第25章

BOOK XIV. THE NUMEROUS OFFICERS.

BOOK XIV. THE NUMEROUS OFFICERS.

1. In the third month, at the commencement of thegovernment of the duke of Chow in the new city of Lŏ, he announced the royal will to the officers of the Shang dynasty, saying,

THE NAME OF THE BOOK.—多士, ＇The numerous Officers＇. By the ＇numerous officers＇ are intended the officers of the previous dynasty, who had been removed along with the people to the new city of Lŏ. The phrase occurs several times, and is taken to designate the Book, which indeed was addressed to those officers. It is found in both the texts, and has its place among the ＇Announcements＇ of the Shoo.

The prefatory note about the Book (see page 10) says that when the new city of Ching-chow was completed, the obstinate people of Yin were removed to it; and that it was then that the duke of Chow announced to them the royal will, as it is here set forth.This statement has given rise to some discussion. We have met with various passages in the two last Books,which make it appear that many of the people of Yin had been removed to the country about the Lŏ before the dukes of Shaou and Chow received their mission to proceed thither. The same thing may be argued from passages in this Book itself as well. Hence Ts＇ae follows in the wake of Woo Ts＇ae laou, and says we have here an instance of how little the notices in the so-called Confucian preface are to be depended on.Maou K＇e-ling has endeavoured to weaken the force of their observations, but with little success.

It is just possible that king Ching, on returning to Haou after the sacrifice described in the end of last Book, ordered another migration of the people of Yin to Lŏ, and on a large scale; and that their arrival at the new settlement gave occasion to this address. This would reconcile the statement in the preface and the intimations which are found of previous removals of the people; but it can be given only as a supposition.

CONTENTS. The object of the announcement is to reconcile the minds of the people of Yin, and especially of the higher classes among them, to their lot. The day of Yin had gone by. The House of Chow was in the ascendant. They had better dealt with kindly and generously. They had better acquiesce in their condition, and by loyalty deserve well of their new masters. If they did not do so, a worse thing would come upon them.

The address or announcement, much broken up,occupies the whole of the Boor after the introductory paragraph. It has been divided into four chapters.The first, parr. 2—4, vindicates the justice of the sovereigns of Chow in taking the empire to themselves. The second parr. 5—15, unfolds the causes why the dynasty of Yin had been set aside. The third, parr. 16—23, shows how it had been necessary to remove the people to Lŏ, and with what good intention the new city had been built. The fourth, parr.24—26, shows that comfort and prosperity are here at Lŏ open to their attainment, while by perseverance in disaffection they will only bring misery and ruin on themselves.

Ch. I. Pp. 1—4. WHEN THE ADDRESS WAS DELIVERED. THE HOUSE OF CHOW HAD OVERTHROWN THE DYNASTY OF YIN, NOT FROM AMBITION, BUT IN EXECUTION OF THE WILL OF GOD.

1. Introductory. 惟三月,—this third month is most naturally reckoned from the sacrifice described in the concluding parr. of the last Book. Some call the year the first of Ching＇s reign, i.e., after he attained his majority. Others call it the first of the duke of Chow＇s government of Lŏ.

2. "The king speaks to this effect:—＇Ye numerous officers who remain from the dynasty of Yin, great ruin came down on Yin from the want of pity in compassionate Heaven, and we, the princes of Chow, received its favouring decree. We accordingly felt charged with its bright terrors; carried out the punishments which kings inflict; rightly disposed of the appointment of Yin; and finished the work of God.

3. Now, ye numerous officers, it was not that our small country dared to aim at the appointment of Yin.But Heaven was not with Yin, for indeed it would not strength its misrule.

Woo Ching would identify this month, indeed, with the third of the previously year, and the address here with what I have called the ＇written specifications＇delivered then to the people of Yin and the chiefs of the various States; but it is sufficient to have referred to his view.

