第31章

8. the minister of Instruction, who presides over the education of the empire, inculcates the duties attaching to the five relations of society, and trains to obedience the people:

9. the minister of Religion, who presides over the ceremonies of the empire, attends to the service of the spirits and manes, and makes a harmony between high and low;

10. The minister of War, who presides over the military administration of the empire, commands the six hosts, and secures the tranquillity of all the States:

11. the minister of Crime, who presides over the prohibitions of the empire, searches out the villainous and secretly wicked, and punishes oppressors and disturbers of the peace:

The 邦 in them is also to be taken as=邦國, ＇the empire＇. 8. 司徒,—＇the super-intendent of the multitudes,＇ perhaps with a reference to the meaning of徒 as ＇disciples＇. This officer was as old as the time of Shun;—see the ＇Can. of Shun,＇ p. 19. He is the ＇officer of Earth＇ (地官) of the Chow Le. His department seems to merge in that of the present ＇Board of Rites＇, for we can hardly identify it with the ＇Board of Revenue＇ (戶部).

敷꾉典,—comp. ＇敬敷꾉典, Can. of Shun＇, p. 19. =擾安, ＇to tranquillize＇. Ts＇ae for 擾兆民 gives 馴擾兆民之놊順者, 而使之順. 9. 宗伯,—this office was also as oldas the time of Shun. See ＇Can. of Shun＇, p. 23; which supplies an explanation of the name 宗伯, as=宗廟官長, chief officer of the ancestral temple＇. Otherwise,we might translate it by—＇The reverend＇, ＇The very reverend＇. He was the ＇officer of the Spring＇ (春官) of the Chow Le; and his department now is that of the Board of Rites (禮部), which also absorbs in a great measure the functions of the ＇minister of Instruction＇as I have observed. 治神人= the 掌建邦之天神地袛人鬼之醴, ＇manages the ceremonies to be paid to the spirits of Heaven, of Earth, and of Men,＇ of the Chow Le. Gaubil says:—＇Il s＇agit des ceremonies religieuse pour les esprits, et des civiles pour les hommes morts.＇One cannot restrain a smile at the distinction which he introduces between the ceremonies, as here ＇religious＇,and there only ＇civil＇! 和上下,—all festive, funeral, and other ceremonies, as well as those of sacrifice, came under the 宗伯, who had therefore to define the order of rank, precedence, &c. This is what is intended by the ＇high and low＇ of the text. 10. —＇司馬,Tsae says that ＇no arm of warlike measures is more important than the cavalry, and hence the minister of War was called "master of the Horse"＇ (軍政莫急於馬, 故以司馬名官). This minister does not appear among the officers of Shun. He is the ＇officer of Summer＇ (夏官) of the Chow Le, and appears in the ＇Board of War＇ (兵部) of the present day. 掌邦政,—＇handles the govt. of the empire＇. But the same might be said of every other minister;—why is the name of ＇government＇ used only in connection with the minister of War? Ts＇ae says:—＇Military measures are used to punish and to smite,—to correct the evil doers; they are the greatest of the measures of imperial govt.＇ (戎政뇾以征伐而正彼之놊正, 王政之大者) .六師,—see on ＇The Punitive Expedition of Yin,＇ p. 1.

11. 司寇,—＇manager of banditti＇ (羣行攻劫日寇). Kaou-yaou was Shun＇s minister of Crime, though he was only called 士; see the ＇Can. of Shun,＇ p. 20.

12. and the minister of Works, who presides over the land of the empire, settles the four classes of the people, and regulates the seasons for obtaining the advantages of the ground.

13. "These six ministers, with their different duties,lead on their subordinates, and set an example to the nine pastors of the provinces, enriching and perfecting the condition of the millions of the people.

14. In six years the chiefs of the five tenures attend once at court. When this has been done a second six years, the king makes his tours of inspection in the four seasons, and examines the regulations and measures at the four mountains.

There is now the ＇Board of Punishment＇ (刑部); but the text says that the minister of Crime handled the prohibitions of the empire＇. ＇He is so described,＇observes Ch＇in King, ＇to show the benevolent purpose of punishments, as instituted to deter men from doing evil＇. This minister was ＇the officer of Autumn＇ (秋官) of the Chow Le. 12. 司空,—＇the minister of Works＇.He was the ＇officer of Winter＇ (늳官), of the Chow Le,the portion of which relating to his department was unfortunately lost, though the scholars or the Han dynasty have endeavoured to supply it. The present＇Board of Works＇ (工部) corresponds to this minister,and his functions. In the ＇Canon of Shun＇ we have the name of 司空, and also of 共工, which appears to have been the more ancient designation;—see the ＇Can.of Yaou,＇ p. 10. 司空 may be translated—＇overseer of the unoccupied＇, suggesting to us that the earliest duties of this minister must have been to assign unoccupied lands. Kin Le-ts＇ëang says:— ＇The 司空was the minister who managed unoccupied ground(空土), dividing and defining them in preparation for the investiture of ministers; for dotations to officers;for assignment as fields to husbandmen, shops to mechanics, and stances to trackers. All the ground unapportioned was under his management; once apportioned, the minister of War and the minister of Instruction had then to do with it.＇ See the 集說. 居四民,—＇settles the four classes of the people,＇ i.e.,arranges that scholars or officers, farmers, workers,and merchants shall all live in the places best adapted for them.

