第28章

Follow the constant lessons of your grandfather, king Wăn, and be not like your father disobedient to thee royal orders.

4. ＇Great Heaven has no affections;—it helps only the virtuous. The people＇s hearts are not constant;—they cherish only the kind. Acts of goodness are different,but they contribute in common to government. Acts of evil are different, but they contribute in common to disorder. Do you be cautious!

5. ＇To give heed to the beginning, think of the end:—the end will then be without distress. If you do not think of the end, it will be in distress, and that the greatest.

6. ＇Exert yourself to achieve your proper merit.Seek to be in harmony with all your neighbours. Be a fence to the royal House. Live in harmony with your brethren.Tranquillize and help the inferior people.

How is it that he here makes mention so repeatedly and distinctly of Hoo＇s father? Hoo＇s father was his own brother. It was necessary he should speak of him,on the principle explained by Mencius, VI., Pt. ii.,iii.;＇—see the 集說.]

P. 4. 皇天至之懷,—comp. the ＇Tae-këǎ, Pt. iii., p.1. 皇天無親, 惟德是輔 is quoted as from the Books of Chow, in the 左傳, 僖五年. 5. 慎厥初, 惟厥終,—Comp. 慎終於始, in the ＇Tae-këǎ,＇ Pt. iii., p. 6. The same sentiment is here brought differently out. 惟 is to be taken=思, as in the same expression—惟厥終—in the last Bk. P 23. In the 左傳, 襄, 二十五年, there is a quotation from the Shoo, the original of which is probably in this par.—慎始而敬終, 終以不困.

P. 6. Rules for Hoo in his relations with others.

懋乃攸績=勉汝所立之功, ＇exert yourself in achieving your proper merit＇. What that merit was is not said. ＇It embraced,＇ says Tsëaou Hwang (焦竑), ＇the bringing forward the able, the intelligent administration of the government, and the right use of punishments.＇ 눁鄰=＇the prince of the neighbouring States on every side＇.

7. ＇Follow the course of the Mean, and do not by assuming to be intelligent throw old statutes into confusion. Watch over what you see and hear, and do not for one-sided words deviate from the right rule. Then I, the one man, will praise you.＇ "

8. "The king says, ＇Oh! my little child, Hoo, go, and do not idly throw away my charge.＇ "

以蕃, 以놌,—the 以 does not connect the clauses with those which precede 兄弟, ＇brethren＇, are the princes and nobles of the same surname with himself. 7. Rules of a more internal character. 率自中,—Lin Che-k＇e observe that this clause is equivalent to the 率性 at the commencement of the ＇Doctrine of the Mean＇. We need not, however, look for any moral or metaphysical doctrine in the text. 中 is here ＇the middle＇, ＇the proper Mean＇. Emphasis is to be laid on the 作 in the second clause. Wang Ts＇ëaou says:—＇Intelligence is a Heavenly virtue; assuming to be intelligent is a selfish shrewdness＇ (聰明, 天德也, 作聰明則私智耳).

詳=審, ＇to exercise a discriminating judgment＇. 厥度,—厥 might be translated in the second person,—＇your＇, or even in the first. Ts＇ae expands from 審乃thus:—視聽不審, 惑於一偏之說, 則非中矣, 其能不改吾身之法度乎.

P. 8. Concluding admonition.