鐔津文集 7.8

7.8

兼金百鎰借盜而監守。雖未亡金其隣人固以疑矣。臨赤子于不測之淵。雖未溺子其父母固以憂矣。然其勢既當憂且疑也。而人不得不憂疑也。夫威權者天下之利器也。其重豈直乎百鎰之金乎。而委之于侫倖不肖之人。侫倖豈直盜乎。而昔君子不疑。百萬師旅。其性命之眾。豈直乎一赤子之生乎。而暴之于戎狄之鄙。戎狄豈直乎不測之淵乎。而昔君子不憂。然往古其國亂且亡者。曷嘗不因乎可疑而不疑者邪。可憂而不憂者邪。往古能存其國者。亦曷嘗不因乎疑可疑憂可憂者邪。或曰。疑如之何。曰疑之不如斂其柄而正之。曰憂如之何。曰憂之不如保民推恩而布信。曰曩豈無恩信邪。而戎狄不懷。曰曩之恩信者聲而未實也。必得仁人而後恩加。必得義人而後信行。彼守鄙者。孰誠仁乎。孰誠義乎。

If one has a hundred yi of fine gold and engages a thief to guard it, even before the gold is lost, the neighbors will surely be suspicious. If an infant is placed at the edge of an unfathomable abyss, even before the child drowns, the parents will surely be worried. Thus, when the circumstances warrant worry and suspicion, people cannot help but worry and suspect. Authority and power are the sharp instruments of all under Heaven: how could their gravity be merely equal to a hundred yi of gold? Yet they are entrusted to sycophantic, favored, and unworthy men—are sycophants merely equal to thieves? Yet gentlemen of the past did not suspect them. An army of a million troops—the multitude of their lives, how could it be merely equal to the life of a single infant? Yet they are exposed in the wilderness of the Rong and Di barbarians—are the Rong and Di merely equal to an unfathomable abyss? Yet gentlemen of the past did not worry. Thus, when states in ancient times became chaotic and fell to ruin, how was it ever not because of failing to suspect what should be suspected, or failing to worry over what should be worried over? When states in ancient times were able to be preserved, how was it ever not because of suspecting what should be suspected, and worrying over what should be worried over? Someone may ask: 'How should one handle the suspicion?' I reply: 'To handle suspicion, nothing is better than reining in the levers of power and rectifying them.' Someone asks: 'How should one handle the worry?' I reply: 'To handle worry, nothing is better than protecting the people, extending kindness, and displaying trust.' Someone asks: 'Were kindness and trust lacking in the past, such that the Rong and Di were not won over?' I reply: 'The kindness and trust of the past had the name but not the reality. One must obtain a humane person before kindness can be bestowed; one must obtain a righteous person before trust can be practiced. Among those who guarded the borders, who was truly humane? Who was truly righteous?'