'The Kung-tsze Kwang of Woo thought, "This is my time; it must not be lost;" and he said to Chuen Sheh-choo, (See at the end of the 2d narrative after XX. 1), "The upper States have a saying that if you do not seek for a thing you will not get it. I am the [former] king's heir. I wish to seek the kingdom. If the thing succeed, although Ke-tsze come [back], he will not displace me." Sheh-choo said, “The king may be killed; but my mother is old and my son is young; what can I do in this matter?" Kwang replied, "I will be as you [to them]."

'In summer, in the 4th month, Kwang concealed some men-at-arms in an underground chamber, and invited the king to a feast. The king made his men-at-arms line the road, [from his palace] to [Kwang's] gate. At the gate, the steps, the [inner] doors, and the mats, were the king's friends, on either side of them, with swords. They stripped the bodies of the attendants who brought in the viands, and made them change their clothes outside the door; and those attendants then crawled in on their knees, [other] sword-bearers going with them on either side, close to their persons; and thus the viands were handed [to the king]. Kwang pretending that he was suffering in his feet, entered the underground chamber, and Chuen Sheh-choo came in with a fish in which he had placed a dagger. Seizing the weapon, he stabbed the king, and at the same time [two] swords met in his breast. Thus he killed the king;-and Hohleu made his son a minister.

'When Ke-tsze arrived, he said, "If the sacrifices to our former rulers be not neglected, nor the people be without a [proper] niaster; if the offerings be presented at our altars, and the State be not allowed to fall;-he shall be my ruler. Against whom should I cherish resentment? I will mourn the dead and serve the living, while I await the decree of Heaven;I will not create disorder. Him who is on the throne I will follow;-according to the way of our former kings." He then reported the execution of his mission and wept, at the grave [of Leaou], after which he resumed his position, and awaited the orders [of the new king].

The Kung-tsze Yen-yu fled to Seu, and Chuh-yung fled to Chung-woo. The army of Tsoo withdrew, on hearing of the confusion in Woo.'

The critics have exercised their ingenuity, and that with little success, to find out the ground on which the murder of Leaou is ascribed to Woo. The K'ang-he editors say, 'It was Kwang who murdered his ruler, and yet the text assigns the deed to Woo, and not to Kwang. Hoo Gan-kwoh holds that the guilt is thereby ascribed to the great ministers;which is one view. Ch'an Joh-shwuy (

Ming dyn.) says that the style of the text is intended to make people investigate the matter, when they will discover the true criminal; -which view is preferable. Too Yu held that guilt is thereby fixed on Leaou himself, and K'ung Ying-tah and Lew Chang argue that all the people wished the death of Leaou; but this view cannot be sustained. See our remarks at length under VI. xvi. 7.'

and peaceable, but he was hated by Fei Wookeih, and Yen Tsëang-sze commander of the Left, who was a partizan of Woo-keih. The chief minister, Tsze-chang, was fond of gifts and lent an ear to slander. [Accordingly], Woo-keih, to calumniate Këoh Yuen, said to Tsze-chang, "Tsze-goh (Yuen's designation) wishes to invite you to drink with him;" and then he said to Tsze-goh that the chief minister wished to come and drink with him in his house. That officer said, "I am of low rank, and unworthy of a visit from the chief minister. If he insist on paying me a visit, the kindness is extreme; wherewith shall I recompense him?" Wookeih replied, "The chief minister is fond of buff-coats and sharp weapons. Bring forth what you have of these, and I will make a selection from them." In this way he took five of each, and said, "Place these at your gate. When he comes, he is sure to see them, and you can then present them to him.”

'On the day for the feast, [Yuen] erected a tent on the left of his gate, [with those things in it]; on which Woo-keih said to the minister, "I had nearly brought misfortune on you. Tsze-goh is intending evil to you, and has got menat-arms at his gate. You must not go. Moreover, in the recent expedition, we should have got our will upon Woo, but for Tsze-goh who took bribes and returned. He also imposed on the other commanders, and made them retire, saying that it would be inauspicious to take advantage of the disorders [in Woo]. As Woo had taken advantage of our mourning, would it not have been proper to take advantage of its confusion?" The minister sent a messenger to look at Këoh's house, and there were the buffcoats. He did not go [to the feast] therefore, but called for Yen Tsëang-sze, and told him the circumstances. When Tscang-sze retired, he gave orders to attack Keoh's house, and to burn it. When Tsze-goh heard of it, he killed himself. [Meantime], the people would not burn the house, and an order was issued that

all who would not burn it should be held as equally guilty with Keoh. On this some took a rush rope, and some took a handful of straw, but they threw them down [again], and would not burn the house. The chief minister then caused it to be done, and extinguished all the branches of the Këoh family and its partizans, putting to death Yang Ling-chung with his younger brothers IIwan and To, and Tsin Chin, with his sons and younger brothers. The kindred of Tsin Ch'in cried out in the city, "Yen and Fei are making themselves kings, and by their own authority working calamity to the State of Ts'oo, weakening and thinning the royal House, and deceiving the king and the chief minister for their own gain. The chief minister believes them entirely;-what is to become of the State?" This distressed the chief minister.'

On this paragraph again we have much speculation, to explain the ascription of the death of Yuen to T's'vo.

