2. Making Punishment Definite
If the ruler is too compassionate, the law will never
prevail. If the authority is too weak, the inferior will offend
the superior. For this reason, if penalties are not definite,
prohibitions and decrees will take no effect. The saying is
based on Tung Tzŭ's tour to the Stony Country and Tzŭch`an's
instruction to Yu Chi. For further illustration,
Chung-ni talked about the function of frost, the Law of
Yin punished anybody throwing ashes into the streets, the
highway guards left Yo Ch`ih, and Kung-sun Yang strictly
censured minor offences. On the contrary, the gold-dust
in the Clear Water was not kept safe, the fire at the Product
Swamp was not suppressed. Ch`êng Huan thought that
extreme benevolence would weaken the Ch`i State; Pu P`i
thought that compassion and beneficence would ruin the
King of Wey. Kuan Chung, knowing the necessity of making
prohibitions strict, extended jurisdiction over dead persons.
Duke Ssŭ, knowing the necessity of making punishment
definite, bought back a labour fugitive.
