第29章

Leu Tsoo-heen says that the 集 here is that of 積集, meaning ＇to—collect＇, and the 享 is that of 享國,meaning ＇to enjoy the empire＇. He adds that ＇good governmental measures bring together all means of prosperity＇ (治世之政, 聚其所以興). This is the easiest way of explaining the characters. Këang Shing, not so well, takes =＇集就. Woo Ching here, as frequently, peculiar. He makes 不集於享 to mean—＇the princes were alienated, and he could not bring them together and make them come to court with their offerings＇ (諸侯離心, 不能合聚之, 使來朝享). 時 (=是) 喪,—＇this ruin,＇=such a ruin. 有邦間之,—by 有邦 is meant T＇ang,so called as being then merely one of the princes, ＇the holder of a State＇. 間之,—＇separated—interrupted—it＇. Koo Seih-ch＇ow says:—＇From Yu to Këě there had been a continuous succession of 400 years; but from this is was interrupted and broken off＇ (自禹至桀, 四百年之統, 自此間而斷껩). 16. Lin Che-k＇e observes on逸厥逸 that it means ＇he carried his 逸—his luxurious indolence to excess＇. This is better than to take one of the characters in the sense of 過, ＇to go beyond＇. 蠲烝,—蠲=潔, ＇pure＇; 烝=進, ＇to advance＇, ＇progress＇. The meaning of the clause 不蠲烝 then comes out as in the translation. Këang Shing, after Ma Yung, takes 烝=升, ＇to ascend＇, so the whole= ＇his measures of govt.did not go up purely to Heaven＇. This is far-fetched, but not so much so as Woo Ch＇ing＇s interpretation. He takes 烝 in its sense of ＇the winter sacrifice＇, and hence for ＇sacrifices＇ in general so that ,不蠲烝= ＇he did not offer his sacrifices with purity!＇

P.17. 惟聖至作聖,—these two sayings have wonderfully exercised the ingenuity of the critics. Confucius has said (Ana. XVII., iii) that ＇the wise of the highest class and the stupid of the lowest class cannot be changed.＇ Surely he who can be called 聖belongs to ＇the wise of the highest class;＇—how can the dictum of the great sage and the sentiment of the duke of Chow in this passage be reconciled? The foreign student is not concerned to reconcile them. What the duke says we know to be accordant with facts. He had not come to the folly and arrogance of the sage and his school exalting the "sagely man" above the attributes of humanity, and all created beings.

18. Heaven then sought among your many regions,making a great impression by its terrors to stir up one who might look reverently to it; but in all your regions,there was not one deserving of its regard.

19. There were, however, our kings of Chow, who treated well the multitudes of the people, and were able to sustain the burden of virtuous government, and to preside over all services to spirits and to Heaven.Heaven thereupon instructed them, and increased their excellence, made choice of them, and gave them the decree of Yin, to rule over your many regions.

須=待, ＇to wait＇. 暇=寬限, ＇to allow indulgently a longer time＇. The 之 in 之子孫 occasions a difficulty.Woo Ch＇ing makes it=是, ＇this＇, as in the expression 之子於歸, quoted in t he ＇Great Learning＇, Comm. ix.,6. It is better to take it as merely giving emphasis to the active meaning of the verbs 須 and 暇. Show of course is intended,—＇the descendant＇ of T＇ang. The clause 誕作民덿 ought, I think, to be connected with the preceding, as appears in the translation. Gankwŏ, however, and in recent times Këang Shing,understand it as= ＇But he greatly played the people＇s lord, and there was nothing in him,＇ &c. When it is said that Heaven forbore with Show for five years,giving him the opportunity of repentance, there must have been something remarkable in the closing period of his history, which was known to the duke of Chow and his hearers, and to which allusion is made. We,however, do not know the events of the time with sufficient minuteness to be able to say what it was.See on the 十꺘年 in the ＇Great Speech＇, Pt. i., p. l.18. 꺶動以威,—greatly moving by its terrors. Moving whom? Gan-kwŏ says—＇Show＇. But this is evidently wrong. The individuals intended to be moved were the princes of the various regions; the terrors employed to move them were the overthrow of Show, and the troubles generally of the time. There is a difficulty in interpreting the expressions 顧꽭 and 顧之. Ts＇ae gives 以開發其能受眷顧之命者, ＇to influence and bring forth one who might receive its decree of favour and regard＇, for 開厥顧꽭. Then for 罔堪顧之 there is given 皆不足以堪眷顧之命, ＇all were insufficient to sustain the favouring decree＇. Woo Ch＇ing explains in the same way. But 厥顧꽭 must mean ＇their looking to Heaven＇, not ＇Heaven＇s looking to them＇. 顧 simply=囘視, ＇to turn round and look at＇, commonly with the idea of kindness or favour attached. I suppose that the subject of the former 顧 is ＇the princes＇, and the object,Heaven, while of the latter the subject is Heaven, and the object, the princes. 19. 놖周王—these ＇kings＇ were Wăn and Woo.