初於新邑洛,=始行治洛之事, ＇when he commenced discharging the business of the govt. of Lŏ＇. 用告商王士,—we might take 用 as simply= ＇thereupon＇.The critics, however, all complete its meaning as inthe translation,—用늅王之命. The officers are said to be those of ＇the king of Shang＇, meaning Show; or perhaps we should take王in the plural and then ,商王,=＇the Shang dynasty＇.

Pp. 2—4. Chow only executed justice in overthrowing Yin,—was but the instrument in the hands of God. 2. 弗弔旻天꺶降喪於殷,—for the meaning of 弗弔 comp. Bk. VII., p. 1, and XVI., P.2. On 旻天, see Pt. II. Bk. II., p. 21, and on Men. v., Pt. I., i., 1. In addition to the two explanation of the meaning of 旻 which are cited in the notes on Mencius, I find a third, given here by Ma Yung,—that the autumnal sky is called 旻, because ＇the autumn air is killing＇ (秋氣殺也); and he argues that what is said immediately after of ruin inflicted by Heaven confirms this acct. of the character. Këang Shing approves this view; but there is more force in the language, when we take旻 as= ＇compassionate＇. With sorrow was the ruin sent down, but Yin could not be spared,so great was its wickedness.—＇Without pity, pitying Heaven sent down great ruin on Yin.＇ 我有周佑命=我周受眷佑之命, as in the translation. This requires a considerable supplement. Këang Shing, without such sup., makes the text=我周佑助天命, ＇our Chow lent its aid to the charge of Heaven;＇—with which the student will probably be still less satisfied. 將天明威,—comp. in＇The Announcement of T＇ang＇, p. 4, 將天命明威. 致王罰,—in ＇The Speech of T＇ang＇, p. 4, we have 致天之罰, ＇carry out the punishment appointed by Heaven＇.The ＇punishment＇ here is the same, but described with reference to the agents employed by Heaven to execute it. 敕殷命,—it is not easy to catch the exact force of 敕 here and in p. 14. We must accept the definition of it by 녊, ＇to correct＇, ＇to rectify＇. But in the rectification of the decree of Yin, there was involved the overthrow of the dynasty. 終於帝=終上帝之事, ＇to complete the work or business of God＇. 3. 弋殷命,—弋, ＇to shoot at＇. See Ana. VII., xxvi. K＇ang-shing and Wang Suh read 翼, but they must have written, we may almost say, that character by mistake for弋. The define it by 取, ＇to take＇, and by 驅, ＇to drive out.

4. It therefore helped us;—did we dare to seek the throne of ourselves? God was not for Yin, as appeared from the conduct of our inferior people, in which there is the brilliant dreadfulness of Heaven.

5. I have heard the saying—"God leads men to tranquil security;" but the sovereign of Hea would not move to such security, whereupon God sent down corrections, indicating His mind to him.

天不畀,—＇Heaven did not give＇, i.e., did not any longer give its favour to Yin. Gan-kwŏ read this on with the next clause, and has 天不與信無堅固治者,＇Heaven did not—or does not—give its favour to those who are not sincerely strengthening their govt.＇ Këang Shing and Ming-shing, pointing in the same way, but dissatisfied with Gan-kwŏ＇s explanation, take 罔=誣, and change 固 into 怙, on the slenderest ground,—in fact, without any ground at all,—making the whole=天不與信誣罔而怙亂者, which is to me more unsatisfactory than the view which they condemn. The view given in the translation was first proposed by Soo Shih.

我其敢求位 is to be taken interrogatively. 4.How was the mind of Heaven known to be averted from Yin? This par. Supplies the answer:—＇By the disaffection of the people.＇ We have here again the doctrine of vox populi vox Dei. 惟帝不畀,—the change of style from the indefinite term ＇Heaven＇ to the personal ＇God＇ is to be remarked. We have met with it before. 惟我下民秉為=惟我下民之所秉為, ＇was whatour people held fast and did＇. The expression 秉為 is peculiar, but this explanation of it is much preferable to that of Gan-kwŏ, who reads 為 in the 3d tone, and says:—惟我周家下民秉뀞為我, ＇the lower people of our House of Chow maintained their right hearts, and were for us＇. A peculiar force of the 惟, common in the Shoo is very marked here. It serves to link the various propositions together, indicting that they form a series, each one being a sequence of what has preceded.

