第26章

克自抑畏,—抑 means ＇to press hard＇, and ＇to repress＇.Hence 自抑= ＇to be humble＇. 9. 文王卑服,—comp. what Confucius says about Yu, Ana, VIII., xxi. 即=就, ＇to approach to＇; here= ＇to apply to＇. 康功=安民껣功, ＇services giving repose to the people＇. 田功=養民껣功, ＇services giving nourishment to the people＇. See Mencius, I., Pt. II., v., 3.

Këang Shing takes 服=事, so that the par. would have a very unworthy meaning,—＇king Wăn occupied himself with mean affairs＇, &c.

10. 徽柔懿恭,—徽 and 懿 are both defined by 美,＇admirable＇, ＇excellent＇. If Wăn＇s mildness, it is said,had not been 徽, it would have been weakness; and if his respectfulness had not been 懿, it would have been hypocrisy (足恭껣恭; see Ana. V., xxi.). 惠鮮鰥寡,—惠鮮 is a difficult expression, and Këang Shing reads 惠於鰥寡, which is much simpler. Ts＇ae, adhering to the meaning of 鮮 as ＇fresh, with no taint of corruption＇,says that ＇widowers and widows hang their heads down, all out of spirits; and when you give them all alms, you make them as it were become alive.＇ This is very strained. We must take 鮮=善, a meaning which it sometimes has. Gan-kwŏ seems to miss the meaning altogether, and construes absurdly. 昃 is the sun declining in the west. 自朝至於日中昃=自朝至於日껣中, 自中至於日껣昃. 不遑暇食,—both 遑 and 暇 signify＇leisure＇. Ying-tă observes that in their conjunction we have an instance of the duplicated expressions (複語)of the ancients.

11. 盤於游田,—we met with 盤遊無度 in Pt. III., Bk. III., p. 1, where 盤 has the sense of 樂, ＇pleasure＇. Here, followed by 於, however, the meaning of 盤桓不止, ＇incessant movement＇ is to be preferred. On the遊 see Mencius, I., Pt. II., iv., 5. There were the proper seasons both for tours of inspection and hunting expeditions. Wăn made them both at those seasons,and did not protract them beyond the regulated length of time. 田=畋, ＇to hunt＇. 以庶邦惟正껣供, takes this as=於常貢正數껣外, 無橫斂也, ＇beyond the correct amount of the regular tribute, he made no oppressive exactions;＇ and he adds that if Wăn dealt in this way with the States which acknowledged his authority as chief of the West, it is easy to see how gentle was his taxation of his own people.

12. The duke of Chow said, "Oh! from this time forward, do you who have succeeded to the throne imitate his avoiding of excess in his sights, his ease,his excursions, his hunting; and from the myriads of the people receive only the correct amount of contribution.

13. Do not allow yourself the leisure to say, ＇To-day I will indulge in pleasure.＇ This is not holding out a lesson to the people, nor the way to secure the favour of Heaven. Men will on the contrary greatly imitate you, and practise evil.

Gan-kwŏ interpreted the clause quite differently:—以眾國所取法則, 當以正道供待껣, which Ying-tăexpounds, ＇He considered that it was from him thatall the States had to take their pattern, so that his proper business was to regulate himself with a right heart, to minister the treatment to them.＇ This is hardly intelligible; and Këang Shing would gladly reduce the whole clause to 唯政껣恭, ＇and reverently attended to the business of the govt.,＇ from a passage in the 國語, 楚語上, which even Yuh-tsae says ought not to be credited in the case;—see 段꺶令古文尚書撰異, in loc.

受命惟中身,—Wăn＇s ＇receiving the appointment＇ here can only be understood of his succeeding to his father as one of the princes of the empire. Gan-kwŏ observes that Wăn died at the age of 97, and as he was 47 when he came to the principality of Chow, the expression 中身, ＇middle of his life＇ must not be pressed.

