有能古無厥面今天夏敬 稽 人遺命稽相若天德 雖謀之壽 ○天有 有今 有王雖小元子哉其 自 德 今諾、殷日 天。矧 ○日 哉嗚其 從 旣子古 墜保先 嗣旣格厥面民 其呼有我則墜保命稽有 “ R 11 Examining the men of antiquity, there was the founder of the Hea dynasty. Heaven guided his mind, allowed his descendants to succeed him, and protected them. He acquainted himself with Heaven, and was obedient. But in process of time the decree in his favour fell to the ground. So also when we examine the case of Yin. Heaven guided its founder, so that he corrected the errors of Shang, and it protected his descendants. He also acquainted himself with Heaven, and was obedient.-But now the decree in favour of him has fallen to 12 the ground. Ourking has now come to the throne in his youth :let him not slight the aged and experienced, for it may be said of them that they have studied the virtuous conduct of our ancient worthies, and still more, that they have matured their plans in the light of Heaven. 13 “Oh! although the king is young, yet is he the eldest son of Heaven. Let him but effect a great harmony with the people, and ly obedient and not opposing it.' The first Ying-tǔ gives for the clause:一其眷顧天 | up and examined the mind of Heaven, reverent下選擇賢聖命用勉力行 今時 must be understood as in the transla 敬者以為民主 11. By tion. 12. 無遺壽 -無母, ‘the holder of Hea,' we are to understand | imperative. 一 —see Bk. IX., p. 5. The E Yu, as the founder of the Hea dynasty. So by 有殷 T'ang is meant. 先民古 established. 面(鄉)稽天若= 14 成時就自曰自○用今丕 that will be the blessing of the present time. Let not the king presume to be remiss in this, but continually regard and stand in awe of the perilousness of the people. "Let the king come here as the vicegerent of God, and undertake himself the duties of government in the centre of the land. Tan said, 'Now that this great city has been built, from henceforth he may be the mate of great Heaven; from henceforth he may reverently sacrifice to the upper and lower spirits; from henceforth he may in this central spot administer successful government.' Thus shall the king enjoy the favouring regard of Heaven all complete, and the government of the people will now be prosperous. responsibilities of the govt. The whole is enforced by a second reference to the previous dynasties. 13. 元子哉,一see on par. 9. 其不 能諴于小民今休-the 其 is strongly hortative. 誠=和,‘harmony,’‘t o of emperors, and especially of the founders of 6 dynasties that they 繼天立極 carried on the work of Heaven, and set up the perfect model There underlies such language the view that Heaven delegates its sway to the Powers ordained by it. Compare, for the general senti be harmonious. We had the char. before in ment, Bk. I., Pt. i., p. 7; and for the use of *The Counsels of Yu,' p. 21, where the meaning|紹, Bk. VII, p. 3. was different. The Daily Explanation'thus = 自服于土中 labour himself in the midst of the land. The paraphrases:-王其大能誠和小 himself' must have reference to the young king, now undertaking the responsibilities of noy be in the middle of the land, from its central Position. It must have been, in the time of 民使之歡欣鼓舞,則民 情安而天命固豈不為今 日之休美乎 王不敢後 -'let the king not postpone'-what? His effecting a great harmony with the people. And that was to be accomplished by means of the virtue of reverence.' Gan-kwo put a comma at 用, and interpreted一當不敢後能 用之士必任之為先, let the king not leave in the background capable officers, but make employment of them a primary consideration.’This is far-fetched; and so is his explanation of the erroneousness of which is pointed out in the dict, The character: Chow, about the central spot of the empire, and was therefore well fitted to be the seat of administration. The commentators speak of it as not only in the middle of the land, but as 'in the centre of heaven and earth,' and they undertake to show how this was determined by means of of a dial! See the whole geodesy of the duke Chow, in the Chow Le, Bk. IX, pp. 26–31. Lin Che-k'e takes these two clauses as historical, and considers them to be decisive on the point of the king's being at this time in Lo. It seems to me much more natural to read them in the imperative mood. 