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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
11 Inthe Book of Poetry we have Wan’s grandfather (Than-fa, III, i, ode 3. 3) divining, and his son (king W4, III, i, ode 10. 7) doing the same. 22 THE yi KING. CH. It. ut his method strikes us as singular. Each line seemed o become living, and suggested some phenomenon in nature lor some case of human experience. from which the wisdom or folly, the luckiness or unluckiness, indicated by it could be inferred. It cannot be said that the duke carried out his plan in a way likely to interest any one but a hsien shang who is a votary of divination, and admires the style of its oracles. According to our notions, a framer of emblems should be a good deal of a poet, but those of the Yi only make us think of a dryasdust. Out of more than 350, the greater number are only grotesque. We do not recover from the feeling of disappointment till we remember that both father and son had to write ‘according to the trick,’ after the manner of diviners, as if this lineal augury had been their profession. 4. At length I come to illustrate what I have said on the subject-matter of the Yi by an example. It shall be the The seventh treatment of the seventh hexagram = =), h . : : ~ . exagram which king Wan named Sze, meaning Hosts. The character is also explained as meaning ‘ multitudes ;’ and in fact, in a feudal kingdom, the multitudes of the people were all liable to become its army, when occasion required, and the ‘host’ and the ‘population’ might be interchangeable terms. As Froude expresses it in the introductory chapter to his History of England, ‘ Every man was regimented somewhere.’ The hexagram Sze is composed of the two trigrams Khan (===) and Khwan (= =), exhibiting waters collected on the earth; and in other symbolisms besides that of the Yi, waters indicate assembled multitudes of men. The waters on which the mystical Babylon sits in the Apocalypse are explained as ‘peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.’ I do not positively affirm that it was by this interpretation of the trigrams that king Wan saw in == = the feudal hosts of his country collected, for neither from him nor his son do we learn, by their direct affirmation, that they had any acquaintance with the trigrams of Fa-hsi. The name which he gave CH. II. INTRODUCTION. 23 the figure shows, however, that he saw in it the feudal hosts in the field. How shall their expedition be conducted that it may come to a successful issue?
2The name which he gave CH. II. INTRODUCTION. 23 the figure shows, however, that he saw in it the feudal hosts in the field. How shall their expedition be conducted that it may come to a successful issue? Looking again at the figure, we see that it is made up of five divided lines, and of one undivided. The undivided line occupies the central place in the lower trigram,—the most important place, next to the fifth, in the whole hexagram. It will represent, in the language of the commentators, ‘the lord of the whole figure ;’ and the parties represented by the other lines may be expected to be of one mind with him or obedient to him. He must be the leader of the hosts. If he were on high, in the fifth place, he would be the sovereign of the kingdom. This is what king Wan says :— ‘Sze indicates how (in the case which it supposes), with firmness and correctness, and (a leader of) age and experience, there will be good fortune and no error.’ This is a good auspice. Let us see how the duke of Kau expands it. He says :— ‘The first line, divided, shows the host going forth according to the rules (for such a movement). If those (rules) be not good, there will be evil.’ We are not told what the rules for a military expedition were. Some commentators understand them of the reasons justifying the movement,—that it should be to repress and punish disorder and rebellion. Others, with more likelihood, take them to be the discipline or rules laid down to be observed by the troops. The line is divided, a weak line in a strong place, ‘not correct:’ this justifies the caution given in the duke’s second sentence. The Text goes on :— ‘The second line, undivided, shows (the leader) in the midst of the hosts. There will be good fortune and no error. The king has thrice conveyed to him his charge.’ This does not need any amplification. The duke saw in the strong line the symbol of the leader, who enjoyed 24 THE Yi KING. CH. 11. the full confidence of his sovereign, and whose authority admitted of no opposition. On the third line it is said :— ‘ The third line, divided, shows how the hosts may possibly have many commanders :—(in such a case) there will be evil.’ The third place is odd, and should be occupied by a strong line, instead of which we have a weak line in it. But it is at the top of the lower trigram, and its subject should be in office or activity. There is suggested the idea that its subject has vaulted over the second line, and wishes to share in the command and honour of him who has been appointed sole commander-in-chief. The lesson in the previous line is made of none effect. We have a divided authority in the expedition. The result can only be evil. On the fourth line the duke wrote :— ‘The fourth line, divided, shows the hosts in retreat: there is no error.’
