反 保 子 其 旦身 道專愚其 足為 蛋 下崇 庸盡 興不 國倍是故 而盡精微極高明而 如生 生而 此 旣無國故而極 此乎好 之明 者今自 栽之用 及世賤 有居知 其 道上新 默其不 不敦 以足言驕厚道 breadth and greatness, so as to omit none of the more exquisite and minute points which it embraces, and to raise it to its greatest height and brilliancy, so as to pursue the course of the Mean. He cherishes his old knowledge, and is continually acquiring new. He exerts an honest, generous, earnestness, in the esteem and practice of all propriety. 7. Thus, when occupying a high situation, he is not proud, and in a low situation, he is not insubordinate. When the kingdom is well-governed, he is sure by his words to rise; and when it is illgoverned, he is sure by his silence to command forbearance to himself. Is not this what we find in the Book of Poetry,-"Intelligent is he and prudent, and so preserves his person ?” CHAPTER XXVIII. 1. The Master said, " Let a man who is ignorant be fond of using his own judgment; let a man without rank be fond of assuming a directing power to himself; let a man who is living in the present age go back to the ways of antiquity; -on the persons of all who act thus calamities will be sure to come.' fix.' The whole par. is merely a repetition of the prec. one, in other words. 6. 道 in both cases here, =由,‘to proceed from,' or 'by. It is said correctly, that 首句是一節頭腦 'the first sentence,一尊德性而道問 學 is the brains of the whole paragraph.' 温 故而知新,See Ana. II. xi. 7. This de scribes the superior man, largely successful in pursuing the course indicated in the prec. par. | 28. AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE SENTENCE IN THE LAST CHAPTER-IN A LOW SITUATION HE 18 NOT INSUBORDINATE.' There does seem to be a connection of the kind thus indicated between this chapter and the last, but the principal ob ject of what is said here, is to prepare the way of him, a sage without the throne. 1. The um for the eulogium of Confucius below,-the eulodifferent clauses here may be understood generally, but they have a special reference to the general scope of the chapter. Three things are required to give law to the empire: virtue (including intelligence); rank; and the right time. 倍=背詩日,See the She-king, III. 愚 is he who wants the virtue; 賤 is he who iii. Ode VI. st. 5. wants the rank; and the last clause describes 用有 有杞禮德不倫下禮其 從焉 徵 周吾也 日 征 車不, 作有同制 不敢作禮樂焉雖有 苟無其位亦不敢作 學吾吾 亦焉苍 苟同 禮殷夏敢 今 禮禮作 其 位書 其身者也非天子不 2. To no one but the emperor does it belong to order cere monies, to fix the measures, and to determine the characters. 3. Now, over the empire, carriages have all wheels of the same size; all writing is with the same characters; and for conduct there are the same rules. 4. One may occupy the throne, but if he have not the proper virtue, he may not dare to make ceremonies or music. One may have the virtue, but if he do not occupy the throne, he may not presume to make ceremonies or music. 5. The Master said, “I may describe the ceremonies of the Hea dynasty, but Ke cannot sufficiently attest my words. I have learned the ceremonies of the Yin dynasty, and in Sung they still continue. I have learned the ceremonies of Chow, which are now used, and I follow Chow." the absence of the right time.-In this last | propriate to many characters, written or printed. clause, there would seem to be a sentiment, 文, in the text, must denote both the form and which should have given course in China to the doctrine of Progress. 2. This, and the two sound of the character. 議, ‘to discuss,' and next parr. are understood to be the words of is a long and eulogistic note here, in Confucius Sinarum Philosophus,' on the admirable uniformity secured by these prerogatives throughout the Chinese empire. It was natural for Roman Catholic writers, to regard Chinese uniformity with sympathy. But the value, or, rather, no value, of such a system in its formative influence Tsze-sze, illustrating the prec. declarations; 'to examine,' but implying, in each case, of Confucius. We have here the imperial the consequent ordering and settling. There prerogatives, which might not be usurped. Ceremonies' are the rules regulating religion and society; the measures' are the prescribed forms and dimensions of buildings, carriages, clothes, &c.; is said by Choo He, after K'ang-shing, to be 書名,‘the names of the on the characters and institutions of men may characters.' But is properly the form of be judged, both in the empire of China, and in the character, representing, in the original char- the church of Rome. 3. 今‘now,' is said acters of the language, the, or figure of the with reference to the time of Tsze-sze. The object denoted. The character and name toge-par. is intended to account for Confucius' not is the name ap-giving law to the empire. It was not the time. ther are styled 字; and 書 諸之民不焉不無乎重 道弗尊者信徵上 民本從不雖民無焉 諸故信善弗徵者寡下 諸身君不不從不雖過有 徵子信尊下信善 三 CHAPTER XXIX. 1. He who attains to the 1. He who attains to the sovereignty of the empire, having those three important things, shall be able to effect that there shall be few errors under his government. 