Ch. II. Pp. 5—15. THE REASONS FOR THE OVERTHROW OF YIN; ILLUSTRATED BY REFERENCE TO YIN＇S OWN OVERTHROW OF THE DYNASTY OF HEA. 5, 6. The fall of Hea and rise of Shang. 5. 上帝至適逸,—the meaning of these clauses has been very variously explained. The whole par. seems to me to speak about Këě, and the ruin of the Hea dynasty brought about by him; and in acc. with this, these two preliminary clauses are best understood as in the translation. 上帝引逸=上帝引人至於安逸之地, ＇God leads men to a condition of tranquil ease.＇ How does he lead men to this? By the inward satisfaction and outward prosperity which belong to a course marked by obedience to His will. It is added that ＇the sovereign of Hea—Këě, that is—would not move to this security.＇ 有夏不適逸=桀乃不適於逸, 自趨於危, ＇Këě would not go to security, but hurried himself on to peril＇ (see 陳꺶猷 in the 集說). Gankwŏ＇s view makes the passage have reference to Këě,but is more superficial. It is thus paraphrased by Yingtă:—＇The feeling of supreme Heaven is a wish that the people should always enjoy a tranquil happiness;but Këě, the king of Hëa, rebellious to Heaven and injurious to the people, would not allow them to move towards this tranquil happiness.＇ Këang Shing likewise understood Këě by 有夏, but he takes in 則 as belonging to the second clause.

Këě, however, would not be warned by God, but proceeded to greater dissoluteness and sloth and excuses for himself. Then Heaven no longer regarded for heard him, but disallowed his great appointment,and inflicted extreme punishment.

6. Hereupon it charged your founder, T＇ang the Successful, to set Hea aside, and by means of able men to rule the empire.

7. From T＇ang the Successful down to the emperor Yih, every sovereign sought to make his virtue illustrious, and duly attended to the sacrifices.

He then says that 引佚 (he read 佚 for 逸)=引進遺佚之賢, 言天欲人君任賢, ＇to lead or bring forward worthies left in obscurity, meaning that Heaven wishes sovereigns to employ the worthy＇. The second clause=＇but Këě would not conform to this rule of employing the worthy＇. Woo Ch＇ing struck out new path for himself, supposing that down to 格 it is the great Yu and other good kings of Hea who are spoken of.—＇When sovereigns love idleness and pleasure. God leads and puts them away. But the kings of Hea, like Yu, K＇e and Shaou-k＇ăng, by their anxious diligence accorded with this mind of Heaven, and went not on to any idle ways, so that God sent down to them his favour and protection (上帝於人君之好逸樂者, 引而去之, 有夏之君, 若禹若啟若少康, 皆뀪憂勤合天意, 而不適於逸, 則上帝降格眷佑之). This variety of opinion shows that the meaning of the textis uncertain; but that which I have given seems to be decidedly the preferable view of it.

則惟帝降格, 嚮於時夏,—here also, both the meaning and the pointing are far from being agreed upon. Woo Ch＇ing＇s view of the whole par., which has been given above, makes him pass after 格 to Këě, to that嚮於時夏=向至於是夏桀, ＇But when it came to this sovereign of Hea, Këě.＇ Këang Shing, after Ma Yung, puts a comma at 時, and reads 夏 with the next clause. The scope of the whole, however, is pretty clear. In consequence of Këě＇s character and course, Heaven sent down various premonitory warnings, to arouse him to a recognition of its will. Ts＇ae says:—帝猶未遽絕也, 乃降格災異, 뀪示意嚮於桀. Gan-kwŏ takes the 嚮, ＇towards＇, as not expression the will of Heavenbut its favour towards the House of Hea, so that the visitations intimated in 降格 were expressions of its kindly regard, which regard was only extinguished by the subsequent recklessness of Këě. But this is finding too much in the character. 弗克庸帝=不能用帝命(or戒), ＇could not use the warnings given him by God＇. 有辭,—comp. 夏王有罪矯誣上天, in the ＇Announcement of Chung-hwuy,＇ p. 3. It is better to understnd the phrase as I have done, with such a reference, than to take it, with Woo Ch＇ing and others, as simply=有可罪之辭.