3The lesson in the previous line is made of none effect. We have a divided authority in the expedition. The result can only be evil. On the fourth line the duke wrote :— ‘The fourth line, divided, shows the hosts in retreat: there is no error.’ The line is also weak, and victory cannot be expected; but in the fourth place a weak line is in its correct position, and its subject will do what is right in his circumstances. He will retreat, and a retreat is for him the part of wisdom. When safely affected, where advance would be disastrous, a retreat is as glorious as victory. Under the fifth line we read :— ‘The fifth line, divided, shows birds in the fields which it is advantageous to seize (and destroy). There will be no error. If the oldest son lead the host, and younger men be (also) in command, however firm and correct he may be, there will be evil.’ We have an intimation in this passage that only defensive war, or war waged by the rightful authority to put down rebellion and lawlessness, is right. The ‘birds in the fields’ are emblematic of plunderers and invaders, whom it will be well to destroy. The fifth line symbolises the chief authority, but here he is weak or humble, and has given all power and authority to execute judgment into the hands of the commander-in-chief, who is the oldest son; and in the subject of line 3 we have an example of the younger men who would cause evil if allowed to share his power. CH. It. INTRODUCTION. 25 Finally, on the sixth line the duke wrote :— ‘The topmost line, divided, shows the great ruler delivering his charges (to the men who have distinguished themselves), appointing some to be rulers of states, and others to be chiefs of clans. But small men should not be employed (in such positions).’ The action of the hexagram has been gone through. The expedition has been conducted to a successful end. The enemy has been subdued. His territories are at the disposal of the conqueror. The commander-in-chief has done his part well. His sovereign, ‘the great ruler,’ comes upon the scene, and rewards the officers who have been conspicuous by their bravery and skill, conferring on them rank and lands. But he is warned to have respect in doing so to their moral character. Small men, of ordinary or less than ordinary character, may be rewarded with riches and certain honours; but land and the welfare of its population should not be given into the hands of any who are not equal to the responsibility of such a trust. The above is a specimen of what I have called the essays that make up the Yi of Kau. So would king Wan and Y his son have had all military expeditions conducted in their’ country 3000 years ago. It seems to me that the principles which they lay down might find a suitable application in the modern warfare of our civilised and Christian Europe. The inculcation of such lessons cannot have been + without good effect in China during the long course of its“ history.
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.
11 Inthe Book of Poetry we have Wan’s grandfather (Than-fa, III, i, ode 3. 3) divining, and his son (king W4, III, i, ode 10. 7) doing the same. 22 THE yi KING. CH. It. ut his method strikes us as singular. Each line seemed o become living, and suggested some phenomenon in nature lor some case of human experience. from which the wisdom or folly, the luckiness or unluckiness, indicated by it could be inferred. It cannot be said that the duke carried out his plan in a way likely to interest any one but a hsien shang who is a votary of divination, and admires the style of its oracles. According to our notions, a framer of emblems should be a good deal of a poet, but those of the Yi only make us think of a dryasdust. Out of more than 350, the greater number are only grotesque. We do not recover from the feeling of disappointment till we remember that both father and son had to write ‘according to the trick,’ after the manner of diviners, as if this lineal augury had been their profession. 4. At length I come to illustrate what I have said on the subject-matter of the Yi by an example. It shall be the The seventh treatment of the seventh hexagram = =), h . : : ~ . exagram which king Wan named Sze, meaning Hosts. The character is also explained as meaning ‘ multitudes ;’ and in fact, in a feudal kingdom, the multitudes of the people were all liable to become its army, when occasion required, and the ‘host’ and the ‘population’ might be interchangeable terms. As Froude expresses it in the introductory chapter to his History of England, ‘ Every man was regimented somewhere.’ The hexagram Sze is composed of the two trigrams Khan (===) and Khwan (= =), exhibiting waters collected on the earth; and in other symbolisms besides that of the Yi, waters indicate assembled multitudes of men. The waters on which the mystical Babylon sits in the Apocalypse are explained as ‘peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.’ I do not positively affirm that it was by this interpretation of the trigrams that king Wan saw in == = the feudal hosts of his country collected, for neither from him nor his son do we learn, by their direct affirmation, that they had any acquaintance with the trigrams of Fa-hsi. The name which he gave CH. II. INTRODUCTION. 23 the figure shows, however, that he saw in it the feudal hosts in the field. How shall their expedition be conducted that it may come to a successful issue?
