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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Having begun the task, however, I have pursued it to the end, working on with some unavoidable interruptions, and amidst not a few other engagements. The present is the first translation that has been published in any European language of the whole of the Li Ai. In 1853 the late J. M. Callery published at the Imprimerie Royale, Turin, what he called ‘Li Ki, ou Mémorial des Rites, traduit pour la premiére fois du Chinois, et accompagné de Notes, de Commentaires, et du Texte Original.’ But in fact the text which P. Callery adopted was only an expurgated edition, published by Fan 3ze-taing, a scholar of the Yiian dynasty, as commented on and annotated by Kau Kih, whose well-known work appeared in 1711, the 50th year of the Khang-hsi reign or period!. Callery has himself called attention to this in his introduction, and it is to be regretted that he did not indicate it in the titlepage of his book. Fan’s text omits entirely the 5th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 28th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 37th, and 39th Books in my translation, while of most of the others, 1 The ng aE aa at k & roa BY for which Callery gives— ‘ Combinaison des Commentaires Ta Tsiién (le Grand Complet) et Chu (1’explication), d’aprés le sens original du Mémorial des rites.’ A@u Xih 673} KB) has the alias of Xiu Tan-lin (4. Af). xil PREFACE. ‘a good third’ has been expurgated. I do not think that Callery’s version contains above one half of the Li Ki, as it is found in the great editions of the Thang and present dynasties. The latter of these was commanded in an imperial rescript in 1748, the 13th year of the X4Aien-lung period. The committee charged with its execution consisted of 85 dignitaries and scholars, who used the previous labours of 244 authors, besides adding, on many of the most difficult passages, their own remarks and decisions, which are generally very valuable.
2The committee charged with its execution consisted of 85 dignitaries and scholars, who used the previous labours of 244 authors, besides adding, on many of the most difficult passages, their own remarks and decisions, which are generally very valuable. My own version is based on a study of these two imperial collections, and on an extensive compilation, made specially for my use by my Chinese friend and former helper, the graduate Wang Théo, gathered mostly from more recent writers of the last 250 years. The A/ien-lung editors make frequent reference to the work of Kan Hao, which appeared ‘in 1322 under the modest title of, ‘A Collection of Remarks on the Li Ki!.’ This acquired so great a celebrity under the Ming dynasty, that, as Callery tells us, an edict was issued in 1403 appointing it the standard for the interpretation of the Classic at the public examinations ; and this pre-eminence was accorded to it on to the K4ien-lung period. The whole of the Li A? is given and expounded by A Aan, excepting the 28th and 39th Books, which had long been current as portions of ‘The Four Books.’ I may say that I have read over and over, and with much benefit, every sentence in his comments. Forming my own judgment on every passage, now agreeing with him and now differing, and frequently finding reason to attach a higher value to the views of the K4ien-lung editors, I must say that ‘he deserves well’ of the Li Xi. His volumes are characterised by a painstaking study of the original text, and an honest attempt to exhibit the logical connexion of thought in its several parts. ~~ t B 3@ SE BE. ‘The author has the aliases for Hilo of Kho Ta Gi K). Yiin Xwang ( $f), and Tung Hui Ci HE): the last, I suppose, from his having lived near the lake so call PREFACE. Xill P. Callery’s translation of his expurgated text is for the most part well executed, and his notes, of which I have often made use, are admirable. I have also enjoyed the benefit of the more recent work, ‘Cursus Litteraturae Sinicae,’ by P. Angelo Zottoli, in whom the scholarship of the earlier Jesuit missionaries has revived. In his third volume, published at Shang-hai in 1880, there are good translations of the Ist, 5th, 10th, 2oth, 21st, and 22nd Books; while the 28th and 39th are in his second volume. In the Latin which he employs, according to the traditions of his church and what is still a practice of some scholars, he is able to be more brief in his renderings than Callery and myself, but perhaps not so satisfactory to readers generally. I also referred occasionally to Signor Carlo Puini’s ‘Li-Ki: Instituzioni, Usi e Costumanze della Cina antica ; Traduzione, Commento e Note (Fascicolo Primo; Firenze, 1883).’
