Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1?’ the Khien-lung editors point out, cannot be adopted. And how any sacrifice to the hills, however great, could be represented as greater than the quinquennial sacrifice in the ancestral temple, I cannot understand. I must leave the paragraph in the obscurity that belongs to it. 1 The Khien-lung editors say:—‘ 3ze-lG was a leal-hearted and sincere man, and the Book ends with this account of him. From the mention of the preparation of the rites on a great scale and of their high value at the beginning of the Book down to this tribute to 3ze-lQ as understanding ceremonies, its whole contents show that what is valuable in the rites is the combination of the idea of what is right with the elegant and outward form as sufficient to remove from a man all perversity and increase what is good in his nature, without a multiplicity of forms which would injure the natural goodness and sincerity, and lead their practiser to a crooked perversity. Deep and far-reaching is the idea of it!’ BOOK IX. THE XIAO THEH SANG OR THE SINGLE VICTIM AT THE BORDER SACRIFICES’. Section I. 1. At the border sacrifices a single victim was used, and at the altars to (the spirits of) the land and grain there was (the full complement of) three victims *._ When the son of Heaven went on his ' See the introductory notice, p. 26. * The object of the statements here and some other paragraphs is to show that the degree of honour was expressed by the ‘paucity’ of the articles; compare last Book, Sect. i, paragraph 8. Perhaps the name Xido (Sh) in the title should be translated in the plural as the name for all the border sacrifices, or those offered in the suburbs of the capital. There were several of them, of which the greatest was that at the winter solstice, on the round hillock in the southern suburb. Besides this, there was in the first month the border sacrifice for ‘ grain,'—to pray for the blessing of Heaven on the agricultural labours of the year, in which Hau i, the father of the line of Xu, and its ‘ Father of Husbandry,’ was associated by that dynasty. There were also the five seasonal border sacrifices, of which we have mention in the different parts of Book IV, though, so far as what is said in them goes, the idea of Heaven falls into the background, and the five deified ancient sovereigns come forward as so many Tfs. In the first month of summer there was, further, a great border sacrifice for rain, and in the last month of autumn a great border sacrifice of thanksgiving. ‘Of all these border sacrifices,’ say the KAien-lung editors, ‘there is clear evidence in classical texts.’ Into the discussions growing out of them about ‘ one Heaven,’ or ‘ five Heavens,’ and about their origin, it is not necessary that I should enter; it would be foreign, indeed, to my object in this translation to do so. The SECT. 1. THE XIAO THEH SANG. 417
2The SECT. 1. THE XIAO THEH SANG. 417 inspecting tours to the princes, the viands of the feast to him were composed of a (single) calf; and when they visited him, the rites with which he received them showed the three regular animals. (The feasting of him in such a manner) was to do honour to the idea of sincerity’. Therefore if the animal happened to be pregnant, the son of Heaven did not eat of it, nor did he use such a victim in sacrificing to God *. 2. The horses of the Grand carriage had one ornamental tassel at the breast; those of the carriages that preceded had three; and those of the carriages that followed had five’. There were the blood at the border sacrifice; the raw flesh in the great offering of the ancestral temple; the sodden flesh where spirits are presented thrice; and the roast meat where they are presented once *:—these were expressive of the greatest reverence, but the taste was not valued ; what was held in honour was the scent of the air‘. When the princes appeared as guests, border sacrifices were the greatest religious or ceremonial services of the ancient Chinese; and the fact to which our attention is called in this Book, is that at them there was used only a single victim. 1 Why ‘a calf?’ ‘Because of its guileless simplicity,’ says Kau Hsii of our eleventh century; earlier than AQ Hs}, who adopted his explanation. The calf, whether male or female, has not yet felt .the appetency of sex, and is unconscious of any ‘ dissipation.’ This is a refinement on the Hebrew idea of the victim lamb, ‘without blemish.’ * This might be referred to his unwillingness to take life unnecessarily, but for what has just been said about the calf. ® See last Book, Sect. i, 8; and Sect. ii, 6. * Little is said on the meaning of this statement, which appears to say that the most subtle and ethereal thing in sacrifices, the [27] Ee 418 THE Lf xf. BK. IX. they were presented with herb-flavoured spirits, because of their fragrance; at the great entertainment to them the value was given to (the preliminary) pieces of flesh prepared with cinnamon and nothing more. 3. At a great feast (to the ruler of another state), the ruler (who was the host) received the cup seated on his three mats. (On occasion of a visit through a minister or Great officer) when the cup was thrice presented, the ruler received it on a single mat :—so did he descend from the privilege of his more honourable rank, and assume the lower distinction (of his visitor).