靈承於旅,—see p. 5. 惟典神꽭,—典=덿, ＇to preside over＇. The whole=덿神꽭之祀, ＇who could preside over the sacrifices to spirits and to Heaven.＇ The phrase 神꽭 has occasioned some difficulty. When Dr. Medhurst made his translation of the Shoo, he supposed that 神was an adj. qualifying 꽭, and rendered the passage by—＇Only they could superintend the worship of the Divine Heaven.＇ Subsequently he saw the error of this,and has corrected it in his ＇Theology of the Chinese,＇pp. 56, 57, where he refers to the paraphrase of the＇Daily Explanation＇,—誠可典司神꽭, 為上帝百神之덿矣.

20. ＇Why do I now presume to make these many declarations? I have dealt very leniently as regards the lives of you, the people of these four States.

21. Why do you not show sincere and generous obedience in your many regions? Why do you not aid and cooperate with us the kings of Chow to secure the enjoyment of Heaven＇s favouring decree?

Gaubil translated the clause by—＇Il (he takes 놖周王 as singular) fut en ètat d＇être mis à la tête des affaires qui regardant les esprits;＇ and observes, in a note, that 典神꽭 is equivalent to the 作神덿 in the ＇Both possessed pure Virtue＇, p. 3. So far he is correct; but the꽭should not be sunk in a translation. Its use shows very clearly, how, while the ancient Chinese could say of God, whom they intended by ＇Heaven＇, that He was a spirit, just as we do, they did not consider Him as merely one of ＇the host of spirits＇. No Chinese critic has ever taken神 here as an adjective. They invariably understand a conjunction between 神 and 꽭. I need only give further what Ch＇in Ta-yew says on the passage:—可為神與꽭之덿, 山川宗社之得其安, 꺘光寒暑之得其序, 皆人君有以덿之. If it be still asked why 꽭, as the more honourable, does not precede 神, we may replywith Dr. Medhurst, that 꽭神 might have been taken as meaning ＇the spirits of heaven＇; or (which seems to me more likely, as that usage of 꽭神 is foreign to the Shoo) that the collocation was chosen to avoid the coming together of the closely allied sounds of 典 and꽭. 꽭惟式教놖뇾休,—＇Heaven therefore (see 式 in Bk.XVI., p. 21) taught us, and thereby was excellence.＇By the 놖, ＇us＇, are intended the 놖王, at the beginning of the par., and I have therefore kept the third person in the translation.

Ch. III. Pp. 20—23. THE KING COMPLAINS OF THE RELUCTANCE WITH WHICH THE RULE OF CHOW WAS SUBMITTED TO; SHOWS THE FOLLY OF IT, AND DECLARES THAT, IF PERSEVERED IN, IT SHOULD BE DEALT WITH IN ANOTHER STYLE.

21. 曷敢,—＇how dare I?＇ The critics make no remark on the use of 敢, ＇to dare＇, ＇to presume＇, here. It is strange from the lips of the king in this connection.He might very well speak of himself as ＇presuming＇,with reference to Heaven; but it sounds oddly as it stands. 놖惟, 云云,—see on p. 2. Yaou Shun-muh says:—＇At the commencement of the announcement,the king tells them how he had spared their lives, and starts from that to unfold the reasons why Heaven now bestows its favour and now withdraws, that they might be taught to nip the unquiet and insurrectionary tendencies of their hearts in the bud. Here he reminds them a second time of the same thing, wishing to show them the path of self-renovation and improvement,that they might escape the miseries of extreme punishment in which they were going on to involve themselves.＇ See the 集說. 21. 爾曷不忱裕之,—I take the 之 here like the same character in 須暇之, p. 17,as giving emphasis to the previous verbs. This usage corresponds to that which is not unfrequent with our English it.—＇Why do you not sincere it, and liberalize it?＇ Treated so well by the govt. of Chow, why would they not obey it sincerely and with a largeness of mind like that which had been shown to them. It is not easy to translate the clause. Medhurst misses the meaning;and when Gaubil says ＇Pourquoi ne seriez-vous pas desormais fideles et tranquilles dans votre pays,＇ the＇tranquilles＇ by no means brings out sufficiently the meaning of 裕.