2. However excellent may have been the regulations of those of former times, they cannot be attested. Not being attested, they cannot command credence, and not being credited, the people would not follow them. However excellent might be the regulations made by one in an inferior situation, he is not in a position to be honoured. Unhonoured, he cannot command credence, and not being credited, the people would not follow his rules. 3. Therefore the institutions of the Ruler are rooted in his own character and conduct, and sufficient attestation of them is given by the masses of the people. He examines them by comparison with those of the three kings, and finds them without mistake. He sets which we have seen, in the notes on the last ch., to be necessary to one who would give law to the empire. Maou mentions this view, indicating his own approval of it. is used as a verb, 'to make few.'-'He shall be able to effect that there shall be few errors,' i. e., few errors 者 and 下焉者, Kang-shing understanda among his officers and people. 2. By 上焉 ‘sovereign’and‘minister,' in which, again, we must pronounce him wrong. The translation follows the interpr. of Choo He, it being understood that the subject of the par. is the regula tions to be followed by the people. 上焉者 EFFECT AND ISSUE. 1. Different opinions have having a reference both to time and to rank, obtained as to what is intended by the 三重 下焉者 must have the same. Thus there 'three important things.' K'ang-shing says they is in it an allusion to Confucius, and the way is are 三王之禮,‘the ceremonies of the three kings,' i. e, the founders of the three dy nasties, Hea, Yin, and Chow. This view we may safely reject. Choo He makes them to be the imperial prerogatives, mentioned in the last chapter, par. 2. This view may, possibly, be correct. But I incline to the view of the com mentator Luh (陸氏), of the Tang dynasty, hat they refer to the virtue, station, and time, still further prepared for his eulogium. 3. By 君子 is intended the 王天下者 in par. 1,the emperor-sage. By 道 must be intended all his institutions and regulations. Attestation of them is given by the masses of the people;" i. e., the people believe in such a ruler, and follow his regulations, thus attesting their adaptation to the general requirements of humanity. The three kings,' as mentioned above, 不則天世知百質百不王 厭遠下為人世鬼世悖而 詩之法 天 也 以質不 日 言下是俟而諸繆 在有 1.故聖 無聖鬼建 望 行君 疑人神諸 子而知 動 天 在則下為而惑也惑疑而 them up before heaven and earth, and finds nothing in them contrary to their mode of operation. He presents himself with them before spiritual beings, and no doubts about them arise. He is prepared to wait for the rise of a sage, a hundred ages after, and has no misgivings. 4. His presenting himself with his institutions before spiritual beings, without any doubts about them arising, shows that he knows Heaven. His being prepared, without any misgivings, to wait for the rise of a sage a hundred ages after, shows that he knows men. 5. Such being the case, the movements of such a ruler, illustrating his institutions, constitute an example to the empire for ages. His acts are for ages a law to the empire. His words are for ages a lesson to the empire. Those who are far from him, look longingly for him; and those who are near him, are never wearied with him. 6. It is said in the Book of Poetry,-"Not disliked there, not tired of here, from day to day and night to night, will they perare the founders of the three dynasties, viz., the great Yu, Tang, the Completer, and Wan and Woo, who are so often joined together, and spoken of as one. 繆=謬, and should be read in the low. 3d tone. I hardly know what to make of 建諸天地 Choo, in his 語 類, says: 此天地只是道耳語 吾建於此,而與道不相悖也 Heaven and Earth here simply mean right reason. The meaning is-I set up my institutions here, and there is nothing in them contradic tory to right reason.' This, of course, is ex plaining the text away. But who can do any general trial of a sovereign's institutions by the efficacy of his sacrifice, in being responded to by the various spirits whom he worships. This is the view of a Ho He-chen (何屺瞻, and is preferable to any other I have met with. 世以聖人而不惑一 Mencius, II. Pt. I. ii. 17. 6. See the She-king, Bk. II. Ode III. st. 2. It is a great descent IV.. to quote that ode here, however, for it is only praising the feudal princes of Chow. 在彼 ‘there,' means their own States; and 在此 thing better with it? I interpret here,' is the imperial court of Chow. For 神,with ref. to sacrificial institutions, or the the She-king has 斁 |