時地利,—＇times the advantages of the earth＇. This would seem to imply that different operations might be required at different times, and that changes and removals of settlements might come to be desirable;—all to be done by the advice and authority of the minister of Works.

Pp. 13, 14. Relation of the six ministers to the pastors of the provinces; and rule for imperial progresses, and appearances of the various princes at court. 13. 各率其屬,—＇each one leads on those belonging to his department＇. The subordinates of each department amounted, in theory, to sixty. As the Chow Le exists, however, the dept. of the prime minister has 68 officers; that of the minister of Instruction, 76; that of the minister of Religion, 69; that of the minister of War, 69; and that of the minister of Crime, 65. The excess in each, it is supposed, belonged originally to the officers of the dept. of the minister of Works, the account of which is commonly believed to be lost. See the work of Ch＇in Sze-k＇ae in loc. 以倡九牧,— ＇to go before—be an example to—the nine pastors＇. We do not learn from the Show how communications were maintained between the six ministers at the imperial court and the pastors of prorinces. 14. 六年至又六年,—in the Chow Le, Bk. XXXVIII., it is said that the princes of the How tenure appeared at court every year; those of the Teen, every two years; of the Nan,every three years; of the Ts＇ae, every four years; of the Wei, every five years; and of the Yaou, every six years. This seems a different arrangement from that described in the text.

The princes attend on him, each at the mountain of his quarter, and promotions and degradation are awarded with great intelligence."

15. The king said, "Oh! all ye men of virtue, my occupiers of office, pay reverent attention to your charges, and be careful of the commands you issue;for, once issued, they must be carried into effect and not be retracted. By your public feeling extinguish all selfish aims, and the people will have confidence in you, and be gladly obedient.

16. Study antiquity in order to enter on your offices.In deliberating on affairs, determine by help of suchstudy, and your arts of government will be free from error.

The text mentions five tenures and not six;—perhaps the Yaou tenure was too distant, and too little reduced to the order of the nearer domains, to be made much account of in king Ching＇s time. The text of the Shoo and of the Chow Le so far agree, that in six years the prince from all the tenures had appeared at court. They differ in this, that the text would appear to make the princes to appear there only once, whereas, acc. to the other authority, all but those of the Yaou tenure would have appeared repeatedly. The interpretation must be strained either in the one case or the other, to make the two accounts agree. 王乃時巡以下,—Compare parr,8, 9. Shun＇s progresses were made every five years,and the nobles all appeared during the intermediate ones. As the empire and its population grew, it was found necessary to separate the progresses by a longer interval.

Ch. IV. Pp. 15—20. THIRD PART OF THE ADDRESS:—VARIOUS EXHORTATIONS TO THE MINISTERS AND OFFICERS AS TO THE WAY IN WHICH THEY SHOULD DISCHARGE THEIR DUTIES. 15. How they should attend to their offices, especially in the matter of issuing orders, and in putting away all selfishness. 君떚 is best taken here as 有德之稱; the king thus shows his respect for his officers .欽乃攸司=敬汝所主之職, 慎乃出늄,—whatcommands are we to understand by 늄 here? Most critics take them as ＇governmental notifications＇ (國家政늄), but I cannot think so. Such orders would go forth as from the sovereign himself. I understand the commands here, with Leu Tsoo-hëen, as orders to be issued by superior officers to their subordinates; to which I would add notices by any of them to the people under their jurisdiction .늄出惟行, 弗惟反,—反=囘還, ＇to return＇, ＇to come back＇. It is here nearly equal to our ＇to restract＇. The difficulty is with the惟, especially in 弗惟反. Ts＇ae gives 欲 for it in both cases.—늄出欲其行, 놊欲其壅逆而놊行. There seemsno better way of dealing with it. 民其뀫懷=民莫놊敬信懷服. 16. The necessity of study—of acquainting themselves with the past and the present—in order to their discharge of their duties.

Make the regular statutes of our dynasty your rule,and do not with artful speeches introduce disorder into your offices. To accumulate doubts is the way to ruin your plans; to be idle and indifferent is the way to ruin your government. Without study, you stand facing a wall, and your management of affairs will be full of trouble.

17. I caution you, my high nobles, exalted merit depends on the high aim, and a patrimony is enlarged only by diligence. It is by means of bold decision that future difficulties are avoided.

18. With rank, pride comes unperceived, and extravagance in the same way with emolument.

學古至놊迷,—學古而入官; it is, no doubt, to these words that Tsze-ch＇an, the ministers of Ch＇ing, refers in the 左傳, 襄二굛一年, when he says—僑聞學而後入政, 냭聞以政學者也. In illustration of the advice,comp. Bk. IX., p. 5. The clause 議事以制 seems alsoto be quoted in the 左傳, 昭六年, in connection with the same Tsze-ch＇an. 其爾至厥官,—by 典常 we are to understand the statutes of the existing dynasty. The＇Daily Explanation＇ expands 其爾典常作之師 clearly,though rather lengthily:—然天下事, 有宜於古, 而냭即宜於今者, 又當以本朝為法, 如我文武周公之所經畫, 皆當눑之典常也, 爾大께庶官, 尤宜於先王典常, 祗遵率由,奉為師法. We may compare with the sentiment that in＇The Charge to the viscount of Wei,＇ p. 4, 卒由典常.

