Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1* It would almost seem from this that the announcement was made in Lo; and some critics have argued that Lo was ‘the honoured capital’ in the first sentence. BOOK xXIx. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GOVERNMENT. 219 the sovereigns of 4u, will greatly help you, and confer rewards, selecting you to stand in our royal court. Only be attentive to your duties, and you may rank among our great officers.” ‘The king says, “Oh! ye numerous officers, if you cannot exhort one another to pay a sincere regard to my charges, it will further show that you are unable to honour your sovereign; and all the people will (also) say, ‘We will not honour him.’ Thus will ye be proved slothful and perverse, greatly disobedient to the royal charges. Throughout your numerous regions you will bring on yourselves the terrors of Heaven, and I will then inflict on you its punishments, removing you far from your country.” ’ ; 5. ‘The king says, “I do not (wish to) make these many declarations, but it is in a spirit of awe that I lay my commands before you.” He further says, “ You may now make a (new) beginning. If you cannot reverently realize the harmony (which I enjoin), do not (hereafter) murmur against me.”’ Book XIX. Tue EstTasBiisHMENT OF GOVERNMENT. Tue phrase, ‘the Establishment of Government,’ occurs several times in the course of the Book, and is thence taken to denominate it,—appropriately enough. The subject treated of throughout, is how good government may be established. Some Chinese critics maintain that the text as it stands is very confused, ‘head and tail in disorder, and without connexion,’ and various re-arrangements of it have been proposed, for which, however, there is no manuscript authority. Keeping to the received text, and dividing it into six chapters, we may adopt a summary of its contents approved by the editors of the Shf, which was published in the Yung-Aang reign of the 220 THE SHO KING. PART V.
2Keeping to the received text, and dividing it into six chapters, we may adopt a summary of its contents approved by the editors of the Shf, which was published in the Yung-Aang reign of the 220 THE SHO KING. PART V. present dynasty.—In government there is nothing more important than the employment of proper men; and when such men are being sought, the first care should be for those to occupy the three highest positions. When these are properly filled, all the other offices will get their right men, and royal government will be established. The appointment of the officers of business, of pastoral oversight, and of the law, is the great theme of the whole Book, and the concluding words of chapter 1 are its pulse,—may be felt throbbing everywhere in all the sentiments, Chapters 2 and 3 illustrate the subject from the history of the dynasties of Hsié and Shang; and in chapter 4 it is shown how kings Wan and WA selected their officers, and initiated the happy state which was still continuing. In chapter 5 there is set forth the duty of the king to put away from him men of artful tongues; to employ the good, distinguished by their habits of virtue; to be always well prepared for war; and to be very careful of his conduct in the matter of litigations. Chapter 6 seems to have hardly any connexion with the rest of the Book, and is probably a fragment of one of the lost Books of the Sh@, that has got tacked on to this. The Book belongs to the class of ‘Instructions,’ and was made, I suppose, after the duke of Au had retired from his regency. 1. The duke of A4u spoke to the following effect :—‘ With our hands to our heads and our heads to the ground, we make our declarations to the Son of Heaven, the king who has inherited the throne.’ In such manner accordingly all (the other ministers) cautioned the king, saying, ‘In close attendance on your majesty there are the regular presidents’, the regular ministers *, and the officers of justice ;—the keepers of the robes (also), and the guards. The duke of Au said, ‘Oh! admirable are these (officers). Few, however, know to be sufficiently anxious about them.’ 1 We must understand by these the chiefs or presidents who had a certain jurisdiction over several states and their princes. * The high ministers of Instruction, War, Works, &c. a BOOK XIX. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GOVERNMENT. 221
