Texts of Confucianism, Part I: The Shû King, the Religious Portions of the Shih King, the Hsiâo King — SBE Vol. 3 (trans. James Legge, 1879)

One of them replies to him in still stronger language about the condition and prospects of the kingdom, and concludes by advising the count to make his escape, and declaring that he himself would remain at his post, and share in the unavoidable ruin,

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1. The Count of Wei spoke to the following effect :—‘Grand-Master and Junior-Master?, (the House of) Yin, we may conclude, can no longer exercise rule over the four quarters (of the kingdom). The great deeds of our founder were displayed in former ages, but by our maddened indulgence in spirits, we have destroyed (the effects of) his virtue in these after-times. (The people of) Yin, small and great, are given to highway robberies, villainies, and treachery. The nobles and officers imitate one another in violating the laws, and there is no certainty that criminals will be apprehended. The smaller people (consequently) rise up, and commit violent outrages on one another. Yin is now sinking in ruin ;—its condition is like that of one crossing a stream, who can find neither ford nor bank. That Yin should be hurrying to ruin at the present pace!’

He added, ‘Grand-Master and Junior-Master, we are manifesting insanity. The most venerable members of our families are withdrawn to the wilds; and you indicate no course (to be taken), but (only) tell me of the impending ruin ;—what is to be done ?’

2. The Grand-Master made about the following reply :—‘O son of our (former) king, Heaven in anger is sending down calamities, and wasting the country of Yin.* Hence has arisen that mad indulgence in spirits. (The king) has no reverence

1 For high ministers with these titles under the Kau dynasty, see next Part, Book xx. The individuals whom the count of Wei consulted were probably the count of AT and Pi-kan, who are classed with him in the Confucian Analects, XVIII, 1.

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(The king) has no reverence

1 For high ministers with these titles under the Kau dynasty, see next Part, Book xx. The individuals whom the count of Wei consulted were probably the count of AT and Pi-kan, who are classed with him in the Confucian Analects, XVIII, 1.

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for things which he ought to reverence, but does despite to the venerable aged, the men who have long been in office. The people of Yin will now steal even the pure and perfect victims devoted to the spirits of heaven and earth; * and their conduct is connived at, and though they proceed to eat the victims, they suffer no punishment. (On the other hand), when I look down and survey the people of Yin, the methods by which they are governed are hateful exactions, which call forth outrages and hatred ;—and this without ceasing. Such crimes equally belong to all in authority, and multitudes are starving with none to whom to appeal. Now is the time of Shang’s calamity ;—I will arise and share in its ruin. When ruin overtakes Shang, I will not be the servant (of another House). (But) I tell you, O king’s son, to go away, as being the course (for you). Formerly I injured you by what I said; if you do not (now) go away, our (sacrifices) will entirely perish. Let us rest quietly (in our several parts), and each present himself to the former kings} (as having done so).* I do not think of making my escape.’

' It is understood that the former king, the father of both XAt and X4u-hsin, had wished to leave the throne to X/Ai, and that the Grand-Master had advocated such a measure ;—thereby injuring Kit when it did not take effect, through making K4u-hsin jealous of him.

PART V. THE BOOKS OF KAU.

Book I. Tue Great DEcLARATION.

Kiv is the dynastic designation under which king W@ and his descendants possessed the throne from z. c. 1122 to 256, a period of 867 years. They traced their lineage up to KAt, who was Minister of Agriculture under Shun. He was invested with the principality of Thai, the present district of Fd-fang, department of Fang-hsiang, Shen-hst. Long afterwards Than-fa, claiming to be one of his descendants, appears in B.c. 1326, founding the state of X4u, near mount X4Ai, in the same department of Fang-hsiang. This Than-fa was the great-grandfather of king WA. The family surname was Xi.

When the collection of the Shi was complete, it contained thirty-eight different documents of the Kau dynasty, of which twenty-eight remain, twenty of them being of undisputed genuineness.

This first Book, ‘the Great Declaration,’ is one of the contested portions; and there is another form of it, that takes the place of this in some editions. It has appeared in the Introduction that the received text of the Shit was formed with care, and that everything of importance in the challenged Books is to be found in quotations from them, while the collection was complete, that have been gathered up by the industry of scholars.

It has appeared in the Introduction that the received text of the Shit was formed with care, and that everything of importance in the challenged Books is to be found in quotations from them, while the collection was complete, that have been gathered up by the industry of scholars.

King W4, having at last taken the field against AAu-hsin, the tyrant of Shang, made three speeches to his officers and men, setting forth the reasons for his enterprise, and urging them to exert themselves with him in the cause of humanity and Heaven. They are brought together, and constitute ‘the Great Declaration.’

‘In the first Part,’ says a Chinese critic, ‘king Wf addresses himself to the princes and nobles of inferior rank; in the second, to their hosts; and in the third, to his officers. The ruling idea in the first is the duty of the sovereign,—what he ought to be

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and to do; with this it begins and ends. There is not the same continuity of thought in the second, but the will and purpose of Heaven is the principal thing insisted on. The last Part shows the difference between the good sovereign and the bad, and touches on the consent that there is between Heaven and men. There is throughout an unsparing exhibition of the wickedness of K4u-hsin.

Section 1.

In the spring of the thirteenth year! there was a great assembly at M4ng-Aing*. The king said, ‘Ah! ye hereditary rulers of my friendly states, and all ye my officers, managers of my affairs, hearken clearly to my declaration.

‘Heaven and earth is the parent of all creatures ; and of all creatures man is the most highly endowed.* The sincerely intelligent (among men) becomes the great sovereign; and the great sovereign is the parent of the people. But now, Shau, the king of Shang, does not reverence Heaven above, and inflicts calamities on the people below.* Abandoned to drunkenness and reckless in lust, he has dared to exercise cruel oppression. He has extended the punishment of offenders to all their relatives. He has put men into offices on the hereditary principle. He has made it his pursuit to have palaces, towers, pavilions, embankments, ponds, and all other extravagances, to the most painful injury of you, the myriads of the people. He has burned and roasted the loyal and good. He has ripped up pregnant

’.

1 The thirteenth year is reckoned from king WA's succeeding to his father as ‘the Chief of the West.’

® Mang-Aing, or ‘the Ford of Mang,’ is still the name of a district in the department of Ho-nan, Ho-nan.

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women. Great Heaven was moved with indignation, and charged my deceased father Wan to display its terrors; but (he died) before the work was completed.*