第41章

The critics, not examining the case sufficiently, have rashly said that Kaou-yaou took weapons of war to deal with those people. They have not considered that the Man and E were dwelling with the mass of the ordinary population of the Middle Kingdom. There was no occasion for military operations against them.It is absurd to think of such measures as those of after ages,—the despatch of a great general to punish and smite the various tribes of barbarians.＇

P.2. The soldiers must have their weapons all in good order. 敹 is defined in the 說文 by 擇, ＇to select＇,and the 냫篇 similarly gives 簡 for it. Ts＇ae explains it by 縫完, ＇to stitch and make whole,＇ and K＇ang Shing by 穿徹, which comes to the same thing. The meaning evidently is that in the translation,whatever may be the specific force of this term. The ＇coats of mail and helmets＇ were made of leather, which may have been studded or fenced with more or less of metal. 敿means properly ＇the strings attached to a shield＇. The soldiers are required to see that they were in good order. 無不弔 (teih),—＇in perfect condition＇. 弔=至.Ts＇ae defines 鍛 by 淬, ＇to put in the fire and then in water,＇= ＇to temper＇. The character denotes the ＇forging＇of metals generally. 鋒刃,—＇sharp points and edges,＇—i.e., weapons for thrust and cut.

P.3. The people must look after the ground in the line of march, so that the cattle of the army should not be injured. The charge here must be taken as addressed to the people, though that is not mentioned in the text. 淫舍牿牛馬,—牿 is defined in the 說文 as 牛馬牢, ＇an enclosure or stable for oxen and horses＇. K＇angshing endeavours to explain it from 梏, ＇manacles＇, i.e.,hobbles attached to the feet; but this is to be rejected.As they marched through the country, the soldiers

would have, especially at night, to let loose (舍=放) their cattle, to rest them and let them pasture, instead of keeping them in stables or enclosures. They would have to do this 淫, ＇extensively and carelessly＇ often. The critics all define 淫 here by 꺶, ＇greatly＇; but the other meaning which I have indicated must not be omitted. Below, in 傷牿 and 牿之傷, 牿 is used simply to indicate the cattle. Ying-tă says:—既言牛馬在牿, 遂以牿為牛馬之名, 떘雲傷牿, 牿之傷, 謂牛馬也. What is intimated about the character of the country showshow thinly it must have then been peopled. With 擭and 穽 comp. 擭 and 阱 in ＇The Doctrine of the Mean,＇Ch vi ..敜=塞, ＇to fill up＇. None of the commentators touch on ＇the regular punishments＇ for the offences here indicated, nor do I know what they were.

P.4. The soldiers must on no account leave their entrenchments or ranks; and the people must carefully return strayed animals and absconded followers. 馬牛其風,—the dict. explains 風, with reference to this passage, by 佚, ＇to stray＇; but usage shows that such straying is like that ＇when the wild ass snuffeth up the wind;＇—牝牡相誘謂之風.

But let them be carefully returned. I will reward you who return them according to their value. But if you leave your places, to pursue them, or if you whofind them do not return them, you shall be dealt with according to the regular punishments. And let none of you people presume to rob or detain vagrant animalsor followers, or to jump over enclosures and walls to steal away horses or oxen, or to decoy away servants and female attendants. If you do so, you shall be dealt with according to the regular punishments.

5. "On the day Keǎ-suh I will punish the tribes of Seu;—prepare roasted grain and other provisions, and presume not to have any deficiency. If you do, you shall suffer the severest punishment. Ye men of Loo,from the three environing territories, and the three tracts beyond, prepare you posts and planks.

臣妾逋逃,—the 臣妾 are camp followers who had to gather fuel, cook, &c. Kin Le-ts＇ëang tells us that ＇to every chariot there were attached three men in mail,and 70 foot soldiers, with other 25 followers, who are those intended here by 臣妾.＇ 越逐,—越 means＇getting over＇ the entrenchments. 祗復之,—this must be understood as addressed to the country-people who should fall in with such animals and camp-followers.Both they, and soldiers who should themselves pursue after the vagrants, are addressed in 乃越逐不復, 汝則有常刑; but the rest of the par. regards only the people who should thus offend. Gan-kwŏ, indeed, supposes that 無敢, 云云, is addressed to the soilders, against stealing from the people, and Woo Ch＇ing that it is forbidding them to steal one from another; but the view which I have proposed seems much more likely.我商賚汝,—＇I will deliberate and reward you;＇—the meaning is as I have expressed it in the translation.The peculiar force of 攘, ＇to appropriate on temptation of occasion offered,＇ should be expressed in a translation.

P.5. The time is fixed for direct operations, and everything required to be in readiness. We are to suppose that the marching would be over by the day Këă-suh, and that they would be then in front of the enemy. 峙=儲備, ＇to have collected and prepared＇. 魯그三郊三遂,—the country beyond the capital to a certain extent was called 郊, and beyond this again it was denominated 遂. Gaubil observes that ＇it is difficult at the present day to get correct ideas of what was really intended by these designation of the frontiers; And that it is difficult to account for the mention of three kěaou and three suy.＇ Wang Suh thinks that the troops from the këaou and suy on the east were left to guard the country, and hence, as only those from the other three went forth on the expedition, only they are mentioned.This was the view also of Gan-kwŏ. Ying-tă, however,puts forward another view, which is inconsistent with this, though he does not seem to be aware of the inconsistency.—In the imperial domain, to a distance of 100 le was called 郊, and beyond that was the 遂.In the 郊 were the six hěang (六鄉), which furnished the ＇six hosts＇ (六軍), while the suy extending 200 le beyond, furnished, if need were, six subsidiary hosts.

On Keǎ-suh I will commence my entrenchments;—dare not but be provided with a supply of these. If you be not so provided, you shall be subjected to various punishments, only short of death. Ye men of Loo, from the three environing territories, and the three tracts beyond, prepare the forage, and do not dare to let it be other than in abundance. If you do, you shall suffer the severest punishment."

In a large State of 100 le square, the keaou extended 20 le from the capital; and as it was supposed to furnish only ＇three hosts,＇ and, if need were, three auxiliary hosts, it is inferred that these might all be called 三郊三遂之그. The language in the text,therefore, is simply equivalent to ＇the army of Loo,＇and we do not need to inquire further about a 4th keaou and a 4th suy.

楨梌 are ＇the posts and planks＇ for the framework in which walls are raised in China by pounding earth and lime together (題曰楨, 旁曰梌). From the mention of the ＇men of Loo＇, it is inferred that there were men of other States also in the army, while they were required to provide the planks and posts,and forage, such labour being easier to them, as they were nearer than the others to the seat of war. 無餘刑,—＇punishments without remainder＇. It is difficult to say what punishments are meant. The addition of 非殺shows that they were short of death. Gan-kwŏ simply says—＇various punishments＇. K＇ang-shing and Wang Suh agree in saying that the punishments were such as would involve the parents and children of the offender,so that none should be exempt from them.

We have in this par. and the last the ＇regular punishments＇ (常刑), which were well defined and known; the 꺶刑, ＇great punishment＇ or death; and these 無餘刑. 芻茭 are distinguished as ＇new-mown grass and hay＇.