險‘precipitous,’‘perilous.’ 14. 王來 'to continue God.' We often find it said 旦日至中 -the duke of Shaou supports his advice by using the similar language of the duke of Chow, whom he names, in accordance with the rule that 'ministers should be called by their 15 16 17 夏我可監德作日周事 ○ 服不不于○所其御比王 天敢有我不邁事介先 命知于夏不可○節于服 惟日有亦可不王性我殷 有有殷不不敬敬惟有御 "Let the king first bring under his influence the managers of affairs of Yin, associating them with the managers of affairs of our dynasty of Chow. This will regulate their perverted natures, and they will make daily advancement. "Let the King make reverence the resting-place of his mind. He may not but maintain the virtue of reverence. "We should by all means survey the dynasties of Hea and Yin. I do not presume to know and say, 'The dynasty of Hea was to enjoy the favouring decree of Heaven for so many years,' nor do I names in the presence of the emperor.' 配性則日進於善而不已;-as 皇天一 -see on Pt. IV., Bk. V., Pt. iii., p. 3. in the translation. Lin Che-k'e contends that 毖礼于上下,一compare上下 nature, but the good nature, which was still in by性 we should not understand the perverted 神祇 in the ‘Announcement of T'ang,' p. the officers of Yin, and had only to be properly 3. On中X Wang Tseaou says that it directed. His words are: -節之者非 denotes that from the centre the king would 強其所無也以其所固有 diffuse his rule throughout the four quarters of the empire'(自中而布治於四方之性還以治之法其不善 而反之善也有以節之則 Here the words of Tan seem to terminate. 成命‘the completed appointment. The臣民將遷善遠罪而不自 will of Heaven in favour of the House of Chow 知惟日其進於善也. The dif would now be put beyond doubt and beyond the risk of being assailed. Pp. 15, 16. The king would have in the first place to attach to his House the disaffected officers of the previous dynasty; but let him bear in mind that he must always set the exam ference of view is more in words than in reality. 16. After all, the primum mobile of govt. must be the personal character and example of the king. 王敬作所-王當 ple of the virtue of reverence in himself. 16. 敬為居心之所. The 所 is used 服 is here a transitive verb. The Daily Ex-like 止 in the 知止of The Great Learnplanation’defines it by 化 ‘to transform., ing.? 比介于我有周御事-比 一親, 'to be near to. 介一助, to assist, to co-operate with. This extension of confidence to the officers of Yin would be the way to win their confidence and attachment, and the associating them with the friends of the present dynasty would lead them to change their views. 節性惟日其邁 Ts'ae gives for this 以其驕淫之 Pp. 17, 18. The lessons to be learned from the two previous dynasties; and the emphasis which they should have now at the commencement of the present dynasty, and of the king's personal entrance on his responsibilities. 17. Compare p. 11. The 有夏 and 有殷 here, however, are to be extended to all the sovereigns of the two dynasties. Moreover, what was said above had reference more especially to the establishment of those dynasties by the blessing of Heaven; here the subject is their fall, for want of the 在服二王厥敢受厥 厥延歴 國嗣 德 命惟年 鳴 命 受 乃 命我不 生,呼 嗣厥早不惟不敬 若命墜其有敢 敢 貽生功我延歴知德 6 罔乃 乃惟○不我有早不 今不初兹今敬不殷墜其 presume to know and say, 'It could not continue longer.' The fact was simply that, for want of the virtue of reverence, the decree in its favour prematurely fell to the ground. Similarly, I do not presume to know and say, 'The dynasty of Yin was to enjoy the favouring decree of Heaven for so many years,' nor do I presume to say, ‘It could not continue longer. The fact simply was that, for want of the virtue of reverence, the decree in its favour pre18 maturely fell to the ground. The king has now inherited the decree, the same decree, I consider, which belonged to those two dynasties. Let him seek to inherit the virtues of their meritorious sovereigns-especially at this commencement of his duties. 