第27章

11. The duke said, "Prince Shih, aforetime when God was afflicting Yin, he encouraged anew the virtue of the Tranquillizing king, till at last the great favouring decree was concentrated in his person.

矧= ＇still more＇; or simply= ＇likewise＇. 惟茲惟德稱=惟此內外之臣, 皆舉稱其德, ＇all these ministers, about the court and away from it, throughout the empire, displayed and exerted their virtue.

若卜筮, 罔不是 (=是之) 孚 (=信之)=如龜之卜, 如蓍之筮, 天떘無不敬信之.

P. 10. Advice to Shih, grounded on the prec., that he should do for Chow what those ministers had done for Yin. 天壽놂格,—Gan-kwŏ supposes that 놂格 is spoken of the sovereigns of Yin, (놂至之君). It is better to understand the characters of the ministers who have been spoken of. They are called 놂, ＇level＇, free of all selfishness, and 格, ＇intelligent＇, all-reaching and embracing. 壽 conveys not only the idea of long life, but also of prosperity,—as in the last Book, p. 7. Show is intended by 놋殷嗣. 天滅威=天滅之뀪示威. 永念,—＇think of the distant future＇. This is better than to take the terms as simply= ＇always think of this＇. 厥亂明我新造邦=其治效亦赫然明著於我新造之邦, ＇its efficient govt. will be gloriously and brilliantly displayed in our new founded kingdom＇. Maou K＇e-ling understands Lŏ to be ＇the newly founded country＇; but the dynasty is what is meant; compare the passage of the She King, quoted in ＇The Great Learning,＇comm. ii., 3. [It does not appear from this par. that the duke of Shaou had expressed his wish to withdraw from the public service, but the duke of Chow is evidently urging him to continue at his post to the last.]

Ch. III. Pp. 11—17. IT WAS BY THE AID OF THEIR ABLE MINISTER THAT THE KINGS WAN AND WOO WERE RAISED TO THEIR GRAND DISTINCTON AND THE SOVEREIGN OF THE EMPIRE. THE DUKE OF CHOW LOOKS TO SHIH TO COOPERATE WITH HIM IN MAINTAINING THEIR DYNASTY OF CHOW. 1. 上帝割,—＇God was cutting,＇ i.e., was bringing about the overthrow of the dynasty of Yin. Këang Shing, after K＇angshing, takes 割 for 蓋, a particle of style, the force of which passes into the verbs that follow; but there is no necessity to resort to such a device. Hea Seen observes

that ＇Heaven encouraged king Wăn, and afterwards encouraged king Woo; hence the language—申勸;—see the 集說. 申 is ＇a term, continuative of what has gone before,＇ (繼前之辭).

12. But that king Wăn was able to conciliate and unite the portion of the great empire which we came to possess, was owing to his having such ministers as his brother of Kin, Hwang Yaou, San E-săng, T＇ae Teen,and Nan-kung Kwŏ."

13. He repeated this sentiment, "But for the ability of these men to go and come in his affairs, developing his constant lessons, there would have been no benefits descending from Wăn on the people.

14. And it also was from the determinate favour of Heaven, that there were these men of firm virtue,and acting according to their knowledge of the dread majesty of Heaven, to give themselves to enlighten king Wăn, and lead him forward to his high distinction and universal over-rule, till his fame reached the ears of God, and he received the decree of Yin."

In the Le Ke, Bk. 緇衣, p. 24, we find this par. in the form—놇昔上帝周田觀文王之德, 其集꺶命於厥躬. This was, no doubt, the reading current in the Han dyn. as from Fuh-shang. 12. King Wăn and theministers who aided him. 惟文王놋夏,—我놋夏=我所놋之諸夏, ＇the empire, or the portion of the empire,which who had＇. The reference is to the two-thirds of the empire which acknowledged the authority of Wăn.尚=庶幾, ＇perhaps＇. Tsow Ching-k＇e says that the terms克尚 intimate the difficulty of Wăn＇s undertaking, and the greatness of the assistance which he derived from his ministers.