2The name which he gave CH. II. INTRODUCTION. 23 the figure shows, however, that he saw in it the feudal hosts in the field. How shall their expedition be conducted that it may come to a successful issue? Looking again at the figure, we see that it is made up of five divided lines, and of one undivided. The undivided line occupies the central place in the lower trigram,—the most important place, next to the fifth, in the whole hexagram. It will represent, in the language of the commentators, ‘the lord of the whole figure ;’ and the parties represented by the other lines may be expected to be of one mind with him or obedient to him. He must be the leader of the hosts. If he were on high, in the fifth place, he would be the sovereign of the kingdom. This is what king Wan says :— ‘Sze indicates how (in the case which it supposes), with firmness and correctness, and (a leader of) age and experience, there will be good fortune and no error.’ This is a good auspice. Let us see how the duke of Kau expands it. He says :— ‘The first line, divided, shows the host going forth according to the rules (for such a movement). If those (rules) be not good, there will be evil.’ We are not told what the rules for a military expedition were. Some commentators understand them of the reasons justifying the movement,—that it should be to repress and punish disorder and rebellion. Others, with more likelihood, take them to be the discipline or rules laid down to be observed by the troops. The line is divided, a weak line in a strong place, ‘not correct:’ this justifies the caution given in the duke’s second sentence. The Text goes on :— ‘The second line, undivided, shows (the leader) in the midst of the hosts. There will be good fortune and no error. The king has thrice conveyed to him his charge.’ This does not need any amplification. The duke saw in the strong line the symbol of the leader, who enjoyed 24 THE Yi KING. CH. 11. the full confidence of his sovereign, and whose authority admitted of no opposition. On the third line it is said :— ‘ The third line, divided, shows how the hosts may possibly have many commanders :—(in such a case) there will be evil.’ The third place is odd, and should be occupied by a strong line, instead of which we have a weak line in it. But it is at the top of the lower trigram, and its subject should be in office or activity. There is suggested the idea that its subject has vaulted over the second line, and wishes to share in the command and honour of him who has been appointed sole commander-in-chief. The lesson in the previous line is made of none effect. We have a divided authority in the expedition. The result can only be evil. On the fourth line the duke wrote :— ‘The fourth line, divided, shows the hosts in retreat: there is no error.’
3The lesson in the previous line is made of none effect. We have a divided authority in the expedition. The result can only be evil. On the fourth line the duke wrote :— ‘The fourth line, divided, shows the hosts in retreat: there is no error.’ The line is also weak, and victory cannot be expected; but in the fourth place a weak line is in its correct position, and its subject will do what is right in his circumstances. He will retreat, and a retreat is for him the part of wisdom. When safely affected, where advance would be disastrous, a retreat is as glorious as victory. Under the fifth line we read :— ‘The fifth line, divided, shows birds in the fields which it is advantageous to seize (and destroy). There will be no error. If the oldest son lead the host, and younger men be (also) in command, however firm and correct he may be, there will be evil.’ We have an intimation in this passage that only defensive war, or war waged by the rightful authority to put down rebellion and lawlessness, is right. The ‘birds in the fields’ are emblematic of plunderers and invaders, whom it will be well to destroy. The fifth line symbolises the chief authority, but here he is weak or humble, and has given all power and authority to execute judgment into the hands of the commander-in-chief, who is the oldest son; and in the subject of line 3 we have an example of the younger men who would cause evil if allowed to share his power. CH. It. INTRODUCTION. 25 Finally, on the sixth line the duke wrote :— ‘The topmost line, divided, shows the great ruler delivering his charges (to the men who have distinguished themselves), appointing some to be rulers of states, and others to be chiefs of clans. But small men should not be employed (in such positions).’ The action of the hexagram has been gone through. The expedition has been conducted to a successful end. The enemy has been subdued. His territories are at the disposal of the conqueror. The commander-in-chief has done his part well. His sovereign, ‘the great ruler,’ comes upon the scene, and rewards the officers who have been conspicuous by their bravery and skill, conferring on them rank and lands. But he is warned to have respect in doing so to their moral character. Small men, of ordinary or less than ordinary character, may be rewarded with riches and certain honours; but land and the welfare of its population should not be given into the hands of any who are not equal to the responsibility of such a trust. The above is a specimen of what I have called the essays that make up the Yi of Kau. So would king Wan and Y his son have had all military expeditions conducted in their’ country 3000 years ago. It seems to me that the principles which they lay down might find a suitable application in the modern warfare of our civilised and Christian Europe. The inculcation of such lessons cannot have been + without good effect in China during the long course of its“ history.
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.
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