3Few, however, know to be sufficiently anxious about them.’ 1 We must understand by these the chiefs or presidents who had a certain jurisdiction over several states and their princes. * The high ministers of Instruction, War, Works, &c. a BOOK XIX. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GOVERNMENT. 221 2. ‘Among the ancients who exemplified (this anxiety) there was the founder of the Hsia dynasty. When his House was in its greatest strength, he sought for able men who should honour God (in the discharge of their duties).* (His advisers), when they knew of men thoroughly proved and trustworthy in the practice of the nine virtues!, would then presume to inform and instruct their sovereign, saying, “ With our hands to our heads and our heads to the ground, O sovereign, we would say, Let (such an one) occupy one of your high offices: Let (such an one) be one of your pastors: Let (such an one) be one of your officers of justice. By such appointments you will fulfil your duty as sovereign. If you judge by the face only, and therefrom deem men well schooled in virtue, and appoint them, then those three positions will all be occupied by unrighteous individuals.” The way of Kieh, however, was not to observe this precedent. Those whom he employed were cruel men ;—and he left no successor.’ 3. ‘After this there was Thang the Successful, who, rising to the throne, grandly administered the bright ordinances of God.* He employed, to fill the three (high) positions, those who were equal to them ; and those who were called possessors of the three kinds of ability? would display that ability. 1 See chapter 2 of ‘the Counsels of K4o-y4o’ in Part II. 2 Some suppose that men are intended here who possessed ‘the three virtues’ of ‘the Great Plan.’ I think rather that men are intended who had talents and virtue which would make them eligible to the three highest positions. Thang had his notice fixed on such men, and was prepared to call them to office at the proper time. 222 THE SHO KING. PART V. He then studied them severely, and greatly imitated them, making the utmost of them in their three positions and with their three kinds of ability. The people in the cities of Shang? were thereby all brought to harmony, and those in the four quarters of the kingdom were brought greatly under the influence of the virtue thus displayed. Oh! when the throne came to Shdu, his character was all violence. He preferred men of severity, and who deemed cruelty a virtue, to share with him in the government of his states; and at the same time, the host of his associates, men who counted idleness a virtue, shared the offices of his court. God then sovereignly punished him, and caused us to possess the great land, enjoy the favouring decree which Shau had (afore) received, and govern all the people in their myriad realms,’ *
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1* It would almost seem from this that the announcement was made in Lo; and some critics have argued that Lo was ‘the honoured capital’ in the first sentence. BOOK xXIx. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GOVERNMENT. 219 the sovereigns of 4u, will greatly help you, and confer rewards, selecting you to stand in our royal court. Only be attentive to your duties, and you may rank among our great officers.” ‘The king says, “Oh! ye numerous officers, if you cannot exhort one another to pay a sincere regard to my charges, it will further show that you are unable to honour your sovereign; and all the people will (also) say, ‘We will not honour him.’ Thus will ye be proved slothful and perverse, greatly disobedient to the royal charges. Throughout your numerous regions you will bring on yourselves the terrors of Heaven, and I will then inflict on you its punishments, removing you far from your country.” ’ ; 5. ‘The king says, “I do not (wish to) make these many declarations, but it is in a spirit of awe that I lay my commands before you.” He further says, “ You may now make a (new) beginning. If you cannot reverently realize the harmony (which I enjoin), do not (hereafter) murmur against me.”’ Book XIX. Tue EstTasBiisHMENT OF GOVERNMENT. Tue phrase, ‘the Establishment of Government,’ occurs several times in the course of the Book, and is thence taken to denominate it,—appropriately enough. The subject treated of throughout, is how good government may be established. Some Chinese critics maintain that the text as it stands is very confused, ‘head and tail in disorder, and without connexion,’ and various re-arrangements of it have been proposed, for which, however, there is no manuscript authority. Keeping to the received text, and dividing it into six chapters, we may adopt a summary of its contents approved by the editors of the Shf, which was published in the Yung-Aang reign of the 220 THE SHO KING. PART V.
