תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

5

封土。小乃邦誕

汝○子寡厥受

[ocr errors]

帝時以

怙修

王封兄民厥 休冒,我 日在勖惟命殪天聞西 嗚茲肆時越戎乃于土 呼東汝彩厥殷大上惟

brought under his improving influence, until throughout our western regions all placed in him their reliance. The fame of him ascended up to the High God, and God approved. Heaven gave a great charge to king Wăn, to exterminate the great dynasty of Yin, and receive its great appointment, so that the various States belonging to it and their peoples were brought to an orderly condition. Then your unworthy elder brother exerted himself;-and so it is that you, Fung, the little one, are here in this eastern region.”

[ocr errors]

II. “The king says, Oh! Fung, bear these things in mind. Now your management of the people will depend on your reverently

for the vague designation of 'Heaven.'

Wei was 以享爵位在此東方.

not only east from Ching's capital, but it was

both those names are immediately exchanged flattering tongue. 在東土得 殪-滅‘to exterminate.. 戎=大, ‘great.’ 厥邦厥民惟時叙= 萬邦萬民各得其理莫不 時叙. It is an exaggeration to speak of

Wan's influence as having thus extended over all the empire; but we cannot find much fault

with it in the circumstances. 乃寡兄 勖those who understand the speaker to be king Woo find no difficulty in his thus speaking of himself as 寡德之兄,‘your brother of slender virtue.' See the use of 寡人:

as a

the eastern part of the territory of which Wookáng had been permitted to retain the sway. KANG SHOULD CULTIVATE HIS VIRTUE, AND

Ch. II. Pp. 5–7. HOW THE PRINCE OF

MANIFEST IT IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HIS
GOVERNMENT.

5. Fung should follow the

example of king Wăn; gather up lessons from the

former kings and wise men of Yin; and from the sage monarchs of remote antiquity. 今民 將在袛乃文紹聞衣 德言,it will be seen, from the translation, that I understand a治before 民 by which民

designation of themselves by the princes of is governed. This is after the example of Gan

States in Mencius, I., Pt. I., iii., 1; et al. The

language has been a stumblingblock, however, kwǔ, Lin Che-k'e, Ts'ae, and others. Then,適

to those who maintain that it is employed of

=

king Woo and not by him. Gan-kwomade =述, 'to transmit;’衣服,‘to put on," = 寡兄to=寡有之兄 four brother 'to carry into practice,–as in (The Charge to whose match is rarely to be found' But this Yuě,' Pt. ii., p. 12, 乃言惟服. The

is a very unlikely expansion of the phrase, and Daily Explanation, has:-今汝治民

devised to get over the difficulty so strongly

felt by a Chinese. I do not see any serious 將敬述文考之緒務工

obstacle to our understanding it as in the

translation. Why might not the duke of Chow,

once at least in his life, speak thus of one bro

ther to another? He had taken himself a great

part' in all the exploits of Woo; to speak of

him was much the same as to speak of himself.

聞之德繼紹而服行之

如衣之被身遵循勿替可 也

We like him all the better for eschewing the native, and supposes that

VOL. 1.

in the nomi

Keang Shing takes

is a verb

49

?

乃弘哲别成汝哲往者將
身于王求 不 王

不天用宅遠用求聞祗
廢若康由心惟保于衣
在德保古知商父殷德乃
王裕民先訓民先言文

following your father Wăn;-do you carry out his virtuous words
which you have heard, and clothe yourself with them. Moreover,
where you go, seek out extensively among the traces of the former
wise kings of Yin what you may use in protecting and regulating
their people. Again, you must more remotely study the old
accomplished men of Shang, that you may establish your heart,
and know how to instruct the people. Further still, you must seek
out besides what is to be learned of the wise kings of antiquity, and
employ it in the tranquillizing and protecting of the people. Finally,
enlarge your thoughts to the comprehension of all Heavenly principles,
and virtue will be richly displayed in your person, so that you will
not render nugatory the king's charge."

‘to regard,''to look at ;'-compare its use in|別求至保民,Fung is here sent to the the 'Canon of Shun,' p. 5. He also takes earliest sages and monarchs of the empire,

[ocr errors]

'you must elsewhere enquire, that you may

=殷 the name of the dynasty. In this Yaou, Shun, and Yu. 別求聞由way he makes the whole=今民將視 learn from and follow! 由-行 弘 汝之敬述乃文考文考 于天云云,it is not easy to say what 所聞殷之德言汝當以民 is the meaning of 弘于天Lin Che-k'e 為念: This view is certainly no improve" says: To the other injunctions is still subjoinment on the other. 往敷至义民 ed this 弘于天. Now 弘 means to widen 一往=之國,‘when you go to your State;' and enlarge. The critic Söě says, “Every man 敷求=廣求‘seek out extensively, has his heavenly nature, which is in him as a 汝不至知訓-成人,comp. in the ‘Viscount of Wei' p.5,佛其者 長舊有位之人. The course of

thought in the paragraph, however, leads us to
think of the old accomplished men of a former
time, such as E Yin and Foo Yuě, by whom the
best monarchs of the Shang dynasty had been
o

directed. 惟 is used as a verb, 思‘t

=

think of,'' to study.' 宅心=處心,to
settle your heart,'–to bring it to its proper
resting place. 知訓知所以訓
民‘know how to instruct the people.