You now still dwell in your dwellings, and cultivate your fields;—why do you not obey our kings, and consolidate the decree of Heaven?

22. The paths which you tread are continually those of disquietude;—have you in your hearts no love for yourselves? do you refuse so greatly to acquiesce in the ordinance of Heaven? do you triflingly reject that decree? do you of yourselves pursue unlawful courses,scheming by your alleged reasons for the approval of upright men?

23. I simply instructed and declared to you; I secured in trembling awe and confined the chief criminals:—I have done so twice and for three times.

夾介=夾輔介助, to assist and ＇to aid＇. 乂 is best taken as=保, ＇to preserve＇, ＇to maintain＇. The kings of Chow had received the favouring decree of Heaven; but that decree had to be made firm or sure by the cheerful acquiescence of the people and princes in their sway. —今爾至爾田,comp. the closing par. of the＇Numerous Officers＇ .惠=順, ＇to accord with＇= ＇to obey and have sympathy with＇. 熙=廣, ＇to make wide＇,= ＇to strengthen＇. 22. The ＇Daily Explanation＇ says that here ＇the people of Yin are reproved as to the past, and admonished as to the future＇. The first clause is to be supposed narrative; but all the others are best taken interrogatively .爾乃迪屢不靜=爾乃屢蹈不靜. This is somewhat harsh, requiring the inversion of 迪屢; but what can we do? Këang Shing takes 迪 in the sense of 道.—＇I have sought to guide you repeatedly, but still you are not tranquil.＇ This construction is more objectionable. Their ＇paths of disquietude＇ were the rebellious movements in which they had repeatedly engaged. 爾心냭愛is taken by Gan-kwŏ and Këang Shing indicative,= ＇you do not yet love our dynasty of Chow＇. I prefer, however, to understand it as in the translation. Ts＇ae gives:—爾心其냭知所以自愛껩. 宅꽭命,—宅=居 or 安, ＇to rest or repose in. 屑,—see par.14. 不典=不法, ＇lawless ways＇. The last clause, 圖忱於正, is a difficult one. Gan-kwŏ and Ying-tă are as enigmatical upon it as the text itself. Këang Shing takes 正=長, ＇superiors＇, and gives:—謀取信於長上,＇scheming to be believed by your superiors＇. But what＇superiors＇ can we think of in the case? The translation is after the ＇Daily Explanation＇, which says:—且爾等反覆叛亂, 自作不法之事, 為正人所深惡, 乃猶以義不忘殷, 圖見信於正人乎. 23. Past leniency would not be continued, if they still continued dissatisfied and gavedisturbance. 놖惟至於꺘 is to be taken as descriptive of the king＇s past dealings with the rebellious. Kin Le-ts＇ëang says:—＇教告之refers to the announcements made before the expedition to the East (謂東征之前, 뀗告之);

But if you do not take advantage of the leniency with which I have spared your lives, I will proceed to severe punishments and put you to death. It is not that we, the sovereigns of Chow, hold it virtuous to make you untranquil, but it is you yourselves who accelerate your crimes and sufferings.＇ "

24. "The king says, ＇Oh! ho! I tell you, ye many officers of the various regions, and you, ye many officers of Yin, now have ye been hurrying about,doing service to my overseers for five years.

戰要囚之 refers to the captives and prisoners, during that expedition, who however were not put to death＇(謂東征之時, 俘囚之, 然不殺). 惟時=惟是. We may retain the signification of 惟 as ＇only＇, ＇simply＇. Wecannot, however, interpret 要囚 as we have done in the previous instances of its occurrence, p. 11, and Bk. IX., p. 12. The 之 here perhaps requires that we interpret the phrase differently. Wang Ts＇eaou gives for it 束而囚執之. 非놖, 云云,—comp. the two last clauses of Bk. X., p. 11. Compare also Bk. XIV., p. 18, 非놖一人奉德不康寧.