2Keeping to the received text, and dividing it into six chapters, we may adopt a summary of its contents approved by the editors of the Shf, which was published in the Yung-Aang reign of the 220 THE SHO KING. PART V. present dynasty.—In government there is nothing more important than the employment of proper men; and when such men are being sought, the first care should be for those to occupy the three highest positions. When these are properly filled, all the other offices will get their right men, and royal government will be established. The appointment of the officers of business, of pastoral oversight, and of the law, is the great theme of the whole Book, and the concluding words of chapter 1 are its pulse,—may be felt throbbing everywhere in all the sentiments, Chapters 2 and 3 illustrate the subject from the history of the dynasties of Hsié and Shang; and in chapter 4 it is shown how kings Wan and WA selected their officers, and initiated the happy state which was still continuing. In chapter 5 there is set forth the duty of the king to put away from him men of artful tongues; to employ the good, distinguished by their habits of virtue; to be always well prepared for war; and to be very careful of his conduct in the matter of litigations. Chapter 6 seems to have hardly any connexion with the rest of the Book, and is probably a fragment of one of the lost Books of the Sh@, that has got tacked on to this. The Book belongs to the class of ‘Instructions,’ and was made, I suppose, after the duke of Au had retired from his regency. 1. The duke of A4u spoke to the following effect :—‘ With our hands to our heads and our heads to the ground, we make our declarations to the Son of Heaven, the king who has inherited the throne.’ In such manner accordingly all (the other ministers) cautioned the king, saying, ‘In close attendance on your majesty there are the regular presidents’, the regular ministers *, and the officers of justice ;—the keepers of the robes (also), and the guards. The duke of Au said, ‘Oh! admirable are these (officers). Few, however, know to be sufficiently anxious about them.’ 1 We must understand by these the chiefs or presidents who had a certain jurisdiction over several states and their princes. * The high ministers of Instruction, War, Works, &c. a BOOK XIX. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GOVERNMENT. 221
3Few, however, know to be sufficiently anxious about them.’ 1 We must understand by these the chiefs or presidents who had a certain jurisdiction over several states and their princes. * The high ministers of Instruction, War, Works, &c. a BOOK XIX. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GOVERNMENT. 221 2. ‘Among the ancients who exemplified (this anxiety) there was the founder of the Hsia dynasty. When his House was in its greatest strength, he sought for able men who should honour God (in the discharge of their duties).* (His advisers), when they knew of men thoroughly proved and trustworthy in the practice of the nine virtues!, would then presume to inform and instruct their sovereign, saying, “ With our hands to our heads and our heads to the ground, O sovereign, we would say, Let (such an one) occupy one of your high offices: Let (such an one) be one of your pastors: Let (such an one) be one of your officers of justice. By such appointments you will fulfil your duty as sovereign. If you judge by the face only, and therefrom deem men well schooled in virtue, and appoint them, then those three positions will all be occupied by unrighteous individuals.” The way of Kieh, however, was not to observe this precedent. Those whom he employed were cruel men ;—and he left no successor.’ 3. ‘After this there was Thang the Successful, who, rising to the throne, grandly administered the bright ordinances of God.* He employed, to fill the three (high) positions, those who were equal to them ; and those who were called possessors of the three kinds of ability? would display that ability. 1 See chapter 2 of ‘the Counsels of K4o-y4o’ in Part II. 2 Some suppose that men are intended here who possessed ‘the three virtues’ of ‘the Great Plan.’ I think rather that men are intended who had talents and virtue which would make them eligible to the three highest positions. Thang had his notice fixed on such men, and was prepared to call them to office at the proper time. 222 THE SHO KING. PART V. He then studied them severely, and greatly imitated them, making the utmost of them in their three positions and with their three kinds of ability. The people in the cities of Shang? were thereby all brought to harmony, and those in the four quarters of the kingdom were brought greatly under the influence of the virtue thus displayed. Oh! when the throne came to Shdu, his character was all violence. He preferred men of severity, and who deemed cruelty a virtue, to share with him in the government of his states; and at the same time, the host of his associates, men who counted idleness a virtue, shared the offices of his court. God then sovereignly punished him, and caused us to possess the great land, enjoy the favouring decree which Shau had (afore) received, and govern all the people in their myriad realms,’ *
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
No commentary for this page.