Ch. IV. Pp. 12, 13. THE DUKE URGES KING CHING TO MAKE THE MAXIM OF ＇NO DAY FOR IDLENESS＇ THE RULE OF HIS LIFE, AND TO ESCHEW THE EXAMPLE OF SHOW. 12. Gan-kwŏ points 繼自今嗣王, 云云, and understands he duke to have in view all future sovereigns of the House of Chow (繼從今已往嗣世껣王, 皆戒껣), so that the 則that follows is merely a particle. I prefer, however, the construction of Ts＇ae, which appears in the translation. Acc. to it, the words are addressed to king Ching, though there is of course a lesson in them for future kings as well; 則 is a verb,=法, ＇to imitate＇, and the 其which follows it refers to king Wăn. 觀=our ＇sight-seeing＇. 以萬民 takes here the place of 以庶邦, being appropriate to the case of the emperor, whereas the other expression was descriptive of Wăn as the ＇Chief of the West＇, the Head of a portion of the States.

Këang Shing gives for the par.—嗚呼繼自今嗣王其母淫於酒, 毋佚於游田, 維正껣共, which appears in one of the chapters of ＇The Books of Han＇, and wasperhaps the reading of Fuh-shang. 13. 皇 must be taken as=the遑of par. 10. =非民攸訓非民껣所以為教,＇is not what the people should take as their lesson.

Become not like Show, the king of Yin, who went quite astray, and was abandoned to the practice of drunkenness."

14. The duke of Chow said, "Oh! I have heard it said that, in the case of the ancients, their ministersdischarged their functions in warning and admonishing them, in protecting and loving them, in teaching and instructing them; and among their people there was hardly one who would impose on them by extravagant language or deceiving tricks.

15. If you will not listen to this and profit by it, your ministers will imitate you, and so the correct laws of the former kings, both small and great, will be changed and disordered.

天攸若=天껣所順, ＇what Heaven will accord with.＇ 時=是, corresponding to the 乃 above. 時人丕則有愆=是人꺶則效껣, 斯有衍尤矣.酗於酒德,—comp. ＇The Viscount of Wei,＇ p. 1. It is very evident that 德 may bespoken of vice as well as of virtue.

Ch. V. Pp. 14, 15. THE DUKE URGES THE KING TO RECEIVE GOOD ADVICE, REFERRING TO THE CASE OF ANCIENT SOVEREIGNS WHO HAD DONE SO, AND POINTING OUT THE EVIL CONSEQUENCES OF A CONTRARY COURSE. 14. By 古껣人 we are probably to understand the three sovereigns of Yin celebrated in the second chapter, and king Wăn. 猶胥至教誨,—we have to understand其臣, ＇their ministers＇ as the subject of the verbs 訓告,&c. The force of 猶, ＇still＇, is thus brought out:—＇The virtue of those ancient sovereigns was complete. It seems as if they needed no assistance; but still their ministers did not cease to instruct them,＇ &c. 胥=相. It indicates the mutual intercourse of sovereigns and ministers, while we must restrict the action of the verbs to the latter. 民無或, 云云,—this shows the result throughout the empire, when those good sovereigns were guided and supported in such a way by their ministers. The dict. explains 譸張 together by誑, ＇to lie＇, ＇to deceive＇. This is plainly the meaning,but I do not know that 張 by itself is ever found with this signification. 幻is defined by 變名易寶以眩觀,＇changing names and transposing realities, to deceive the sight.＇ In Fuh-shang＇s text this clause appears to have wanted the commencing 民, and the 胥 after 或. 15. An application of the statements in the prec. par. is here made to king Ching. If he will not listen to them,人乃訓껣 (=人乃法則껣), ＇men will learn of him＇. The＇men＇ intended are his ministers. 正刑=正法, ＇correct laws＇. Ts＇ae instances the light punishments and light taxation, which were the rule with ancient good sovereigns, and which would be superseded by severe penalties, and heavy exactions.

至於小꺶 is to be joined with 正刑.

民否,—＇the people disapproving＇. The disallowing and changing the laws which were favourable to them will awaken their disaffection and displeasure. Hostile feelings will be cherished in their hearts, and turn to curses on their tongues. 詛祝,—these two terms together=our ＇to curse＇. Ying-tă says that ＇to ask the spirits to make miserable is called 詛; and to announce one＇s thoughts to the spirits by words is called 祝＇ (請神加殃謂껣詛, 以言告神謂껣祝).

