Page 56 of 266

[In order to make the translation intelligible, it is necessary

to tone down the sharply paradoxical form of the original. Ts'ao

Kung throws out a hint of the meaning in his brief note: "These

things all serve to destroy formation and conceal one's

condition." But Tu Mu is the first to put it quite plainly: "If

you wish to feign confusion in order to lure the enemy on, you

must first have perfect discipline; if you wish to display

timidity in order to entrap the enemy, you must have extreme

courage; if you wish to parade your weakness in order to make the

enemy over-confident, you must have exceeding strength."]

18. Hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is simply a

question of subdivision;

[See supra, § 1.]

concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of

latent energy;