子产论政宽猛
古文观止 · section 25 · 吳楚材 · 吳調侯 編 · 321 characters
Original text
郑子产有疾，谓子大叔曰：「我死，子必为政。唯有德者能以宽服民，其次莫如猛。夫火烈，民望而畏之，故鲜死焉。水懦弱，民狎而玩之，则多死焉。故宽难。」疾数月而卒。
大叔为政，不忍猛而宽。郑国多盗，取人于萑苻之泽。大叔悔之，曰：「吾早从夫子，不及此。」兴徒兵以攻萑苻之盗，尽杀之。盗少止。
仲尼曰：「善哉！」政宽则民慢，慢则纠之以猛，猛则民残，残则施之以宽。宽以济猛，猛以济宽，政是以和。诗曰：「『民亦劳止，汔可小康；惠此中国，以绥四方』，施之以宽也。『毋从诡随，以谨无良，式遏寇虐，惨不畏明。』纠之以猛也。『柔远能迩，以定我王。』平之以和也。又曰，『不竞不絿，不刚不柔，布政优优，百禄是遒。』和之至也。」及子产卒，仲尼闻之出涕曰：「古之遗爱也。」
子产不是一味任猛。盖立法严则民不犯，正所以全其生。此中大有作用。太叔始宽而继猛，殊失子产授政之意。观孔子叹美子产，而以宽猛相济立论，则政和，谅非用猛所能致。末以遗爱结之，便有分晓。
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