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kinds of spy to advantage.]
Hence it is essential that the converted spy be
treated with the utmost liberality.
26. Of old, the rise of the Yin dynasty
[Sun Tzu means the Shang dynasty, founded in 1766
B.C. Its name was changed to Yin by P`an Keng in 1401.
was due to I Chih
[Better known as I Yin, the famous general and
statesman who took part in Ch`eng T`ang's campaign
against Chieh Kuei.]
who had served under the Hsia. Likewise, the rise of
the Chou dynasty was due to Lu Ya
[Lu Shang rose to high office under the tyrant Chou
Hsin, whom he afterwards helped to overthrow. Popularly
known as T`ai Kung, a title bestowed on him by Wen Wang,
he is said to have composed a treatise on war, erroneously
identified with the LIU T`AO.]
who had served under the Yin.
[There is less precision in the Chinese than I have
thought it well to introduce into my translation, and the
commentaries on the passage are by no means explicit. But,
having regard to the context, we can hardly doubt that Sun
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Tzu is holding up I Chih and Lu Ya as illustrious examples of
the converted spy, or something closely analogous. His
suggestion is, that the Hsia and Yin dynasties were upset
owing to the intimate knowledge of their weaknesses and
shortcoming which these former ministers were able to
impart to the other side. Mei Yao-ch`en appears to resent
any such aspersion on these historic names: "I Yin and Lu
Ya," he says, "were not rebels against the Government. Hsia
could not employ the former, hence Yin employed him. Yin
could not employ the latter, hence Hou employed him. Their
great achievements were all for the good of the people." Ho
Shih is also indignant: "How should two divinely inspired
men such as I and Lu have acted as common spies? Sun
Tzu's mention of them simply means that the proper use of
the five classes of spies is a matter which requires men of
the highest mental caliber like I and Lu, whose wisdom and
capacity qualified them for the task. The above words only
emphasize this point." Ho Shih believes then that the two
heroes are mentioned on account of their supposed skill in
the use of spies. But this is very weak.]
27. Hence it is only the enlightened ruler and the wise
general who will use the highest intelligence of the
army for purposes of spying and thereby they
achieve great results.
[Tu Mu closes with a note of warning: "Just as water,
which carries a boat from bank to bank, may also be the
means of sinking it, so reliance on spies, while production of
great results, is oft-times the cause of utter destruction."]
Spies are a most important element in water,
because on them depends an army's ability to move.
[Chia Lin says that an army without spies is like a man
with ears or eyes.]
[1] "Aids to Scouting," p. 2.
[2] "Marshal Turenne," p. 311.
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