惟時 may be ＇then＇; or ＇thereupon＇, 時=是. 元命=꺶命, ＇great appointment＇, i.e., to be sovereign of the empire. This is better than to take 꺶命=始時之命, as Këang Shing does. 降致罰,—＇sent down and carried punishment to the uttermost＇. 6. —俊民甸눁뀘,comp. The ＇T＇ae-këă＇, Pt. i. 5, 旁求俊彥. 甸=治, ＇to rule＇. LinChe-k＇e joins 俊民 to the preceding 革夏, which is very unlikely.

Pp. 7—12. How the dynasty of Yin long continued, and how if finally perished.

And thus it was that while Heaven exerted a great establishing influence, preserving and regulating the house of Yin, its sovereigns on their part were humbly careful not to lose the favour of God, and strove to manifest a good-doing corresponding to that of Heaven.

8. But in these times, their successor showed himself greatly ignorant of the ways of Heaven, and much less could it be expected of him that he would be regardful of the earnest labours of his fathers for the country.

9. Greatly abandoned to dissolute idleness, he paid no regard to the bright principles of Heaven, nor the awfulness of the people.

10. On this account God no longer protected him,but sent down the great ruin which we have witnessed.11. Heaven was not with him because he did not seek to illustrate his virtue.

7. Comp. Bk. X., p. 9, 늅湯咸至於帝乙, 늅王畏相, 云云. 恤祀,—＇were anxious about the sacrifices,＇ i.e.,diligently attended to them. The account of T＇ang in the ＇T＇ae-këă,＇ Pt. i., 2, gives a good illustration both of the 明德 and the 恤祀. 8. Observe how the 亦 in the two parts of the par. correspond to each other. 罔敢失帝,—＇did not dare to lose God＇, i.e., the favour of God. The critics all say 無敢失上帝之則 or 上帝之意, ＇did not dare to neglect the pattern set them by God, or to fail of the wish of God＇. 罔不配天其澤=使德澤之꼐民者有뀪配天之廣꺶, ＇caused their virtuous beneficial influence to reach the people in amanner corresponding to the vastness and greatness of Heaven.＇ Këang Shing most unwarrantably changes and enervates the sentiment, making the text merely=無不配天, 享其福澤, ＇all stood before Heaven and enjoyed its blessing＇. 9. 在今後嗣王,—comp. Bk. X., p. 11. It is Show, of course, who is spoken of .罔顯於天=meaning gi不明於天道v, ＇un int elligent of the ways of Heaven＇.Theento罔顯於民 in the par. of the 10th Bk. just referred to might suggest another version of the text; but it will be found that we must take 顯 actively here, whereas it was passive in the other passage.

矧曰,—comp. the same phrase in Bk. X., p. 13; etal. 先王勤家=先王之勤勞於國家, ＇the earnest toil of the former kings for the country＇.

罔顧, 云云,—comp. 迪畏天顯께民, Bk. X., p.9.10. 惟時=惟是之故, ＇on this account＇. 11. Gan-kwŏand Këang Shing take this par. as one long clause,assigning the reason of the ruin just mentioned.—꺶喪之所뀪降, 惟天不與不明其德者故也.

12. Indeed, with regard to the overthrow of all States, great and small, throughout the four quarters of the empire, in every case there are reasons to be alleged for their punishment.＇ "