Deceived, 'they leave their masters and become effective
instruments in the hands of foes.[343] I have been insulted by thee and
pulled down from my place. How wilt thou trust me again? How shall I (on
my part) continue to dwell with thee? Thinking me to be competent thou
tookest me, and having examined me thou hadst placed me in office.
Violating the compact then made (between us) thou hast insulted me. If
one speaks of a certain person before others as possessed of righteous
behaviour, one should not, if desirous of maintaining one's consistency.
afterwards describe the same person as wicked. I who have thus been
disregarded by thee cannot any longer enjoy thy confidence. On my part,
when I shall see thee withdraw thy confidence from me, I shalt be filled
with alarm and anxiety. Thyself suspicious and myself in alarm, our
enemies will be on the look-out for opportunities for injuring us. Thy
subjects will, as a consequence, become anxious and discontented. Such a
state of things has many faults. The wise do not regard that situation
happy in which there is honour first and dishonour afterwards. It is
difficult to reunite the two that have been separated, as, indeed, it is
difficult to separate the two that are united. If persons reunited after
separation approach one another again, their behaviour cannot be
affectionate. No servant is to be seen who is moved (in what he does) by
only the desire of benefiting his master. Service proceeds from the
motive of doing good to the master as also one's own self.
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