虢叔,—from a passage in the 녨傳, 僖五年, we learn that this was a son of king Ke, and a younger brother of Wăn. Kih was the name of his appanage, in the pres. dis. of Paou-ke (寶雞), dep. of Fung-ts＇ëang, Shen-se. [This was called the western Kih. There were two other districts called Kih under the Chow dynasty,—the eastern Kih, and the northern.] 閎, 散,泰, and 南宮 are surnames; and 夭, 宜生, 顛, and 括are names. So says Gan-kwŏ, and there is no reason to call the thing in question, except in the case of the second, whose surname is said by some to here been散宜. Of those five ministers we can hardly be said to know more than the surnames and names. It would be a waste of time to refer to the legendary tales that are circulated about them. If we were surprised that there was no mention in p. 7 of Foo Yŭe, it is no less strange that the greatest of Wăn＇s ministers, the 太公望, should here be passed over in silence.

13. It is certainly most natural to take 又曰 here as introducing another remark, confirmatory of the preceding, by the duke of Chow. I can by no means accede to the view of Gan-kwŏ, and of Këang Shing and K＇e-ling among the moderns, that 又曰無能往來 is an observation of king Wăn, who, though he had thosefive ministers, still said, ＇They are not able (=enough) to go and come in my affairs.＇ In order to make the rest of the par. harmonize in any way with this construction, they are obliged to take 蔑德= ＇exquisite virtue＇. 14. This par. corresponds to par. 9. What E Yin and the others did for the emperors of Yin, that did these five ministers for king Wăn,—and all by the determinate favour of Heaven.

15. There were still four of these men who led on king Woo to the possession of that decree with all its emoluments. Afterwards, along with him, in great reverence of the majesty of Heaven, they slew all his enemies; and then these four men made king Woo distinguished all over the empire, till the people universally and greatly proclaimed his virtue.

16. Now, with me Tan, who am but a little child, it is as if I were fioating on a great stream; let me from this time cross it along with you, O Shih. Our young sovereign is powerless as if he had not yet ascended the throne.

The ＇Daily Explanation＇ expands 亦惟純佑秉德 into=我文王之時, 놋虢叔等五臣, 為之輔佐, 亦惟天意놇文王,純一不二, 뀪佑助之, 故生此等秉持明德之人. 迪知天威,—comp.迪哲 in the last Book, p. 16. 乃惟時昭文王=乃惟뀪是昭文王. Këang Shing puts a stop at 昭, and makes 乃惟時昭 to be descriptive of the ministers, asbecoming thoroughly enlightened and virtuous. This construction is not good. 迪見冒=啟迪其德, 使著見於上, 覆冒於떘. Comp. Bk. XIV., p. 4. 15. King Woo and his able ministers. 武王至놋祿,—茲四人, ＇four of these men＇. One of them had died,—it is supposed, the prince of Kih .놋祿,—comp. ＇The Counsels of Yu,＇p. 17. King Wăn had the decree,—the appointment to the possession of the empire; but Woo came into the possession itself. 後暨武王,—暨 is used here a in the last Book, p. 5,=與, a preposition, ＇along with＇. 劉—see ＇The Pwan-kăng＇, Pt. i., p. 2. 昭武王惟冒=昭武王,遂覆冒天떘last par., an. Këang Shinutsastoatdreadsforg 冒p, w ith whpi ch c昭ha, as in the racterthepassage is quoted in the 說文. The meaning would then be—＇king Woo looked humbly down on all beneath.＇But the punctuation and reading are both bad. 16. The duke of Chow entreats Shih to co-operate with him in supporting their new dynasty. If he will not do so, the consequences will be disastrous. We must suppose that all the four ministers who had aided Woo were now dead, and the burden of the State was on the dukes of Chow and Shaou. 游=浮水, ＇to fioat on the water＇. 予往暨 (=與; as in the last par.) 汝奭其濟=我自今뀪往, 與汝奭心同輔佐, 共濟艱難, 녦也. 小子同냭놇位,—by 小子here we must understand king Ching.

You must by no means lay the whole burden on me; and if we draw ourselves up without an effort to supply his deficiencies, no good will flow to the people from our age and experience. We shall not hear the voices of the singing birds, and much less can it be thought that we shall make his virtue equal toHeaven." 