3I also referred occasionally to Signor Carlo Puini’s ‘Li-Ki: Instituzioni, Usi e Costumanze della Cina antica ; Traduzione, Commento e Note (Fascicolo Primo; Firenze, 1883).’ The present translation is, as I said above, the first published in any European language of the whole of the Li Ki; but another had existed in manuscript for several years,— the work of Mr. Alexander Wylie, now unhappily, by loss of eye-sight and otherwise failing health, laid aside from his important Chinese labours. I was fortunate enough to obtain possession of this when I had got to the 35th Book in my own version, and, in currying the sheets through the press, I have constantly made reference to it. It was written at an early period of Mr. Wylie’s Chinese studies, and is not such as a Sinologist of his attainments and research would have produced later on. Still I have been glad to have it by me, though I may venture to say that, in construing the paragraphs and translating the characters, I have not been indebted in a single instance to him or P. Callery. The first six Books, and portions of several others, had been written out, more than once, before I finally left China in 1873; but I began again at the beginning, early in 1883, in preparing the present version. I can hardly hope that, in translating so extensive and peculiar a work, descriptive of customs and xiv PREFACE. things at so remote a period of time, and without the assistance of any Chinese graduate with whom I could have talked over complicated and perplexing paragraphs, I may not have fallen into some mistakes; but I trust they will be found to be very few. My simple and only aim has been, first, to understand the text for myself, and then to render it in English, fairly and as well as I could in the time attain to, for my readers. J.L. Oxrorp, July 10, 1885. THE Li «Ki OR COLLECTION OF TREATISES ON THE RULES OF PROPRIETY OR CEREMONIAL USAGES. Digitized by Google A THE Li KI OR COLLECTION OF TREATISES ON THE RULES OF PROPRIETY OR CEREMONIAL USAGES. INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER I. THREE DIFFERENT Li KING, OR RITUAL BOOKS, AC- KNOWLEDGED IN CHINA. THE RECOVERY OF THE FIRST TWO, AND FORMATION OF THE THIRD, UNDER THE HAN DYNASTY. 1. Confucius said, ‘It is by the Odes that the mind is aroused ; by the Rules of Propriety that the character is How Confacius eStablished ; from Music that the finish is spoke of the Li. received!.? On another occasion he said, ‘Without the Rules of Propriety, respectfulness becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, timidity; boldness, insubordination ; and straightforwardness, rudeness!.’ These are two specimens of the manner in which Confucius expressed himself. about the Li, the Rules of Propriety or Ceremonial Usages, recognised in his time. It is a natural inference from his language that there were Collections of such Rules which could be read and studied ; but he does not expressly say so.
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.
1Having begun the task, however, I have pursued it to the end, working on with some unavoidable interruptions, and amidst not a few other engagements. The present is the first translation that has been published in any European language of the whole of the Li Ai. In 1853 the late J. M. Callery published at the Imprimerie Royale, Turin, what he called ‘Li Ki, ou Mémorial des Rites, traduit pour la premiére fois du Chinois, et accompagné de Notes, de Commentaires, et du Texte Original.’ But in fact the text which P. Callery adopted was only an expurgated edition, published by Fan 3ze-taing, a scholar of the Yiian dynasty, as commented on and annotated by Kau Kih, whose well-known work appeared in 1711, the 50th year of the Khang-hsi reign or period!. Callery has himself called attention to this in his introduction, and it is to be regretted that he did not indicate it in the titlepage of his book. Fan’s text omits entirely the 5th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 28th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 37th, and 39th Books in my translation, while of most of the others, 1 The ng aE aa at k & roa BY for which Callery gives— ‘ Combinaison des Commentaires Ta Tsiién (le Grand Complet) et Chu (1’explication), d’aprés le sens original du Mémorial des rites.’ A@u Xih 673} KB) has the alias of Xiu Tan-lin (4. Af). xil PREFACE. ‘a good third’ has been expurgated. I do not think that Callery’s version contains above one half of the Li Ki, as it is found in the great editions of the Thang and present dynasties. The latter of these was commanded in an imperial rescript in 1748, the 13th year of the X4Aien-lung period. The committee charged with its execution consisted of 85 dignitaries and scholars, who used the previous labours of 244 authors, besides adding, on many of the most difficult passages, their own remarks and decisions, which are generally very valuable.
