1. Mencius said, ＇Po-?, that he might avoid Cha＇u,was dwelling on the coast of the northern sea. When he heard of the rise of king Wan, he roused himself,and said, "Why should I not go and follow him? I have heard that the chief of the West knows well how to nourish the old." T＇ai-kung, that he might avoid Chau,
however, is found also in the ＇Family Sayings＇,Mencius may have had that, or the fragmentary memorabilia of Confucius, from which it is compiled,before him, and not the Chung-yung.
CHAPTER 1 3. THE INFLUENCE OF GOVERNMENT LIKE THAT OF KING W?N.
1. Po-?,—see Analects, V. xxii, et al. T＇ai-kung was L? Shang (吕尚), a great counsellor of the kings,W?n and W?. He was descended from one of Yü＇s assistants in the regulations of the waters, and on his first rencontre with king W?n, when he appeared to be only a fisherman, W?n said 吾太公望子久矣, ＇My grandfather looked for you long ago.＇This led to his being styled 太公望, or ＇Grandfather＇s Hope.
was dwelling on the coast of the eastern sea. When he heard of the rise of king Wan, he roused himself, and said, "Why should I not go and follow him? I have heard that the chief of the West knows well how to nourish the old."
2. ＇Those two old men were the greatest old men of the kingdom. When they came to follow king Wan, it was the fathers of the kingdom coming to follow him.When the fathers of the kingdom joined him, how could the sons go to any other?
3. ＇Were any of the princes to practise the government of king Wan, within seven years he would be sure to be giving laws to the kingdom.＇