17. The duke said, "Oh! consider well, O prince,these things. We have received the favouring decree of Heaven, to which belongs an unlimited amount of what is desirable, but having great difficulties attached to it. What I announce to you are counsels of a generous largeness. I cannot allow the successor of our kings to go astray."

The duke had, indeed, resigned the regency, and the govt. was in the emperor＇s hands. But Ching was still young, and unequal to his high duties. 誕無我責, 收罔勖不及,—Ts＇ae thinks there is something wanting before the former of these clauses, and says he does not understand the latter. Gan-kwŏ took 誕無我責as=汝꺶無非責我之留, ＇and you are blaming me for remaining in the govt.,＇ which agrees with his view that the duke of Shaou was dissatisfied, because the other had not retired upon resigning the regency. The terms will bear the meaning which I have given in the translation; and it appears to me more in harmony with the tenor of the address. As to the meaning of the second clause, the editors of Yung-ching＇s Shoo give a modified approval to the view of Leu Tsoo-heen, adduced by Yu E-shoo (余芑舒; of the Yuen dyn.), making the words addressed to the duke of Shaou:—召共若收斂退藏, 罔朂勉成王之所不逮. I take the characters much in the same way, but consider thatthe duke of Chow is speaking of himself as well as of prince Shih. I can hardly tell how Gan-kwŏ interprets here. He uses many words, but I do not understand them. Këang Shing points—誕無我責收, 罔朂不及= ＇Do not you by any means charge me to retire. I will exert myself, and exertion is never made without success!＇ 耇造德=耇老成人之德.

鳴鳥,—by ＇the singing birds＇ are meant the male and female phoenix, fabled to appear at court in times of great prosperity. See on the ＇Yih and Tseih,＇ p. 9. In the She King, Pt. III., Bk. II., Ode viii., st. 9, mention is made of the phoenixes fiying about and screaming on the hills. The ode is ascribed to the duke of Shaou, and is supposed to celebrate king Ching and the happiness of his times. 其놋能格,—this is said with reference to the predicates in p. 7 about what the ministers of Yin did for their sovereigns. 17. The duke urges Shih tolay to heart what he has said to him. 肆其監於茲,—comp. the last Book, p. 19. 肆 is taken=꺶. 我受至惟艱,—comp. Bk. XII., p. 9. By 後人, ＇the after man,＇we are to understand king Ching. The 前人 at the beginning of next par. renders this very probable.

18. The duke said, "The former king laid bare his heart, and gave full charge to you, constituting you one of the guides of the people, and saying, ＇Do you with intelligence and energy prove a helper to the king; do you with sincerity support and carry on this great decree. Think of the virtue of king Wăn, and enter greatly into his boundless anxieties.＇ "

19. The duke said, "What I tell you, O prince, are my sincere thoughts. O Shih, the Grand-protector, if you can but reverently survey with me the decay and great disorders of Yin, and thence consider the dread majesty of Heaven which warns us!

20. "Am I not to be believed that I must thus speak?I simply say, ＇The establishment of our dynasty rests with us two.＇

Ch. IV. Pp. 18—23. 18. The duke of Shaou had received a special charge from king Woo to be a guardian of the young king and of the dynasty. 前人,＇the former man,＇ is to be understood of king Woo.On his deathbed he had given the charge, of which a portion is here adduced, to the dukes of Chow and Shaou. 敷乃心,—the 乃 here would seem to=其, the adj. pronoun of the third person. The phrase,however,=所敷者乃其心腹. 作汝民極,—this has reference to the appointment of Shih to be the Guardguardian, in which office he was to be a support and pattern for the people. Lin Che-k＇e says:—凡為꺶臣者,皆曰뀪為民極. 偶王=輔弼嗣王, ＇to help the heir king＇.Two, joined in any way, are called 偶. Shih was to prove as a help-meet to the king. In 乘꺶命, we have the metaphor of a carriage in which the sovereign appointment was placed and carried on.

