University of Virginia Library

17[1]

Mencius' wife was alone and in a squatting position. Mencius
entered the door and saw her. He told his mother, "My wife has
no sense of propriety (li), and I would like to send her away."

His mother said, "How is that?"

"She was squatting."

His mother said, "How do you know?"

Mencius said, "I saw her myself."

His mother said, "Then it is you who have no sense of propriety,
not she. Do not the rules of propriety say, `When you are about
to enter a gate [you should ask who is there],[2] when you are going
to ascend the hall you must make a noise, and when you are going
to enter a door you must look down,[3] so that you do not take by
surprise a person who is unprepared? Now you went into a place
of retirement, entering the door without making a sound, so as

to catch sight of a person squatting. In this you acted improperly;
it is not your wife who was improper."

Thereupon Mencius took the blame on himself and did not dare
send his wife away. The Ode says,[4]