3(On occasion of a visit through a minister or Great officer) when the cup was thrice presented, the ruler received it on a single mat :—so did he descend from the privilege of his more honourable rank, and assume the lower distinction (of his visitor). 4. In feasting (the orphaned young in spring) and © at the vernal sacrifice in the ancestral temple they had music; but in feeding (the aged) and at the autumnal sacrifice they had no music :—these were based in the developing and receding influences (prevalent in nature). All drinking serves to nourish the developing influence; all eating to nourish the receding influence. Hence came the different character of the vernal and autumnal sacrifices; the feasting the orphaned young in spring, and the feeding the aged in autumn :—the idea was the same. But in the feeding and at the autumnal sacrifice there was no music. Drinking serves to nourish the developing influence and therefore is accompanied with music. Eating serves to nourish the receding influ- ‘sweet savour’ of the offerings, was the most important, and should excite the worshippers to add to their sincerity and reverence all other graces of character. The same lesson was given to the feudal princes when they were entertained as visitors at the royal court. SECT. I. THE KIAO THEH SANG. 419 ence, and therefore is not accompanied with music. All modulation of sound partakes of the character of development. 5. The number of tripods and meat-stands was odd, and that of the tall dishes of wood and bamboo was even'; this also was based in the numbers belonging to the developing and receding influences. The stands were filled with the products of the water and the land. They did not dare to use for them things of extraordinary flavours? or to attach a value to the multitude and variety of their contents, and it was thus that they maintained their intercourse with spiritual intelligences. 6. When the guests had entered the great door, the music struck up the Sze Hsia‘, showing the blended ease and respect (of the king). (While feasting), at the end of (every) cup the music stopped (for a moment), a practice of which Confucius often indicated his admiration. When the last cup had been put down, the performers ascended the hall, and sang; —exhibiting the virtues (of host and guests). The singers were (in the hall) above, and the organists were (in the court) below ;—the honour being thus 1 Every Chinese scholar knows that odd numbers all belong to the category of Yang ( ), and even numbers to that of Yin (— —). * The meaning of this clause is uncertain, and I have not found it anywhere sufficiently explained, considering what the characters -are (3% (Ae). * This paragraph and the next describe ceremonies on occasion of the king’s reception of the great nobles, when they appeared in great force at court. With this the expurgated Li A? begins. * See note 1, page 413. Ee2 420 THE Lf xt. BK. IX.
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?’ the Khien-lung editors point out, cannot be adopted. And how any sacrifice to the hills, however great, could be represented as greater than the quinquennial sacrifice in the ancestral temple, I cannot understand. I must leave the paragraph in the obscurity that belongs to it. 1 The Khien-lung editors say:—‘ 3ze-lG was a leal-hearted and sincere man, and the Book ends with this account of him. From the mention of the preparation of the rites on a great scale and of their high value at the beginning of the Book down to this tribute to 3ze-lQ as understanding ceremonies, its whole contents show that what is valuable in the rites is the combination of the idea of what is right with the elegant and outward form as sufficient to remove from a man all perversity and increase what is good in his nature, without a multiplicity of forms which would injure the natural goodness and sincerity, and lead their practiser to a crooked perversity. Deep and far-reaching is the idea of it!’ BOOK IX. THE XIAO THEH SANG OR THE SINGLE VICTIM AT THE BORDER SACRIFICES’. Section I. 1. At the border sacrifices a single victim was used, and at the altars to (the spirits of) the land and grain there was (the full complement of) three victims *._ When the son of Heaven went on his ' See the introductory notice, p. 26. * The object of the statements here and some other paragraphs is to show that the degree of honour was expressed by the ‘paucity’ of the articles; compare last Book, Sect. i, paragraph 8. Perhaps the name Xido (Sh) in the title should be translated in the plural as the name for all the border sacrifices, or those offered in the suburbs of the capital. There were several of them, of which the greatest was that at the winter solstice, on the