惟文王德,—the 惟=念, ＇to think of＇. 丕承無疆之恤,=comp. 無疆惟恤, Bk. XII., p. 9. 19. The duke ofChow earnestly begs Shih to enter into his anxieties,and learn from the fate of Yin to labour for the establishment of their dynasty. 其汝克敬,—this is hortatory, and the meaning seems to be best brought out by giving the translation an optative form. 뀪予 may be taken as=與予. 꺶否(p＇ei)=꺶亂, ＇great disorders＇, or 꺶阨, ＇great distresses＇.

我天威,—＇our Heavenly terrors,＇ i.e., the terrors of Heaven which were to be dreaded by them, and guarded against through a diligent discharge of their duties. 20. So much was dependant on the two dukes that they ought to be exerting themselves to the utmost,and especially to be looking out for men who might hereafter supply their places.

Do you agree with me? Then you also will say, ＇It rests with us two.＇ And the favour of Heaven has come to us so largely:—it should be ours to feel as if we could not sustain it. If you can but reverent cultivate your virtue,and bring to light our men of eminence, then when you resign to some successor in a time of established security,—

21. "Oh! it is by the earnest assistance of us two that we have come to the prosperity of the present day.But we must go on, abjuring all idleness, to complete the work of king Wăn, till it has entirely overspread the empire, and from the corners of the sea and the sunrising there shall not be one who is disobedient to our rule."

予不允惟若茲誥 is to be taken interrogatively. The＇Daily Explanation＇ gives for it:—凡我言語, 豈是不足取信於人, 而如此諄諄告汝乎. 襄我二人,—=襄成.The two men are evidently the duke of Chow himself,and the duke of Shaou. The clause=王業之成놇我與汝而已,—as in the translation. Gan-kwŏ took the two men to be Wăn and Woo, and this idea put him to the greatest straits throughout the par. Even Maou K＇e-ling does not venture to defend such as an interpretation.놇時 (=是) 二人=놇我二人. 戡=堪 or 勝, ＇to be equal to＇, ＇to sustain＇. I do not know what to make of the 놇in the last clause. The speaker does not complete his meaning. He simply says—＇In the fact of yielding to successors in a time of great prosperity.＇ Critics supply what is wanting according to their different opinions as to the main object which the duke of Chow had in view in the address. 21. The two dukes

had done much for Chow in the past; it remained for them to complete their work. 篤棐時 (=是) 二人=篤於輔君 (or 王室) 者是我二人. 我式 (=用),—＇we thereby＇.The ＇we＇ is we of Chow,=our dynasty. 丕冒=使丕偏覆冒於斯民, ＇causing it universally to overspread this people＇ .罔不率俾=無不循我化, 녦臣使也, ＇all yield toour transforming influences, and become subjects who may be employed.

[M. de Guignes observes on this paragraph:—＇It is sufficiently singular that a philosopher like Chow-kung inspires here the spirit of conquest; it was then, therefore, the taste of the Chinese, who sought to extend themselves more and more to the east.＇ See＇Le Chou-king,＇ p. 237. The duke＇s words hardly called for such a remark. He is merely seeking the full establishment of their dynasty,—that Chow should enter into all the possessions of Yin.]

22. The duke said, "O prince, am I not speaking in accordance with reason in these many declarations?I am only influenced by anxiety about the decree of Heaven, and about the people."

23. The duke said, "Oh! O Prince, you know the ways of the people, how at the beginning they can be all woe could desire, but it is the end which is to be thought of. Act in careful accordance with this fact. Go and reverently exercise your government."

P. 22. The duke affirms the reasonableness of his remarks, and re-states the grounds of them.

予不惠若茲多誥 is to be taken interrogatively, like the commencing clause of p. 20. This is sufficient against the view of Këang Shing, who reads it indicatively, and takes 惠=慧, so that the meaning is—＇I in my want of wisdom make these many declarations.＇ 惠=順於理, ＇accordant with reason＇. We have met with it before, having this meaning. 予惟用閔於天越民 (=及) 民=予惟用憂天命, 難뀪永保, 及生民,無所倚賴. 23. The uncertainty of the attachment of the people should make ministers careful to retain their good will. 民德= ＇the ways of the people＇; now allattachment to a govt., now disaffected and rebellious.惟其終=當思其終.