The preceding chapter of classical text is in the words of Confucius, handed down by the philosopher Tsăng. The ten chapters of explanation which follow contain the

views of Tsang, and were recorded by his disciples. In the old copies of the work, there appeared considerable confusion in these, from the disarrangement of the tablets. But now, availing myself of the decisions of the philosopher Ch'ăng, and having examined anew the classical text, I have arranged it in order, as follows:

COMMENTARY OF THE PHILOSOPHER TSÅNG.

CHAPTER I. 1. In the Announcement to K'ang, it is said, 'He was able to make his virtue illustrious.'

CONCLUDING NOTE. It has been shown in the chapters. It was, no doubt, the occurrence of prolegomena that there is no ground for the H, in the four paragraphs here, and of the distinction made here between so much ching

to form them into one chapter, and refer them
to the first head in the classical text. The old
commentators connect them with the great
business of making the thoughts sincere.
See the Shû-ching, V. ix. 3. The words are
part of the address of king Wû to his brother

attributed to Confucius, and so much, or phrase, which determined Chû Hsî commentary, ascribed to his disciple Tsăng. The invention of paper is ascribed to Ts'âi Lun (蔡倫) an officer of the Han dynasty, in the time of the emperor Hwo (), a. A. D. 89105. Before that time, and long after also, slips Fang (), called also K'ang-shû (; of wood and of bamboo () were used to

I.

, the honorary epithet) on appointing him to the marquisate of. The subject of is king Wăn, to whose example K'ang-shû is referred. We cannot determine, from this

write and engrave upon. We can easily conceive how a collection of them might get disarranged, but whether those containing the Great Learning did so is a question vehemently disputed., the chapter of paragraph, between the old interpretation of classic on the right;’如左,‘on the left;’德 as='virtues,' and the new which under

COMMENTARY OF THE PHILOSOPHER TSANG.

-these are expressions = our 'preceding,' and stands by it,-'the heart or nature, all-vir'as follows,' indicating the Chinese method of tuous.' 2. See the Shû-ching, IV. v. Sect. I. 2. writing and printing from the right side of a Chû Hsi takes as= s-, 'this,' or manuscript or book on to the left. 審,to judge,' ,''to examine.' The old interpreters explain it by E, 'to correct.' The sentence is part of the address of the premier, Î Yin, to Tai-chia, the second emperor of the Shang dynasty, B. c. 1753-1719. The subject of

1. THE ILLUSTRATION OF ILLUSTRIOUS VIRTUE. The student will do well to refer here to the text of 'The Great Learning,' as it appears in the Li Chî. He will then see how a consider

able portion of it has been broken up, and transposed to form this and the five succeeding is T'âi-chiâ's father, the great Tang. Chû Hsi

故雖 誥新

皆命®

君舊日日湯明右 右自帝甲 子弗作日之德傳 典

無其新新盤 之也。 也。曰顧

所命民 叉: 首

不維詩日

用新日新苟

其是周康 日

章

德

甲日顧諟天之明

2. In the T'ai Chiâ, it is said, ' He contemplated and studied the

illustrious decrees of Heaven.'

3. In the Canon of the emperor (Yao), it is said, He was able

to make illustrious his lofty virtue.'

4. These passages all show how those sovereigns made themselves. illustrious.

The above first chapter of commentary explains the illustration of illustrious virtue. CHAP. II. I. On the bathing-tub of T'ang, the following words were engraved :-'If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation.;

2. In the Announcement to K'ang, it is said, To stir up the new people.’

3. In the Book of Poetry, it is said, ‘Although Châu was an ancient State, the ordinance which lighted on it was new.'

4. Therefore, the superior man in everything uses his utmost

endeavours..

=

,

understands by the Heaven-given, is self-evident in the 1st and 3rd paragraphs. illustrious nature of man. The other school take the phrase more generally, the ‘displayed ways' of Heaven. 3. See the Shû. ching, I. i. 2. It is of the emperor Yao that this is said. 4. The three quotations.

must be referred to the

2. THE RENOVATION OF THE PEOPLE. Here the

character 新, ‘new,' to renovate,'occurs five

The description of the chapter, as above, is a misnomer. 1. This fact about T'ang's bathingtub had come down by tradition. At least, we do not now find the mention of it anywhere but here. It was customary among the an. cients, as it is in China at the present day, to engrave, all about them, on the articles of their furniture, such moral aphorisms and lessons. 2. See the K'ang Káo, par. 7, where K'ang-shù is exhorted to assist the king 'to settle the

decree of Heaven, and 作新民, which

times, and it was to find something correspond- may mean to make the bad people of Yin into ing to it at the commencement of the work, good people, or to stir up the new people, i. e. which made the Ch'ăng change the 親 of 親 new, as recently subjected to Chau. 3. See the Shih-ching, III. i. Öde I. st. 1. The subject of 民 into 新. But the新 here have nothing the ode is the praise of king Wän, whose virtue

to do with the renovation of the people. This led to the possession of the kingdom by his

於為君穆以隅。止圜

慈人止 文 人 詩詩在 與子於 王 日 云傳 於 不於緡邦之

國正

為緝 止行
蠻

交孝人

黃 千章

鳥里釋

於人止止詩所止惟新

必於云止于民民。

詩止敬人穆可丘所

極

The above second chapter of commentary explains the renovating of the people.

CHAP. III. I. In the Book of Poetry, it is said, 'The royal domain of a thousand li is where the people rest.'

2. In the Book of Poetry, it is said, The twittering yellow bird rests on a corner of the mound.' The Master said, 'When it rests, it knows where to rest. Is it possible that a man should not be equal to this bird ??