19 “Oh ! it is as on the birth of a son, when all depends on the training of his early life, through which he may secure his wisdom in the future, as if it were decreed to him. Now Heaven may virtue of reverence' in their rulers. The Daily he ends the paragraph thus :- -其夏殷也 Explanation' says that the first 我 is to be 繼受其王命亦惟當以此夏 understood of the king, and the others of the duke of Shaou himself. It is much better to 殷長短之命為監戒繼順 take the character always in the plural. 其功德者而法則之. He over有夏服天命惟有歴年服 looks the 我 before 亦惟 嗣若功 天命 is more than 受天命, which most 王乃初服-當嗣(-繼)其有 of the paraphrases give for it. It indicates not only that Hea received the favouring decree of 功者况王乃新邑初政服 Heaven, but that it was under that decree. The 行教化之始乎. This must be the guardian will not venture to say that Heaven had only decreed so many years to its rule. 18. 厥命-the 厥 is to be understood of 天,‘Heaven.’ The next clause is in apposition with this, 惟 being=m. Gan-kwǒ takes it differently, and explains down to 功 where meaning, but the language is very elliptical Pp.19–23. The great issues depending on the king's now, on his assuming the government, taking the right course; and the Guardian's anxiety that luy the foundations of permanent prosperity. by his virtuous reverence and gentle sway he should 19. 嗚呼至哲命by初生we 20 21 惟用疾 功殄民 德王服。命天 其 用 宅 年 ◎宅新邑肆 天其命哲命吉凶 歷年知今我初 惟ㄨ非 新敬 王民 彝勿天 位若 赤以 在有敢小命其惟 have decreed wisdom to our king; it may have decreed good fortune or bad; it may have decreed a long course of years:-we only know that now is with him the commencement of his duties. "Dwelling in the new city, let the king now sedulously cultivate the virtue of reverence. When he is all-devoted to this virtue, he may pray to Heaven for a long-abiding decree in his favour. “In the position of king, let hin not, because of the excesses of the people in violation of the laws, presume also to rule by the violent infliction of death. When the people are regulated gently, the merit of government is seen. must understand not the infancy, but the early |不祈之祈). Compare with this the He to years, when the child becomes the proper subject words of Confucius about himself, Ana., VII., of education. Then such a foundation of good- xxxiv. 21. From 其惟王。裁用 ness may be laid, that the youth shall himself is one sentence, and a good instance of the long hand down an appointment of wisdom.' sentences of the Shoo. Gan-kwo and Keang shall appear to be, shall really be, wise through Shing, indeed, break it up into two, and underthis training, as much as if Heaven had pre-king go to excess in employing the people, beyond stand the first part as meaning-Let not the viously decreed him to be so. 命歴年 the regular periods when he may call them out -或命歴年長久. After this we in the public service.' By doing so, he would, must understand皆不可預知,‘all these things we cannot know beforehand.' 20. The Guardian evidently supposes that the king will make the new city which was founded the seat of his government. The meaning of 今,‘now, for 肆 seems to suit the connection here better than that of 故or遂. The其 in 王其德之用 gives to the second part of the par. a slightly hortative force. Chin Tih-sew observes upon the sentiment, "The favour of Heaven is entirely just, and is not to be obtained by praying for it. The text tells the king to pray, because to be all-devoted to the practice of virtue is prayer without praying, (天命至公不可以求而得 也日祈者蓋一於用德乃 as Mencius phrases it, rob the people of their time, and take them away from their necessary follow as = labours in agriculture (see Mencius, page 11). But the introduction of such a topic seems foreign to the style of the Announcement. It involves, moreover, taking the which The subject of avoiding punishments in the 亦勿敢, which is very harsh. administration in govt. was a favourite one with king Ching and his ministers. See many passages in Bks. IX., and X. 民若有功 ' when the people accord there is merit. They must be ruled,' 'in harmony with their feelings, and the true laws of their nature.' Ts'ae observes that the people may be compared to the water of a stream when it is overflowing and spreading abroad; it is acting contrary to its nature. But Lead it into its proper course, and you accom if you dam it up, you only make the evil worse. |