fire that has just been kindled, or a spring which is just issuing forth. What is required is the is correct. Step by step the prince of K'ang is carried on to take his rule and pattern from Heaven, after which there is nothing to be added.' I suppose this is the correct view. 'Heaven' is used as the comprehensive designa

widening and enlarging of it."This explanation

tion of all true right principles. The transla

tion has taken its form from the words of Woo

Ching, 又當擴充其德與天 為一,若德足乎已則王之 命汝者永不廢矣 6. With

6

7

子不不聞逸往大哉子命。 乃懋在日豫盡可天封○ 服○小怨乃乃見畏恫王 惟已惠不其心小棐痹日 弘汝不在父無人忱乃鳴 王惟惠大民康難民身呼 應小懋亦我好保情敬小

“The king says,‘Oh! Fung, the little one, it is as if some disease were in your person; be respectfully careful. Heaven in its awfulness yet helps the sincere. The feelings of the people can for the most part be discerned, but it is difficult to calculate on the attachment of the lower classes. Where you go, employ all your heart. Do not seek repose, nor be fond of idleness and pleasure;-so may you regulate the people. I have heard the saying "Dissatisfaction is caused not so much by great things or by small things, as by a ruler's observance of principle or the reverse, and by his energy of conduct or the reverse.

[ocr errors]

'Yes, it is yours, O little one,-it is your business to enlarge the royal influence, and harmoniously to protect this people of Yin. ......

what awe and cautious diligence Fung should go with what precedes, so that the

about the duties of his government. 恫一痛, meaning is – Heaven in its awfulness yet helps

‘pain’惊==病 ‘sickness' 恫瘵乃 身疾痛在汝身, ‘sickness and pain

are in your person.' The meaning is that

Fung's appointment was not one of ease, bat one of labour, in which he should feel the suf

ferings of the people as if they were wounds in

his own person. 天畏棐忱 is equivalent to 天命不常 甚可畏, 然誠則輔之 The appointments of

Heaven are not unchanging; and though they are to be thought of with awe, yet it helps the

sincere.' 民情大可見小民 難保=至民情好雖大畧 可見然小民之心最為難 , as in the translation. The uncertainty of the will of Heaven, and the changing of the

minds of the people,-these are two considera

the sincere, and this is greatly seen in the feelings

of the people. But this construction of the text

is not so good as the other. 無康毋
自安 do not give yourself to repose..

6

tion here the interpretation which is given by

not sure, however, but it would have been better

I have followed in the transla-
聞云云,
Ts'ae and in the ‘Daily Explanation., Iam
to adopt the view of Gan-kwǒ which is to this
effect: The dissatisfaction of the people may
be occasioned by things which are great in
themselves, and by things which are small. It
shows itself unexpectedly, and it is this which
makes the people so difficult to be calculated
on. A ruler, therefore, ought always to be

makes the people so

bringing his conduct, which may have been
and to be acting energetically wherever he may

defective, into conformity with what is right,

have been remiss.' 7. The great duties of
Fung, and how the happy results of his virtue would

appear. 乃服惟弘王服=事;

tions, which should stimulate Fung to caution 乃服汝之事, your business.

and diligence that he might hold fast what he enlarge the king.' It would seem had received. Some would connect

that the meaning must be as in the translation.

8

辜大乃典告乃王宅保 時適罪不式乃罰曰天殷 乃爾非可爾惟人鳴命民 不旣終不有終有呼作亦 道乃殺厥自小封新惟 殺極惟乃罪作罪敬民助 ○ 厥 厥告有小不非明○王

etil

Thus also shall you assist the king, consolidating the appointment of Heaven, and renovating this people.""

III. "The king says, 'Oh! Fung, deal reverently and understandingly in your infliction of punishments. When men commit small crimes, which are not mischances, but purposed, themselves doing what is contrary to the laws, intentionally, though their crimes be but small, you may not but put them to death. But in the case of great crimes, which are not purposed, but from mischance and misfortune, accidental, if the offenders confess unreservedly their guilt, you may not put them to death."

應 is explained by 和, ‘harmony, and with 適爾=偶爾, ‘accidentally,” below.

here used adverbially. This definition does not deduced

occur in the dictionary, but it may be deanmuel 乃有大云云,-comp. in the · Canon of Shun, 眚災肆赦旣道

from that of 物相應 ‘things answering, responding, to one another. The people of Yin

were not in harmonious accord with the dynasty of

Chow. It would be the business of Fung to bring

them to be so. The view of Gan-kwǔ is different.