利口,—Ts＇ae thinks the ＇sharp mouths＇ are those of the officers themselves; Wang Kǎng-yay thinks they are those of others to whose suggestions the officers listen. What is said in ＇The Charge to Chung of Ts＇ae,＇p. 7, may be pleaded to determine in favour of either view,—無作聰明亂舊章, 罔以側言改厥度. 놊學牆面,—compare Con. Ana., XVII., x. 17. The necessity of ahigh aim, of diligence, and of decision. This advice (and we may suppose, with Ts＇ae, the others that follow also) is addressed to the 卿士, ＇the chief ministers and officers;＇ but we need not confine its application to them. Gan-kwǒ says:—此戒꼎有官位, 但言卿士, 舉其掌事者. 功崇惟志,—this may be expressed by 功以志崇, or 崇功놇志, or 功之所以崇乃志, &c. I call attention to this to illustrate the use of the 惟, which may becalled the particle par eminence of the Shoo. Choo He illustrates the sentiment by 斷以놊疑, 鬼神避之, 需者事之賊也. This last expression is from the 左傳. We say—＇Procrastination is the thief of time;＇ the Chinese say—＇Procrastination is the thief of business＇.

Let reverence and economy be real virtues, and do not show them in your affairs with hypocrisy. Practise them as virtues, and your minds will be at ease, and you will daily become more admirable. Practise them in hypocrisy, and your minds will be toiled, and you will daily become more stupid.

19. In the enjoyment of favour think of peril, and never be without a cautious apprehension. He who is without such apprehension finds himself amidst what is to be feared.

20. Push forward the worthy, and give place to the able, and harmony will prevail among all your officers.When they are not harmonious, the government becomes a tangled confusion. If those whom you advance are able for their offices, the ability is yours.If you advance improper men, then you are not equal to your duty."

18. Against pride and extravagance. 位놊期驕,—see, for the meaning to 期, on 期於予治, in ＇The Counsels of Yu,＇ p. 11. The cure for pride is ＇reverence＇ (恭), akin to what we call ＇self-respect＇. If a man feel that he is in himself above his rank he will not be lifted up by it. Similarly, the cure for extravagance is ＇economy＇(儉). But this reverence and economy must be real,and not assumed,—true virtues. This is the meaning of 恭儉惟德, 無載爾偽, ＇Reverence (the cure for pride) and economy (the cure for extravagance) must be truly virtuous, and not merely conveyances (=car-riages to convey) for your hypocrisy.＇ I cannot do anything better than this with the 載. Mencius probably had this passage in view, when he wrote 恭儉豈可以聲音笑貌為哉, (IV. Pt. I., xvi).

19. In prosperity think of adversity. 居寵思危,—comp. in ＇The T＇ae-këǎ, Pt.iii., p. 5, 無安厥位, 惟危. Wefind the text quoted in the 左傳, 囊굛一年, with 安 or寵. We may take the 惟 in 惟畏 as=思, according to the construction of the T＇ae-këǎ, l. c. 弗畏入畏=놊知祗畏,則入於可畏之中. Shin She-hing observes that ＇the first two 畏 intend the apprehension of the mind, while the last indicates the calamity of overthrow and disgrace.＇20. How it would be for their own good and the public advantage to advance the meritorious. The first four characters—推賢讓能, are found in Seun K＇ing, 仲尼篇. 讓能,——＇yieldshow complaisanceto the able＇.政庬,—the 說文 defines 庬 by 石大貌, ＇the appearance of a great rock＇. The meaning of 亂, ＇confusion＇, is commonly given to it here. 舉能其官=所舉者能修其官.

21. The king said, "Oh! ye charged with the threefold business of government, and ye great officers, reverently attend to your departments, and conduct well your affairs of government, so as to assist your sovereign, and secure the lasting happiness of the millions of the people:—so shall there be no dissatisfaction among the myriad States."

Ch. V. P. 21. THE END OF THE ADDRESS:—THE HAPPY AND PREMANENT RESULTS OF THE MINISTERS AND OFFICERS ACTING AS THEY WERE EXHORTED. 三事,—see last Book, p. 7. The＇six ministers are intended by the phrase; but how to classify them as the 任人, 準夫, and 牧 respectively, I do not know. By 大夫 are intended all the subordinate officers of the six departments. 亂爾有政,—亂 is evidently=治. Wang Kǎng-yay says that the last clause,萬邦惟無斁 is inexplicable. The 無斁, as describing the feeling of the people to the officers, is inadmissible,he thinks, and he cannot construe the 惟. But there are many more difficult passages in the Shoo. I do not think the meaning is that the States would never be wearied of the officers, but that they would never be weary of the dynasty sustained by them in such a way.