3. In the Book of Poetry, it is said, 'Profound was king Wăn. With how bright and unceasing a feeling of reverence did he regard his resting-places !” As a sovereign, he rested in benevolence. Asa minister, he rested in reverence. As a son, he rested in filial piety. As a father, he rested in kindness. In communication with his subjects, he rested in good faith.

4. In the Book of Poetry, it is said, Look at that winding-course

House, more than a thousand years after its rise and establishment of the Shang or Yin is the rooo i around the capital,

first rise. 4. 君子 is here the man of rank dynasty.

and office probably, as well as the man of vir- and constituting the royal demesne. The quotue; but I do not, for my own part, see the

particular relation of this to the preceding

paragraphs, nor the work which it does in relation to the whole chapter.

3. ON RESTING IN THE HIGHEST EXCELLENCE.

tation shows, according to Chû Hsî, that

各有所當止之處,‘everything has

the place where it ought to rest.’But that surely is a very sweeping conclusion from the words.

2. See the Shih-ching, II. viii. Ode VI. st. 2,

The frequent occurrence of I in these paragraphs, and of 至善, in par. 4, led Chû Hsi where we have the complaint of a down-trodden to combine them in one chapter, and connect man, contrasting his position with that of a

graph of the work. 1. See the Shih-ching,

them with the last clause in the opening para- bird. For緡 here, we have 綿 in the ShihIV. iii. Ode III. st. 4. The ode celebrates the ching.緡蠻 are intended to express the

兮 瑟也

喧琢有云

盛德至善民之不能忘

君子終不可誰

兮喧兮者威儀也有斐

如今 今。今女
如有

斐瑟子

切茶

者磨如君今 如

儀恂者磋子們切

也慄自者終兮,

有也脩道不赫磋猗

道斐赫也學可 今如猗

of the Ch'i, with the green bamboos so luxuriant! Here is our elegant and accomplished prince! As we cut and then file; as we chisel and then grind: so has he cultivated himself. How grave is he and dignified! How majestic and distinguished! Our elegant and accomplished prince never can be forgotten.' That expression'As we cut and then file,' indicates the work of learning. As we chisel and then grind,' indicates that of self-culture. How How grave is he and dignified!' indicates the feeling of cautious reverence. 'How commanding and distinguished!' indicates an awe-inspiring deportment. Our elegant and accomplished prince never can be forgotten,' indicates how, when virtue is complete and excellence extreme, the people cannot forget them.

sound of the bird's singing or chattering. The|duke Wu (武) of wei (衛), in his laborious

yellow bird' is known by a variety of names. endeavours to cultivate his person. There are

A common one is倉庚, or, properly, some verbal differences between the ode in the 鷉 (ts'ang kăng). It is a species of oriole.

Shih-ching, and as here quoted; namely,

The 子曰 are worthy of observation. If the for澳;緑for菉匪for斐猗

first chapter of the classical text, as Chû Hsi here, poetice, read 0.

is used as = 'says,'

calls it, really contains the words of Confucius, or 'means.' It is to be understood before

we might have expected it to be headed by

these characters. 於止, literally, in rest

修恂慄 and威儀-The transposition

of this paragraph by Chu Hsi to this place does

ing.’3. See the Shih-ching, III. i. Ode I.st.4. seem unhappy. It ought evidently to come

All the stress is here laid upon the final 上, in connexion with the work of 脩身. 5. See

which does not appear to have any force at all the Shih-ching, IV. i. Sect. I. Ode IV. st. 3. in the original, Chû Hsî himself saying there The former kings are Wăn and Wû, the founders

that it is 語詞, ‘a mere supplemental par. of the Chau dynasty. 於戲 are an interjecticle.' In 於緝於 is read wi, and is an tion, read wû hû. In the Shih-ching we have interjection. 4. See the Shih-ching, I. v. Ode 於乎.烏呼: are found with the same The ode celebrates the virtue of the meaning. I translate 其賢,其親 by

I. st. 1.

辭使

子右

也。樂

賢其賢而親其親小人樂其

以親

樂而利其利此以沒世不忘

右傳之三章釋止於至善

右傳之四章釋」

辭大畏民志此謂知

使無訟乎無情者不得盡其

知不人

本得也於

末。本。

盡必至

也

善。

5. In the Book of Poetry, it is said, Ah! the former kings are not forgotten.' Future princes deem worthy what they deemed worthy, and love what they loved. The common people delight in what delighted them, and are benefited by their beneficial arrangements. It is on this account that the former kings, after they have quitted the world, are not forgotten.

The above third chapter of commentary explains resting in the highest excellence. CHAP. IV. The Master said, 'In hearing litigations, I am like any other body. What is necessary is to cause the people to have no litigations?' So, those who are devoid of principle find it impossible to carry out their speeches, and a great awe would be struck into men's minds;–this is called knowing the root.

The above fourth chapter of commentary explains the root and the issue. 'what they deemed worthy,'' what they loved.' | See the Analects, XII. xiii, from which we When we try to determine what that what was, understand that the words of Confucius ter

we are perplexed by the varying views of the old and new schools. 沒世, —see Analects, XV. xix. According to Ying-tâ, this paragraph illustrates the business of having the thoughts sincere.' According to Chû Hsî, it tells that how the former kings renovated the people was by their resting in perfect excellence, so as to be able, throughout the kingdom and to future ages, to effect that there should not be a single thing but got its proper place.

4. EXPLANATION OF THE ROOT AND THE BRANCHES.

minate at A, and that what follows is from the compiler. According to the old commentators, this is the conclusion of the chapter on having the thoughts made sincere, and that

誠其意 is the root. But according to Chû,

it is the illustration of illustrious virtue which is the root, while the renovation of the people is the result therefrom. Looking at the words of Confucius, we must conclude that sincerity was the subject in his mind.