Ch. IV. Pp. 24—29. THE KING ADDRESSES MORE PARTICULARLY THE NUMEROUS OFFICERS WHO HAD BEEN REMOVED TO LŎ, AND URGES THEM TO THE RIGHT DISCHARGE OF THEIR DUTIES. IF THEY DO WELL, THEY WILL HAVE GREAT REWARDS. IF THEY PROVE IDLE AND PERVERSE, THEY WILL BOTH BY HEAVEN AND THE KING, BE MORE HEAVILY PUNISHED THAN THEY HAD YET BEEN. Woo Ch＇ing, as I stated in the note on the name of the Book, removes this chapter to the ＇NumerousOfficers＇,with h tthexceptiohehichhff29artteeeemsnoapopar.,swto reject altogether. In this measure, he followed the example of the critics Woo and Hoo (probably 吳꺳老and 胡仲明). The change of the style of address, from多方 to 多士, certainly gives countenance to it, though the 有方多士 in par. 24 may be pleaded in favour of the received arrangement. The point, however, is of little importance.

P. 24. Ying-tă explains 爾有方多士 by 汝在此所有四方之多士, 謂四方之諸侯, ＇you who are here,the numerous officers of the four quarters. Theprinces from the four quarters of the empire are thus designated＇. I would rather take 有方 as=所有之方,equivalent to ＇all the quarters of the empire＇. 臣놖監五祀 (=年. The Yin term for ＇year＇ is used, perhaps because it is the old officers of that dyn., who are addressed),—acting as ministers to my overseers forfive years. Këang Shing supposes that the ＇overseers＇are the three uncles of the king, who had been appointed by his father to oversee Woo-kăng, and finds a reference to the past;—＇Ye hurried about,doing service to my overeers for five years.＇ But this interpretation is quite absurd; and moreover the 今is inexplicable on it. It is only exceeded in absurdity by the view of Gan-kwŏ, who would interpret:—＇Ye run about serving my overseers. If you do so for five years without fault, I will restore you to your original territory!＇ King Ching＇s ＇overseers＇ were the ministers of Chow, under whose charge the officers and people of Yin removed to Lŏ were placed.

25. There are among you the employees, the chiefs,with the numerous directors, small and great:—endeavour to discharge your duties according to the laws.

26. It is from yourselves that the want of harmony arises: strive to be harmonious. In your families there is a want of concord:—strive to be harmonious. When intelligence rules in your cities, then will ye be proved attentive to your duties.

27. Do not be afraid, I pray you, of the evil ways ofthe people; and moreover by occupying your offices with a reverent sedateness, you will find it possible to select from your cities individuals on whom you may calculate.

The statement that those officers had served them there for ＇five years＇ should put beyond a doubt what I have all along maintained, that the removal of the people to the new settlement had taken place before the building of the imperial city of Lŏ. See the 集傳.

25. 胥, 伯, and 正 are all names given to various officers. They were common designations under the Chow dyn.;—see the note from Ch＇in Sze-k＇ae in the 集說. But what 胥, what 伯, and what 正 are here intended we cannot tell, and any very definite translation of the terms cannot be given. Ts＇ae gives臬 the meaning of 事, ＇affairs＇, ＇business＇= ＇duties＇.The dict. refers to the passage under the meaning of法, ＇laws＇, which we know that 臬 often has. I have combined the two. [We know that Fuh-shang read—越惟有胥賦, 께꺶多政, which Këang Shing of course edits; but I cannot find or give any suitable explanation of such a text.] 26. There seems to be some gradation of thought here, from harmony of mind to harmony of conduct; thence to social harmony in the families of the people; and thence again to what we may call a general political harmony:—all to be secured by the harmony of the officers addressed. Wang Ts＇ëaou says that ＇the first 和哉 requires serene tranquillity of mind in order to the harmony of the body or whole character, and the second requires the harmonious obedience of the whole character to reason in order to the harmony of the family＇. See the 集說. This significance of the difft. clauses, however, is very indistinctly intimated, and hence Gan-kwŏ gives another interpretation, which it is not worth while to adduce and animadvert upon. 27, 28. The former of these parr. describes certain things to be aimed at by the numerous officers, if they could succeed in which, there would be the results which the latter par. sets forth. It must be allowed that it requires considerable ingenuity to decide on the meaning which is to be given to the clauses of the former. 爾尚不忌於꿸德,—忌 is to be taken in the sense of 畏, ＇to fear＇. 尚has its force of exhortation or entreaty. The 꿸德,＇evil conduct＇, is to be referred to the people, whose stupidity and obstinacy (頑民) made them so difficult of management. 穆穆=和敬貌, ＇the appearance of harmony and reverence＇. 克閱於乃邑謀助=能簡閱爾邑之賢者以謀其助, ＇can select the worthy in your cities, thus consulting to get their assistance＇. Such is the view of the meaning proposed by Ts＇ae, only that he finds the idea of concession in 尚. Woo Ch＇ing＇s interpretation is different. He says:—度幾無有꿸惡之德可忌諱껩, 亦且肅敬在爾之位, 能臨視於爾之邑, 而謀者꺶矣.

