REV. F. STOERS TURNER^ B.A., ON MEXCICS. 



265 



not enjoy peace and prosperity, then Ity Heaven's decree, the 

 dynasty is clmnged. 



But with this immense respect for the people, Mencius was 

 not an anarchist. There were anarchists in China then. We 

 read that one Heu Hing with some scores of followers came to 

 a little kingdom where ^lencius was wMch for the time had a 

 good prince. He asked and received a grant of land, and his 

 example was followed by other immigrants. But the new- 

 comers were not content. Heu Hing complained. " The 

 prince of T'ang is indeed a worthy prince, but nevertheless he 

 has not heard the true doctrine. Good princes should 

 themselves till the soil along with their people, and should 

 cook their own food, as well as carry on the government. But 

 the prince of T'ang has liis granaries, and arsenals, and 

 treasuries : that is, he oppresses the people to feed liimself. 

 " Xow can he be thought a good prince ? " Mencius said, " I 

 suppose Heu Hing sows and eats the produce." " Yes," they 

 said. " I suppose he weaves and wears his own cloth. Is it 

 so ? " '■' Xo. He gets it in exchange for grain." " Why does 

 not Heu weave it himself ? " " That would interfere with his 

 farm-work." " Does he make the iron pot in wliich he cooks his 

 food, and his plough-share ? " " Xo, he gets them in exchange 

 for his grain." The business of the handicraftsman can by no 

 means be carried on along with the l)usiness of husbandry." 

 Mencius retorted, " Is the government of the empire the only 

 business which can be carried on along with the practice of 

 husbandry . . . ." There is the proverb, Some labour 

 with tlieir minds and some with their muscles. Those who 

 labour with their minds govern those who labour with their 

 muscles, and those who labour with their muscles provide food 

 for their governors. This holds good everywhere.* 



Some people imagine that China is a stereotyped country 

 always looking back to the past, never progressing, never even 

 desiring progress. But the China of the time of ^lencius 

 was evidently fermenting and in process of evolution. So it 

 has been ever since, and is at this day, when the new leaven of 

 Christian truth has entered its mass, and already works mightily 

 there, soon we may hope to leaven the whole lump. We 

 English and other Europeans are very ignorant of Chinese his- 

 tory and of the living Chinese. If we knew them better we 

 should esteem them more highly. They have not been a God- 

 forsaken race until we found the way to their shores. The 



* pp. 123, 125. 



