48 SUEGEON-GENERAL C. A. GOEEON, M.D., C.B.j Q.H.I'., ETC.^ 



all his expenses upon his people, and it is a duty for the 

 inferiors to offer them to their su^^eriors. The granaries and 

 treasury of a prince wherewith to feed his people in time of 

 dearth, could they exist were the object of taxation no other 

 than to plague the people, and to supply his own Avants ? 

 To levy with mildness, to demand little by little, and to be 

 liberal in benefits to the multitude are the virtues of a prince. 

 To serve superiors, to consider public affairs rather than 

 private interests are the duties of ' the masses.' But in 

 order that you may pay your taxes, play not Avith idleness, 

 it will render steiile your works ; be not extravagant, nor 

 dissipate your riches." 



15. "Organise yourselves in communities with a view to 

 exterminate brigandage and theft." Such communities have 

 consisted from ancient times, first of ten families (a Chia) 

 over which a dean, then ten of those united (a Pao) under a 

 chief [otherwise so many village systems with their 

 respective office bearers]. Among other instructions under 

 this head, the following is noteworthy. "In towns and 

 cities persons are to be met with who, instead of occupying 

 themselves with honest work assemble together to drink, 

 to play, to fight cocks, and race their dogs, some meeting in 

 the evening and not dispersing till dawn, their antecedents 

 obscure, theu- movements doubtful." Against such as these this 

 maxim contains precise instructions, whether on shore, or in 

 fleets occupied by them on rivers,* and at sea as pirates. 



16. "Moderate your dislikes, so that you may take count 

 of the value of life." Man has a body in order that he may 

 fulfil his essential duties, to cnltivate the land, to serve 

 his father and mother, and nourish his wife and children, 

 liut by nature he has his crosses which he can neither 

 change nor get rid of. If he once gives way to his 

 "instincts," and they are so let loose, he may try in vain to 

 get them again under control ; anger may arise in an instant, 

 and become an inveterate hatred (between two persons) 

 seeking mutual vengeance, ruin, or miu'der, the cause in- 

 significant, the evil immense. The Heart of Heaven and 

 Earth loves the life in its creatures, but many thoughtless 

 persons know not how to take care of themselves, and treat 

 life with frivolity. If we seek for the causes to which are 

 due the great misfortunes of life, we find the most frequent 

 to be the abuse of wine; of ten murders, five or six result 



* That is, the reg\ilar river j ojmlation whose home from time immemorial 

 has been tlieir boats. 



