1. Confucius said, "When good government prevails in the empire, ceremonies, music, and punitive military expeditions, proceed from the emperor. When bad government prevails in the empire, ceremonies, music, and punitive military expeditions proceed from the princes. When these things proceed from the princes, as a rule, the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in ten generations. When they proceed from the great officers of the princes, as a rule, the case will be few in which they do not lose their power in five generations. When the subsidiary ministers of the great officers hold in their grasp the orders of the kingdom, as a rule, the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in three generations.

2. "When right principles prevail in the empire, government will not be in the hands of the great officers.

3. "When right principles prevail in the empire, there will be no discussions among the common people."

2. THE SUPREME AUTHORITY OUGHT EVER TO MAINTAIN ITS POWER. THE VIOLATION OF THIS RULE ALWAYS LEADS TO RUIN, WHICH IS SPEEDIER AS THE RANK OF THE VIOLATOR IS LOWER—In these utterances, Conf. had reference to the disorganized state of the empire, when 'the son of Heaven' was fast becoming an empty name, the princes of states were in bondage to their great officers, and those again at the mercy of their family ministers. 1. 有道, 无道, —compare XIV. 1. 征伐 are to be taken together, as in the transl. We read of four 征, i.e., expeditions,—east, west, north, and south; and of nine 伐, i.e., nine grounds on which the emperor might order such expeditions. On the imperial prerogatives, see 中庸, XXVIII. 盖, is here=大约, 'generally speaking', 'as a rule'. 陪臣=家臣, 'family-ministers',国命 are the same as the previous 礼, 乐, 征, 伐, but having been usurped by the princes, and now again snatched from them by their officers, they can no longer be spoken of as imperial affairs, but only as 国之事, 'state matters'. 3. 议=私议, 'private discussions'; i.e., about the said state of public affairs.