28. You may thus in this city of Lŏ long continue,cultivating your fields. Heaven also will favour and compassionate you; and we, the sovereigns of Chow,will greatly help you and confer rewards, selecting you to stand in our royal court. Only be attentive to your duties, and you may rank among our great officers.＇ "

29. "The king says, ＇Oh! ye numerous officers, if ye cannot exhort one another to pay a sincere regard to my charges, it will further show that you are unable to honour your sovereign, and all the people will also say— "We will not honour him." Thus will you be proved slothful and perverse, greatly disobedient to the charges of your sovereign.

Këang Shing reads the first clause along with par. 26,and edits it—爾上不諅於꿸德. For 諅 he gives the authority of the 說뀗; but that is of no importance, as this character is there explained by 忌. But the 說뀗quotes the passages with 尚 and not 上, which Shing arbitrarily assumes to have been the original reading. The meaning which he thus finds is:—＇You will be proved attentive to your duties, and your superiors will have no occasion to detest your evil ways.＇

爾乃至爾田,—自時 (=是) 洛邑seems to= ＇from this—on the ground of your behavior in this—city of Lŏ.＇The force of 尚 is sufficiently given by our ＇may＇. On畋爾田, Wang Ts＇ëaou observes that ＇to cultivate a field(田) is called 畋, in the same way as to catch fish (魚) is called 漁.

畀矜爾=畀予矜憐於爾, ＇gift you and compassionate you＇. 介賚爾=介助賚錫於爾, ＇aid you and confer bounties on you＇. In 尚爾事, the 尚 has its hortative force. Ts＇ae gives for the clause—其庶幾勉爾之事.

有服在꺶僚,—comp. ＇The Numerous Officers＇, p. 20.It will there be seen how the officers of Yin desired the favours that are here promised them.

P. 29. If they will not be won by the leniency shown and the favours promised to them, but continue disaffected, and make the people also disaffected, they shall be dealt with summarily and severely. The critics are hero concerned to free the duke of Chow from the charge of speaking, or making the king speak, like one of the chiefs and arbiters among the princes, of whom we read so much in Mencius,—first coaxing and then threatening, subduing men merely by their strength.Leu Tsoo-heen goes into the point at length, and says that here we have the judgment and the infliction of Heaven always preceding the judgment and act ofhuman authority. But we should find the same thing in the speeches of those tyrant-chiefs. The duke said what seemed most likely to him to accomplish his end.

Throughout your many regions, you will bring on yourselves the terrors of Heaven, and I also will infiict its punishments, removing you far from your country,＇"

30. "The king says, ＇I do not wish to make these many announcements, but in a spirit of awe I lay my commands before you.＇ He also says, ＇Now you may make a new beginning. If you cannot reverently realize the harmony which I enjoin, do not hereafter murmur against me.＇ "

嗚呼至不享,—comp. Bk. XIII., p. 12. The meaning of 享 is the same in both passages, only the idea of＇offerings＇ is more here as the expression simply of loyal obedience. 頗=僻, ＇depraved＇, ＇perverse＇. 遠王命=違王命; 探=求取, ＇to seek for and bring on＇. 離逖爾土,—comp. 移爾遐逖, Bk. XIV., p. 21. The king would seem to be threatening the refractory with another and more distant banishment. Ts＇ae conjectures that 多方 is a mistake for 多士, which, I think, is very likely.

Ch. V. Pp. 30, 31. The conclusion of the address.

놖不至爾命,—the relation between the two clauses seems to require that the former should be supplemented as in the translation. =時惟爾初今與爾更始, ＇now I grant to you to change and begin afresh＇. The 時, however, is not==今, but是.