乎有 身兼 不之矣。不 思而得從容中道聖 之之審固人 思也道誠身 弗篤 之弗能弗措也有弗 也,弗之博擇 學 明學 首、中 之天善 學辨之而不道之不 not be obedient to his parents. There is a way to the attainment of sincerity in one's self; if a man do not understand what is good, he will not attain sincerity in himself. 18. Sincerity is the way of Heaven. The attainment of sincerity is the way of men. He who possesses sincerity, is he who, without an effort, hits what is right, and apprehends, without the exercise of thought; he is the sage who naturally and easily embodies the right way. He who attains to sincerity, is he who chooses what is good, and firmly holds it fast. 19. To this attainment there are requisite the extensive study of what is good, accurate inquiry about it, careful reflection on it, the clear discrimination of it, and the earnest practice of it. 20. 'The superior man, while there is anything he has not studied, or while in what he has studied there is anything he cannot understand, will not intermit his labour. While there is any of what is good, upon which point see the quiesce in this, but for the opposition of ing-of the sovereign.' We use 'to gain,' next chapter. 不獲乎上,= according 道 on which Mao says: ——| :此猶中庸 to Ying-ta, do not get the mind-pleased feel, 之修道以為道者也成乎人 and ‘to win,’sometimes, in a similar way. 也;‘this is like the cultivation of the path 18. Prémare(p.156) says: 6 誠者 est in in the Doctrine of the Mean, considered to be abstracto, et 誠之者 est in concreto.' is in the concrete, as much as the other, and is said, below, to be characteristic of the sage. 誠者 is the quality possessed absolutely. 誠之者 is the same acquired. THE PATH, having its completion from man.' But this takes the second and third utterwhich they are not. I do not see my way to ances in the Work as independent sentiments, rest in any but the old interpretation, extrava gant as it is. At this point, the chapter in the The 家語 ceases to be the same with that before way of Heaven,'——this, according to Ying-ta, = 'the us, and diverges to another subject. 19. The way which Heaven pursues. Chû Hsi explains different processes which lead to the attain it, the fundamental, natural course of heavenly ment of sincerity. The gloss in the principle.' Mâo says:-'this is like the accord says ance of nature in the Mean, considered to be THE that 'the five all refer to the what is good PATH, having its root in Heaven.’We might ac-| in the last chapter, the five universal duties, 墨自誠明謂之性自 | 强矣之能 能之明措有 篤措 措有思之 也弗思 明,果之措 措有辨之知 能人也 也弗辨弗弗 必道能一行弗弗也 thing he has not inquired about, or anything in what he has inquired about which he does not know, he will not intermit his labour. While there is anything which he has not reflected on, or anything in what he has reflected on which he does not apprehend, he will not intermit his labour. While there is anything which he has not discriminated, or his discrimination is not clear, he will not intermit his labour. If there be anything which he has not practised, or his practice fails in earnestness, he will not intermit his labour. If another man succeed by one effort, he will use a hundred efforts. If another man succeed by ten efforts, he will use a thousand. 21. ‘Let a man proceed in this way, and, though dull, he will surely become intelligent; though weak, he will surely become strong.’ CHAP. XXI. When we have intelligence resulting from sincerity, this condition is to be ascribed to nature; when we have sincerity and the nine standard rules being included the next three are devoted to the one subject of filial piety, and the 20th, to the general subject of government. Some things are said worthy of being remembered, and others which require a careful sifting; but, on the whole, we do not find ourselves advanced in an understanding of the argument of the Work. 21. THE RECIPROCAL CONNEXION OF SINCERITY AND INTELLIGENCE. With this chapter commences the fourth part of the Work, which, as Chû observes in his concluding note, is an expansion of the 18th paragraph of the preceding chapter. It is, in a great measure, a glorification of the sage, finally resting in the person of Confucius; but the high character of the sage, it is maintained, is not unattainable by others. He realizes the ideal of humanity. but by his example and lessons, the same ideal is brought within the reach of many, perhaps of all. The ideal of humanity, the perfect character belonging to the sage, which ranks him on a level