟 (5th cent. B.C.), in chaps. XX and XXI of his works.

30. 井 田: a system of land allotment ascribed to ancient China, the actual practice of which is in dispute. The expression is derived from the first character, which if enclosed on the four sides, forms the nine squares into which land was supposed to have been divided. The individual cultivators of the eight outer squares worked, it is held, the central or ninth in common for the benefit of the overlord. The existence of the system is based on references to it in Mencius and the Tso-chuan 左 傳. Cf. Maspero, La Chine Antique, 108—110, and Duyvendak, The Book of Lord Shang, 41—48, for resumés of various discussions of the ching t'ien system of land holding.

31. I. e. 長 安 the capital of the Western or Early Han dynasty.

32. 長 沮,桀 溺.

33. 蹠 , 蹻: see glossary. The commentators suggest that 蹠 should be taken as 蹠 耒 `to trudge (behind) the plough' (as in ch. XV) and 蹻 as 屩 `(wearing out) straw sandals'.

34. 猗 頓.

35. 宛,周,齊,魯.

36. The text has 乃[萬]買. Lu corrects it to 商. This character is missing in Chang's ed. 乘 羨 `utilizing the surplus'.

37. 洪 水 滔 天, stereotyped expressions from the Shu-ching, ch. I.

38. 禹.

39. 宣 房: the famous dam, described in the Shih-chi, ch. XXIX.

40. 商 紂.

41. 孟 津 之 謀: referring to the "Great Harangue" forming the first 3 chaps. of the Chou-shu in the Shu-ching.

42. I. e., the art of the potter, after all, is only secondary, and comes after the needs of food and clothing have been satisfied. Doubtless a reference to Mencius, VI, ii, x, 3: 萬 室 之 國,一 人 陶.

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