Par. 4. Hoo,-see III. xxiii. 10, et al. On III. xxiii. 10, Too says that Hoo was in Ching, to which the K'ang-he editors assent, nor do they make mention of any other Hoo there or in other places. But if there were only the one Hoo of Ching, why was no minister of that State present at this meeting? On VII. ix. 9, Kung

The Chuen says:-The_meeting at Hoo in the autumn was to give orders about guarding Chow, and to consult about restoring the duke [of Loo]. Sung and Wei were eager for his restoration, and strongly urged it. Fan Heenteze, however, had taken bribes from Ke-sun, and said to Tsze-leang (Yoh Ke-le), the minister of Works [of Sung], and Pih-kung Ching-tsze (He), "Ke-sun knew not what offence he had committed, when his ruler attacked him. He offered to submit to imprisonment, or to go into exile, but both these things were refused to him. The ruler also left the State himself, when his attempt proved unsuccessful. How should Ke-sun have been able, without any preparations, to expel his ruler? His recovery [of his position] must have been by the help of Heaven, hushing the rage of the duke's followers, and guiding the minds of [the adherents of] Shuhsun. If it were not so, how should those followers, when engaged in an attack, have thrown off their armour and sauntered about with their quiver lids in their hands? Then for the adherents of Shuh-sun, afraid of the overflow of calamity, to join themselves to those of Ke-she, was from Providence. The ruler of Loo has been keeping himself in Ts'e for 3 years, and has accomplished nothing. Ke-sun has greatly won the hearts of the people, and the E tribes of the Hwae are joined to him. He has ten years' preparations, the support of Tse and Tsoo, the assistance of Heaven, the help of men, the mind to maintain himself firmly, and the power of various States, and yet he does not presume to use [those resources], but serves his ruler as if he were in the capital:-it is for these reasons that I think it difficult to deal with him. You both are versed in the councils of States, and you wish to restore the ruler of Loo. This also is my desire. I will ask to follow you, and lay siege to [the capital of] Loo. If we do not succeed, you shall die for it." The two ministers were afraid, and declined the undertaking; and [Heen-tsze] then dismissed the [representatives of the] smaller States, and reported [to his ruler] the difficulty [of restoring the duke].'

Par. 6. This K'wae must have been a great officer of Choo, but what were the particulars of his flight to Loo, we do not know. The critics are severe in condemning Loo for receiving such fugitives. Five officers from Choo thus found shelter in it at different times.

[The Chuen appends here two narratives:--Ist, about the affairs of Loo. 'Măng E-tsze and Yang Hoo attacked Yun, the men of which proposed to fight. Tsze-këa-tsze, however, said, "There has been no doubt about the will of Heaven for long. The multitude of these will surely cause our ruler to be ruined. Is it not a difficult thing for a man to make himself happy when Heaven is sending down calamity on him? Even if there were Spirits [to help him], he must be defeated here. Alas! there is no hope. He is likely to die here!" The duke then sent Tsze-këa-tsze on a mission to Tsin, after which his followers were defeated at Tseuche.'

all, when presenting their sacrifices, reviled the chief minister. Seu, director of Shin, spoke to Tsze-chang, saying, "No one knows what were the offences of the director of the Left (Keoh Yuen), and of the director of the middle stables, (Yang Ling-chung) and yet you put them to death, thereby producing those revilings and murmurings, which to this day have not ceased. I am myself in doubts about it. A virtuous man would not kill another even to stop revilings;-is it not strange that you should kill men to excite them, and take no measures in the matter? Now Woo-keih is the slanderer of Ts‘oo, as all the people know. He removed Chaou Woo (See on XV. 3); caused the expulsion of Choo the marquis of Ts'ae (See on XXI. 6); ruined our late king's eldest son Keen, and caused the death of the Leen Yin, Ch'ay (See the 2d narrative at the beginning of ths 20th year). He has stood like a screen before the king's ears and eyes, so that he should neither hear nor see. But for this, the gentle mildness, the humility and economy, of king Ping, who excelled both Ching and Chwang, would have been universally acknowledged. That he did not gain to himself all the States was simply owing to Woo-keih. Now he has further put to death three innocent men, so as to excite great revilings, which have almost affected yourself. And yet you are taking no measures in regard to him; what can you expect from such a course? Then Yen Tseangsze, by falsifying an order from you, utterly destroyed the families of three officers, among the best men of the State, who had committed no failure of duty in their offices. Woo has got a new ruler, and the borders are daily in a state of terror. If any great affair occur in our State, you will be in peril. Wise men take off slanderers, to secure their own repose, but you love slanderers to put yourself in peril. treme is your delusion!" Tsze-chang said, "I am guilty in this, and shall now take good measures in the case." In the 9th month, on Ke-we, Tsze-chang put to death Fei Woo-keih and Yen Tsëang-sze, utterly destroying all the branches of their families. Thus he satisfied the people, and the revilings ceased."],

Ex

Par. 7. The Chuen says, "In winter, the duke went to Ts'e, when the marquis begged to offer him an entertainment. Tsze-këa-tsze said, "Morning and evening you stand in his court;

how should he invite you to [the ceremony of] an entertainment. It is to a drinking [feast only]." Accordingly there was a drinking feast, and [the marquis] made the assistant-administrator offer the cup, and asked leave to take his own ease [elsewhere].

'A daughter of Tsze-chung (the Kung-tsze Yin, who fled to Ts'e in the duke's 12th year. See on XII. 8) who was called Ch'ung was in the harem of the marquis, and intimated that she wished the duke to call her to see him. On this

Tsze-këa-tsze left the feast, carrying the duke with him.'

Par. 8. [The Ch'uen appends here a brief note: In the 12th month, Tseih Ts'in of Tsin required the guards from the different States to go to Chow. The people of Loo declined the service on account of the troubles in their