with Heaven,-is indicated by resulting from intelligence, this condition is to be ascribed to instruction. But given the sincerity, and there shall be the intelligence; given the intelligence, and there shall be the sincerity. The above is the twenty-first chapter. Tsze-sze takes up in it, and discourses from, the subjects of 'the way of Heaven' and 'the way of men,' mentioned in the preceding chapter. The twelve chapters that follow are all from Tsze-sze, repeating and illustrating the meaning of this one. CHAP.XXII. It is only he who is possessed of the most com and we have no single term in English, which | tivating the intelligence of what is good, raise can be considered as the complete equivalent themselves to this elevation. and carry of that character. The Chinese themselves had great difficulty in arriving at that definition us back to the first chapter, but the terms have of it which is now generally acquiesced in. In a different force, and the longer I dwell upon the 四書通 (quoted in the 匯參,中庸, it, the more am I satisfied with Chù Hsi's proxvi. 5), we are told that the Han scholars were nouncement in his 語類, that 性 is here all ignorant of its meaning. Under the Sung 性之,‘possessing from nature,'and教學 dynasty, first came 李邦值, who defined it 之 ‘learning it,’and therefore I have trans by不欺, freedom from all deception. After him, lated 謂之 by is to be ascribed to.' When, 徐仲車 said that it meant 不息 ceaseless- however, he makes a difference in the connexion ness. Then, one of the Chăng called it 無妄 between the parts of the two clauses 誠則 freedom from all moral error; and finally, Cha Hsi明矣,明則誠矣, and explains- 誠 added to this the positive element of 眞實,則無不明明則可以至誠 sintruth and reality, on which the definition of cerity is invariably intelligent, and intelligence was complete.' Rémusat calls it-la perfection, may arrive at sincerity,' this is not dealing and la perfection morale. Intorcetta and his fairly with his text. friends call it-vera solidaque perfectio. Simplicity or singleness of soul seems to be what is chiefly intended by the term ;–the disposition to, and capacity of, what is good, without any deteriorating element, with no defect of intelligence, or naturally in a state of moral perfection; 2nd, intromission of selfish thoughts. This belongs That the same moral perfection is attainable by to Heaven, to Heaven and Earth, and to the others, in whom its development is impeded by Sage. Men, not naturally sages, may, by cul-|their material organization, and the influence Here, at the outset, I may observe that, in this portion of the Work, there are specially the three following dogmas, which are more than questionable:—1st, That there are some men-Sages 以與天地參矣 地化 能則性性 # 其 育以 贊 地育以天之物人盡能 則贊地性之之 人 矣。 可天之則性性之其 plete sincerity that can exist under heaven, who can give its full development to his nature. Able to give its full development to his own nature, he can do the same to the nature of other men. Able to give its full development to the nature of other men, he can give their full development to the natures of animals and things. Able to give their full development to the natures of creatures and things, he can assist the transforming and nourishing powers of Heaven and Earth. Able to assist the transforming and nourishing powers of Heaven and Earth, he may with Heaven and Earth form a ternion. of external things; and 3rd, That the understanding of what is good will certainly lead to such moral perfection. 22. THE RESULTS OF SINCERITY; AND HOW THE POSSESSOR OF IT FORMS A TERNION WITH HEAVEN AND EARTH. On as a man's.' Mão himself illustrates the 'exhausting the nature of things,' by reference to the Shu-ching, IV. iii. 2, where we are told that under the first sovereigns of the Hsia dynasty, 'the mountains and rivers all enjoyed tranquillity, and the birds and beasts, the fishes E, Chû Hsi says and tortoises, all realized the happiness of their that it denotes 'the reality of the virtue of the nature.' It is thus that the sage 'assists Heaven Sage, to which there is nothing in the world and Earth.' K'ang-ch'ăng, indeed, explains this that can be added.' This is correct, and if we by saying:-"The sage, receiving Heaven's apwere to render-'It is only the most sincere man pointment to the throne, extends everywhere under heaven,' the translation would be wrong. a happy tranquillity.' Evidently there is a # means simply 'to exhaust,' but, by