He says: -汝惟小子乃當服行
德政惟弘大王道上以應
天下以安我所受殷之民
衆宅一定(to settle,' ' to consolidate:
作新民- -see on 'The Great Learn-
ing,' Comm. ii., 2. The 1 and must be

taken, however, both as verbs, blending their
meaning together. Perhaps a good version
would be- and make a renovated people.'
Ch. III., Pp. 8-19. How FUNG SHOULD BE

CAREFUL IN THE USE OF PUNISHMENTS.

8. Modifying circumstances in judging of small

and great offences. 人有小罪至 不可不殺-comp. the Canon of Shun, p.10.式爾一式用;式爾用

極厥辜=旣自稱道

其情不敢隱匿 (When they have

themselves confessed, presenting fully all the

circumstances, not daring to conceal anything. supposes Fung himself, or the judge, to be the subject of the clause, explaining it by-汝 盡聽訟之理以極其罪, after

This must be the meaning, though Gan-kwǒ

you have employed every resource in hearing the case, so as thoroughly to investigate the

offence.'

[Soo Shih contended that the and

大罪 here were not to be taken absolutely

in the sense of small and great offences, but relatively to each other, as less and greater. The less offence is a capital crime as well as

the greater one; but the final decision of the

judge might find a way of pardon for what

the Canon of Shun,' seemed at first unpardonable, and would let the sentence of the law take its course, where

might seem at first to be room for forhere

giveness. I do not see in the text any ground

意如此,‘purposely thus' The meaning | for this criticism. A small offence, purposed

of the phrase is determined by its correlation and persevered in, becomes a capital crime;

9

或刑父子棄疾

明有王

刑人○惟惟懋服

曰 人殺非民若民和惟時鳴 殺人汝其保其若民乃呼 人無封康赤畢有其大封

“The king says, Oh! Fung, there must be the right regulation in this matter. When you show a great discrimination, subduing men's hearts, the people will admonish one another, and strive to be obedient. Deal with evil, as if it were a sickness in your person, and the people will entirely put away their faults. Deal with them, as if you were guarding your infants, and the people will be tranquil 10 and orderly. It is not you, Fung, who inflict a severe punishment or death upon a man; you may not of yourself so punish a man or

the transgressor is not fit to live. A. great offence, not purposed, repented of, and confessed may be pardoned. This is what the paragraph inculcates.]

9. The influence of the careful use of punishments in transforming the people and making them happy. 有敘=刑罰有次序

in the use of punishments there is an order.'

Këang Shing explains 敘by順, and connects

| fall into a well, it is no crime in the infant." No man would be roused to anger by the sight of such an infant, and every one would do his utmost to rescue it. Let Fung thus look upon the people, to save them from crime as he would save an infant from falling into a well, and they would be tranquil and orderly.

[Këang Shing joins 若有疾 with the previous clause, taking疾 in the sense of 速

‘quickly.’The people will exert themselves to be harmonious and obedient with the greatest rapidity, The structure of the paragraph is

opposed to such a construction, as I have pointed out above. Shing, however, could plead the

with the preceding.-'If you conform to this method of judging in the case of small and great crimes,' &c. But the interposition of 王日, 嗚呼,封, forbids any such constructive connection between the paragraphs. 時(= authority of Seun King, who says in his 富 是乃大明服明者明其國篇三德者誠乎上則卡 罰,明 refers to the intelligent use of pun- 應之如景嚮雖欲無明達 ishments'; 服者服其民服 refers 得乎哉書日乃大明服惟 to the subjecting the people thereby.' 民民其力懋和而有疾此之 其懋和-民其戒 而勉 But neither this text nor interpretation 謂也. 於和順, the people will warn one an

other, and exert themselves to be harmonious

and obedient’若有疾-this clause is evidently to be referred to the person of Fung,

like the 若保赤子 below. Let him

deal with the crimes of the people, as he would

with sickness in his own person, not suffering

it, but treating it with tender hand, and the

people would be both awed and won to put away their faults.

of Seun is correct. The same may be said of
the way in which he quotes and applies the dif-

ficult clause-弘于天 of p. 5, which ap-
富國篇 弘覆
pears in the same
乎天]

as

10. Punishments were to be employed according to the laws. Fung ought not to allow any feeling of his own in the use of them. I have translated

The meaning of 若保刑 by ‘to inflict a severe punishment ;' because 赤子 appears clearly from the use which刑人殺人 are opposed to 劓人取

Mencius makes of it, III., Pt. I., v., 3. He, the severer punishments to the lighter. says– If an infant crawling about, is about to What particular punishment or punishments

« הקודםהמשך »