2The committee charged with its execution consisted of 85 dignitaries and scholars, who used the previous labours of 244 authors, besides adding, on many of the most difficult passages, their own remarks and decisions, which are generally very valuable. My own version is based on a study of these two imperial collections, and on an extensive compilation, made specially for my use by my Chinese friend and former helper, the graduate Wang Théo, gathered mostly from more recent writers of the last 250 years. The A/ien-lung editors make frequent reference to the work of Kan Hao, which appeared ‘in 1322 under the modest title of, ‘A Collection of Remarks on the Li Ki!.’ This acquired so great a celebrity under the Ming dynasty, that, as Callery tells us, an edict was issued in 1403 appointing it the standard for the interpretation of the Classic at the public examinations ; and this pre-eminence was accorded to it on to the K4ien-lung period. The whole of the Li A? is given and expounded by A Aan, excepting the 28th and 39th Books, which had long been current as portions of ‘The Four Books.’ I may say that I have read over and over, and with much benefit, every sentence in his comments. Forming my own judgment on every passage, now agreeing with him and now differing, and frequently finding reason to attach a higher value to the views of the K4ien-lung editors, I must say that ‘he deserves well’ of the Li Xi. His volumes are characterised by a painstaking study of the original text, and an honest attempt to exhibit the logical connexion of thought in its several parts. ~~ t B 3@ SE BE. ‘The author has the aliases for Hilo of Kho Ta Gi K). Yiin Xwang ( $f), and Tung Hui Ci HE): the last, I suppose, from his having lived near the lake so call PREFACE. Xill P. Callery’s translation of his expurgated text is for the most part well executed, and his notes, of which I have often made use, are admirable. I have also enjoyed the benefit of the more recent work, ‘Cursus Litteraturae Sinicae,’ by P. Angelo Zottoli, in whom the scholarship of the earlier Jesuit missionaries has revived. In his third volume, published at Shang-hai in 1880, there are good translations of the Ist, 5th, 10th, 2oth, 21st, and 22nd Books; while the 28th and 39th are in his second volume. In the Latin which he employs, according to the traditions of his church and what is still a practice of some scholars, he is able to be more brief in his renderings than Callery and myself, but perhaps not so satisfactory to readers generally. I also referred occasionally to Signor Carlo Puini’s ‘Li-Ki: Instituzioni, Usi e Costumanze della Cina antica ; Traduzione, Commento e Note (Fascicolo Primo; Firenze, 1883).’
3I also referred occasionally to Signor Carlo Puini’s ‘Li-Ki: Instituzioni, Usi e Costumanze della Cina antica ; Traduzione, Commento e Note (Fascicolo Primo; Firenze, 1883).’ The present translation is, as I said above, the first published in any European language of the whole of the Li Ki; but another had existed in manuscript for several years,— the work of Mr. Alexander Wylie, now unhappily, by loss of eye-sight and otherwise failing health, laid aside from his important Chinese labours. I was fortunate enough to obtain possession of this when I had got to the 35th Book in my own version, and, in currying the sheets through the press, I have constantly made reference to it. It was written at an early period of Mr. Wylie’s Chinese studies, and is not such as a Sinologist of his attainments and research would have produced later on. Still I have been glad to have it by me, though I may venture to say that, in construing the paragraphs and translating the characters, I have not been indebted in a single instance to him or P. Callery. The first six Books, and portions of several others, had been written out, more than once, before I finally left China in 1873; but I began again at the beginning, early in 1883, in preparing the present version. I can hardly hope that, in translating so extensive and peculiar a work, descriptive of customs and xiv PREFACE. things at so remote a period of time, and without the assistance of any Chinese graduate with whom I could have talked over complicated and perplexing paragraphs, I may not have fallen into some mistakes; but I trust they will be found to be very few. My simple and only aim has been, first, to understand the text for myself, and then to render it in English, fairly and as well as I could in the time attain to, for my readers. J.L. Oxrorp, July 10, 1885. THE Li «Ki OR COLLECTION OF TREATISES ON THE RULES OF PROPRIETY OR CEREMONIAL USAGES. Digitized by Google A THE Li KI OR COLLECTION OF TREATISES ON THE RULES OF PROPRIETY OR CEREMONIAL USAGES. INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER I. THREE DIFFERENT Li KING, OR RITUAL BOOKS, AC- KNOWLEDGED IN CHINA. THE RECOVERY OF THE FIRST TWO, AND FORMATION OF THE THIRD, UNDER THE HAN DYNASTY. 1. Confucius said, ‘It is by the Odes that the mind is aroused ; by the Rules of Propriety that the character is How Confacius eStablished ; from Music that the finish is spoke of the Li. received!.? On another occasion he said, ‘Without the Rules of Propriety, respectfulness becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, timidity; boldness, insubordination ; and straightforwardness, rudeness!.’ These are two specimens of the manner in which Confucius expressed himself. about the Li, the Rules of Propriety or Ceremonial Usages, recognised in his time. It is a natural inference from his language that there were Collections of such Rules which could be read and studied ; but he does not expressly say so.
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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