The precautions taken against thieves who open trunks, search bags, or ransack tills, sist in seg with cords and fastening with bolts and locks. This is what the world calls wit. But a strong thief es and carries off the till on his shoulders, with box and bag, and runs away with them. His only fear is that the cords and locks should not be strong enough! Therefore, does not what the world used to call wit simply amount to saving up for the strong thief? And I veo state that nothing of that which the world calls wit is otherwise than saving up for strong thieves; and nothing of that which the world calls sage wisdom is other than h up for strong thieves. How this be shown? Iate of Chi, the neighb towns overlooked one another and one could hear the barking of dogs and crowing of cocks in the neighb town. Fishermen cast their s and ploughmen ploughed the land in a territory of over two thousand li. Within its four boundaries, was there a temple or shrine dedicated, a god worshipped, or a hamlet, ty or a district governed, but in accordah the rules laid down by the Sages?
Yet one m {46} Tiese slew the ruler of Chi, and stole his kingdom. And not his kingdom only, but the wisdom-tricks which he had got from the Sages as well, so that although Tiese acquired the reputation of a thief, he lived as securely and fortably as ever did either Yao or Shun. The small States did not veo blame, nor the great States to punish him, and for twelve geions his desdants ruled over Chi. {47}
Was this not a stealing the State of Chi and its wisdom-tricks of the Sages in order to preserve their thieves lives? I veo ask, was there ever anything of what the world esteems as great wit otherwise than saving up for strong thieves, and was there ever anything of what the world calls sage wisdom other than h up for strong thieves?
How this be shown? Of old, Lungfeng was beheaded, Pikan was disemboweled, ghung was sliced to death, Tsehsu: was thrown to the waves. All these four were learned ones, but they could not preserve themselves from death by punishment.
An appreo Robber Cheh asked him saying, "Is there then Tao (moral principles) among thieves?"
"Tell me if there is anything in which there is not Tao," Cheh replied.
"There is the sage character of thieves by which booty is located, the ce to go in first, and the chivalry of ing out last. There is the wisdom of calculating success, and kindness in the equal division of the spoil. There has never yet been a great robber who was not possessed of these five qualities." It is seen therefore that without the teags of the Sages, good men could not keep their position, and without the teags of the Sages, Robber Cheh could not aplish his ends. Sinen are scard bad mehe majority, the good the Sages do to the world is little and the evil great. Therefore it has been said "If the lips are turned up, the teeth will be cold. It was the thinness of the wines of Lu which caused the siege of Hantan. {48}
When the Sages arose, gangsters appeared. Overthrow the Sages ahe gangsters free, and then will the empire be in order. Wheream ceases, the gully dries up, and when the hill is levelled the chasm is filled. When the Sages are dead, gangsters will not show up, but the empire will rest in peace. Oher hand, if the Sages do not pop off her will the gangsters drop off. Nor if you double the number of Sages wherewith to govern the empire will you do more than double the profits of Robber