what reference in the language to the mystical paraprocesses and in what way, the character tells graph in the 1st chapter-†, X us nothing about. The 'giving full develop ment to his nature, however, may be understood,65ƒØĦE. = 6 'Heaven and with Mão, as 'pursuing THE PATH in accord-Earth' take the place here of the single termance with his nature, so that what Heaven has Heaven,' in chap. xx. par. 18. On this Yingconferred on him is displayed without short- tâ observes :-'It is said above, sincerity is the coming or let.' The 'giving its development way of Heaven, and here mention is made also of to the nature of other men' indicates the Sage's Earth. The reason is, that the reference above, helping them, by his example and lessons, to was to the principle of sincerity in its spiritual perfect themselves. 'His exhausting the nature and mysterious origin, and thence the expres of things,' i. e. of all other beings, animate and sion simple,-The way of Heaven; but here we inanimate, is, according to Chû, 'knowing them have the transformation and nourishing seen completely, and dealing with them correctly,' in the production of things, and hence Earth 'so,' add the paraphrasts, 'that he secures their is associated with Heaven.' This is not very prosperous increase and development according to their nature.' Here, however, a Buddhist intelligible, but it is to bring out the idea of a idea appears in Chû's commentary. He says:- ternion, that the great, supreme, ruling Power 'The nature of other men and things (=ani- is thus dualized. mals) is the same with my nature,' which, it is observed in Mao's Work, is the same with the Buddhist sentiment, that a dog has the nature of Buddha,' and with that of the philosopher Kão, that 'a dog's nature is the same is 'a file of three,' and I employ 'ternion' to express the idea, just as we use 'quaternion' for a file of four. What is it but extravagance thus to file man with the supreme Power? 為變則 誠 下動則曲 至則著能 誠變著有 CHAP. XXIII. Next to the above is he who cultivates to the utmost the shoots of goodness in him. From those he can attain to the possession of sincerity. This sincerity becomes apparent. From being apparent, it becomes manifest. From being manifest, it becomes brilliant. Brilliant, it affects others. Affecting others, they are changed by it. Changed by it, they are transformed. It is only he who is possessed of the most complete sincerity that can exist under heaven, who can transform. CHAP. XXIV. It is characteristic of the most entire sincerity to be able to foreknow. When a nation or family is about to flourish, there are sure to be happy omens; and when it is about to perish, there are sure to be unlucky omens. Such events are seen in the milfoil and tortoise, and affect the movements of the four limbs. When calamity or happiness is about to come, the good 23. THE WAY OF MAN; THE DEVELOPMENT OF|parison:Put a stone on a bamboo shoot, or PERFECT SINCERITY IN THOSE NOT NATURALLY where the shoot would show itself, and it will travel round the stone, and come out crookedly POSSESSED OF IT. 其次,‘the next,' or‘his next,' referring to the自誠明者, of chap. at its side.' So it is with the good nature, whose free development is repressed. It shows itself in shoots, but if they be cultivated and im xxi. 曲 is defined by Chû Hsi as – 偏proved, a moral condition and influence may 'one half,' 'a part.' K'ang-ch'ǎng explains it be attained, equal to that of the Sage. by 小小之事, very small matters.’ 24. THAT ENTIRE SINCERITY CAN FOREKNOW. 至誠之道 is the quality in the abstract, Mao defines it by隅, 'a corner,’and refers to while at the end, is the entirely sincere Analects, VII. viii, 舉一隅不以三 individual, the Sage, by nature, or by attain隅反, as a sentiment analogous to the one ment. 祯祥,‘lucky omens. In the dictionin致曲: There is difficulty about the term. ary 祥 is used to define 禛祥 may be used It properly means 'crooked,' and with a bad also of inauspicious omens, but here it cannot application, like, often signifies 'deflection embrace such. Distinguishing between the two from what is straight and right.' Yet it cannot terms, Ying-tâ says that unusual appearances have a bad meaning here, for if it have, the of things existing in a country are 祥, and phrase,致曲, will be, in the connexion, appearances of things new are 禛妖孽 unintelligible. One writer uses this com- are 'unlucky omens,' the former being spoken VOL. I. Ee |