To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright at the enemy’s
numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.
I follow the interpretation of Ts‘ao Kung: 先輕敵後聞其衆則心惡之也,
also adopted by Li Ch‘üan, Tu Mu and Chang Yü. Another possible
meaning, set forth by Tu Yu, Chia Lin, Mei Yao-ch‘ên and Wang Hsi,
is: “The general who is first tyrannical towards his men, and then
in terror lest they should mutiny, etc.” This would connect the
sentence with what went before about rewards and punishments. The
_T‘ung Tien_ and _Yü Lan_ read 情 “affection” instead of 精.