lives of no account. For him who falls to rise no more, the hour of repentance is past.
Now the maxim of our ancient kings was this:―“The greatest safety of the greatest number.” And as we have among us several thousand barbarians who, in point of food and skill, are closely allied to the Huns, let us clothe them in stout armour and warm raiment, arm them with trusty bows and sharp blades, mount them on good horses, and set them to guard the frontier. Let them be under the command of a competent general, familiar with their customs, and able to develop their morale according to the military traditions of this empire. Then, in the event of arduous military operations, let these men go to the front, while we keep back our light war-chariots and horse-arches for work upon level ground. We shall thus have, as it were, an outside and a lining; each division will be employed in the manner for which best adapted; our army will be increased, and the greatest safety of the greatest number will be achieved.
It is written, “The rash minister speaks, and the wise ruler decides.” I am that rash minister, and with my life in my hand I dare to utter these words, humbly awaiting the decision of your Majesty.
ON THE VALUE OF AGRICULTURE.
“A bold peasantry, their country’s pride.”
When the people are prosperous under the sway of a wise ruler, familiar with the true principle of national wealth, it is not only the tiller of the soil who fills his belly, nor the weaver alone who has a suit of clothes to his back.
In the days of Yao[1] there was a nine years’ flood: in the days of T‘ang, a seven years’ drought. Yet the State suffered not, because of the preparations which had been made to meet such
- ↑ 2356 b.c. An attempt has been made, as stated under Yang Chu (note), to identify this with Noah’s flood. It was ultimately drained away by the engineering skill of an individual known in history as the Great Yü. “Ah!” says a character in the Tso Chuan, “if it had not been for Yü, we should all have been fishes.”