The people blaming you will disobey and rebel in their hearts;—yea, they will curse you with their mouth."

16. The duke of Chow said, "Oh! those kings of Yin, Chung-tsung, Kaou-tsung, and Tsoo-këă, with king Wăn of our Chow,—these four men carried their knowledge into practice.

17. If it was told them—＇The inferior people murmur against you, and revile you,＇ then they paid great and reverent attention to their conduct; and with reference to the faults imputed to them they said, ＇Our faults are really so.＇ They acted thus, not simply not daring to cherish anger.

Ts＇ae and many others explain the par. in the way thus exhibited; and I don＇t think we can do better with it. Woo Ch＇ing, taking 此厥不聽 as Ts＇ae does, gives for the rest a construction of his own, and makes the meaning—＇If you will not hearken to this and profit by it, then men will persuade you to change and confuse the correct laws of the former kings. Those laws were very favourable to the people; and when they are so changed, the people, small and great, will cherish, some of them, a rebellious resentment in their hearts, while others will proceed to curse you with their mouths＇ (成王於此古人……不聽信, 則人乃道說껣, 以變亂先王껣正法, 先王껣法甚便於民, 一變亂껣, 則至於或小或꺶, 或有違怨於心者矣, 或有詛祝於口者矣).Këang Shing read 此厥不聖, 人乃訓變亂正刑, 云云,=＇When the ancient sovereigns were not sage, then men led them away to change,＇ &c., according to the viewof Woo Ch＇ing. He is compelled, however, to doubt the genuineness of the 民; and indeed, if 民 be genuine here (and there is no evidence to the contrary), the same character in the prec. par. Cannot be assailed. The reading of 聖, moreover, and consequent making this chapter terminate without any application to king Ching, takes from its connection with the rest of the Book.

Ch. VI. Pp. 16—18. THE DUKE PRESSES ON THE KING THE DUTY OF LISTENING TO ADVICE BY THE EXAMPLE OF THE GOOD SOVEREIGNS WHOM HE HAS MENTIONED, AND POINTS OUT AGAIN THE EVIL CONSEQUENCES OF A CONTRARY COURSE. 16. 迪哲,—＇trod in the way of their knowledge.＇ Ts＇ae says this is what Mencius calls ＇the richest fruit of wisdom,—the knowing, and not putting the knowledge away＇ (智껣實, 知땤弗去是也; see IV., Pt. I., xxvii. 2.). 17. 皇自敬德,—=皇꺶, ＇great＇, ＇greatly＇. We may take 敬德 as in Bk. XII.,or more generally, as I have done in the translation.Ying-tă makes the clause=增修善政, ＇they increasingly cultivated good government＇.

18. If you will not listen to this and profit by it, when men with extravagant language and deceptive tricks say to you, ＇The inferior people are murmuring against you and reviling you,＇ you will believe them. Doing this, you will not be always thinking of your princely duties, and will not cultivate a large and generous heart. You will confusedly punish the crimeless, and put the innocent to death. There will be a general murmuring, which will be concentrated upon your person."

19. The duke of Chow said, "Oh! you king, who have succeeded to the throne, make a study of these things."

厥愆=於其所誣毀껣愆, ＇in the case of the faults which were wrongly imputed to them＇. 18. This is the application of the prec. two parr., as par. 15 was an application of 14. Këang Shing cannot adopt 聖 here in the first clause as in p.15, not having the precedent which he there had. Still he says we ought to read 聖;but I cannot think so. The duke of Chow would not have put the case that the worthies he celebrated could have behaved themselves so unworthily. At 則若是 the transition is abrupt, but the meaning is plain. 不永念厥辟=不能永念其為君껣道, as in the translation. This is much better than, with Këang Shing, to read 辟 as p＇eih, and understand the expression as=不能引咎自責也, ＇they could not have acknowledged the blame, and reproved themselves＇. 怨有同,—＇resentments will be the same,＇ i.e., people may receive injuries of different kinds, but all will agree in the feeling of injury and resentment.

Ch. VII. P. 10. Concluding exhortation, that the king should think of all that had been said to him, and use the address as a light to guide him to safety and excellence,—as a beacon to warn him from what was evil and dangerous.