第18章

＇The minds of the ancient kings were just, generous,and enlarged, not like those of the sovereigns of future times, who on the extinction of a kingdom would extirpate all the members of its royal House, fearing that the preservation of them might be injurious to their own posterity. King Ching not only appoints the viscount of Wei duke of Sung, but goes on to soothe and cherish him, wishing him for ever and ever to share in the prosperity of the empire.—Admirably was the just and enlarged spirit displayed in this.＇ An objection has been taken to the genuineness of the Bk. on the ground of the phrase 與國咸休, it being supposed that the empire would not be denominated國 merely; but the objection is as futile as that taken from the use of 元떚, which has been already pointed out. Compare the language of the last Bk. p. 4, and of＇The Metal-bound Coffer＇, p. 18.

P. 2. The virtue of T＇ang, the founder of the Shang dynasty, which made him worthy to be honoured. 齊=莊, or 肅, ＇reverent＇, i.e., gravely and reverently attending to all his duties. 皇꽭眷佑, 誕受厥命,—comp. in the ＇T＇ae-këa＇, Pt. i. p. 2, 꽭監厥德, 用集꺶命,撫民뀪寬, 除其邪虐,—comp. in ＇The Instructions of E,＇p. 3, 代虐뀪寬, 兆民允懷.

녌加於時,—時=當時, ＇that time,＇ his own age. 後裔,—＇his posterity＇. Choo He observes that 裔 properly denotes the bottom of the skirt of a garment (衣裾之末),—the superfluity of it, and from this is applied to express a man＇s posterity.

P. 3. The worthiness of K＇e, which made him fit to be selected to render the honour due to T＇ang.

踐道厥猷,—猷=道, ＇ways＇ or ＇plans＇; 踐=履其後, ＇to tread in the steps of T＇ang＇s ways＇. 修 expresses the earnestness with which he sought to carry the plansinto practice. 令聞,—＇a good reputation＇. 恪慎至神人,—Lin Che-k＇e joins these two clauses together,and supposes that they refer to K＇e＇s taking care of the sacrificial vessels of his House during the overthrow of the dynasty, and his carrying them with him to the army of Chow. It seems more natural to me, however,to take them as in the translation. 篤不忘=篤厚而不可忘. 上帝時歆,—歆 is ＇to enjoy the savour of offerings＇.K＇e being the representative of the sovereigns of Shang, had the privilege of offering the great solstitial sacrifice to God.

I raise you, therefore, to the rank of High Duke, to rule this eastern part of our great land.

4. ＇Be reverent. Go and diffuse abroad your instructions; be carefully observant of your robes and various other symbols of your appointment; follow and observe the proper statutes!—so as to prove a bulwark to the royal House. Enlarge the fame of your meritorious ancestor; be a law to your people!—so as for ever to preserve your dignity. So also shall you be a help to me the one man; future ages will enjoy thebenefit of your virtue; all the States will take you for a pattern!—and thus you will make our dynasty of Chow ever weary of you.

5. Oh! Go, and be prosperous. Do not disregard my charge."

It is with reference to this that it is said God would always, or at the appointed season of sacrifice, accept his offerings. 庸=用,=所뀪, ＇therefore＇, according to the frequent usage of 用 in the Shoo. —尹茲東夏,尹=治, ＇to rule＇. Sung, the pres. dep. of Kwei-tih in Honan, lay east from Fung and Haou, the capitals of Wǎn and Woo, which were in the pres. dep. of Se-gan, Shen-se.

[In the 녨傳, 僖, 十二年, we have an address to the famous Kwan Chung, evidently modelled on the text of this par. and the next:—王曰, 舅氏, 余嘉乃勳, 應乃懿德, 謂督不忘, 往踐乃職, 無逆朕命.]

Pp. 4, 5. Charges, Cautions, and Encouragements addressed to K＇e. 4. 慎乃命服,—as a High duke, K＇e had the robes and cap, the carriage, flag,&c., appropriate to his rank, and which were the accompaniments of his investiture:—see the Le-ke, Bk. 王制 Pt. ii., p. 7. He is charged to be carefully,—cautiously—observant of them, not transgressing the proper statutes. He must not indulge the ambitious thoughts which had brought ruin on Woo-kǎng.

뀪蕃王室,—蕃=屏衛, ＇to screen and defend＇. 藩 is more common in this sense. 律乃有民,—Gan-kwǒsays:—뀪法度齊汝所有之民, ＇with laws regulate your people＇. But this does not give all the emphasis of the text. The ＇Daily Explanation＇ has better:—儀型爾宋之有民, 而作之師. 毗=輔, ＇to assist＇. 5. 往哉惟休,—Gankwǒ and all the critics after him make 惟休=務休美爾政, ＇make your government prosperous and good＇. I do not see the necessity for this.

[Wang Yen, Chin Tih-sëw, and other scholars remark on the fact that nothing is said in this Book of the wickedness of Show or of Woo-kǎng;—how it shows the consideration of the duke of Chow for the feelings of the viscount of Wei, and the estimation in which his worth was held.]