round hillock in the southern suburb. Besides this, there was in the first month the border sacrifice for ‘ grain,'—to pray for the blessing of Heaven on the agricultural labours of the year, in which Hau i, the father of the line of Xu, and its ‘ Father of Husbandry,’ was associated by that dynasty. There were also the five seasonal border sacrifices, of which we have mention in the different parts of Book IV, though, so far as what is said in them goes, the idea of Heaven falls into the background, and the five deified ancient sovereigns come forward as so many Tfs. In the first month of summer there was, further, a great border sacrifice for rain, and in the last month of autumn a great border sacrifice of thanksgiving. ‘Of all these border sacrifices,’ say the KAien-lung editors, ‘there is clear evidence in classical texts.’ Into the discussions growing out of them about ‘ one Heaven,’ or ‘ five Heavens,’ and about their origin, it is not necessary that I should enter; it would be foreign, indeed, to my object in this translation to do so. The SECT. 1. THE XIAO THEH SANG. 417
2The SECT. 1. THE XIAO THEH SANG. 417 inspecting tours to the princes, the viands of the feast to him were composed of a (single) calf; and when they visited him, the rites with which he received them showed the three regular animals. (The feasting of him in such a manner) was to do honour to the idea of sincerity’. Therefore if the animal happened to be pregnant, the son of Heaven did not eat of it, nor did he use such a victim in sacrificing to God *. 2. The horses of the Grand carriage had one ornamental tassel at the breast; those of the carriages that preceded had three; and those of the carriages that followed had five’. There were the blood at the border sacrifice; the raw flesh in the great offering of the ancestral temple; the sodden flesh where spirits are presented thrice; and the roast meat where they are presented once *:—these were expressive of the greatest reverence, but the taste was not valued ; what was held in honour was the scent of the air‘. When the princes appeared as guests, border sacrifices were the greatest religious or ceremonial services of the ancient Chinese; and the fact to which our attention is called in this Book, is that at them there was used only a single victim. 1 Why ‘a calf?’ ‘Because of its guileless simplicity,’ says Kau Hsii of our eleventh century; earlier than AQ Hs}, who adopted his explanation. The calf, whether male or female, has not yet felt .the appetency of sex, and is unconscious of any ‘ dissipation.’ This is a refinement on the Hebrew idea of the victim lamb, ‘without blemish.’ * This might be referred to his unwillingness to take life unnecessarily, but for what has just been said about the calf. ® See last Book, Sect. i, 8; and Sect. ii, 6. * Little is said on the meaning of this statement, which appears to say that the most subtle and ethereal thing in sacrifices, the [27] Ee 418 THE Lf xf. BK. IX. they were presented with herb-flavoured spirits, because of their fragrance; at the great entertainment to them the value was given to (the preliminary) pieces of flesh prepared with cinnamon and nothing more. 3. At a great feast (to the ruler of another state), the ruler (who was the host) received the cup seated on his three mats. (On occasion of a visit through a minister or Great officer) when the cup was thrice presented, the ruler received it on a single mat :—so did he descend from the privilege of his more honourable rank, and assume the lower distinction (of his visitor).
3(On occasion of a visit through a minister or Great officer) when the cup was thrice presented, the ruler received it on a single mat :—so did he descend from the privilege of his more honourable rank, and assume the lower distinction (of his visitor). 4. In feasting (the orphaned young in spring) and © at the vernal sacrifice in the ancestral temple they had music; but in feeding (the aged) and at the autumnal sacrifice they had no music :—these were based in the developing and receding influences (prevalent in nature). All drinking serves to nourish the developing influence; all eating to nourish the receding influence. Hence came the different character of the vernal and autumnal sacrifices; the feasting the orphaned young in spring, and the feeding the aged in autumn :—the idea was the same. But in the feeding and at the autumnal sacrifice there was no music. Drinking serves to nourish the developing influence and therefore is accompanied with music. Eating serves to nourish the receding influ- ‘sweet savour’ of the offerings, was the most important, and should excite the worshippers to add to their sincerity and reverence all other graces of character. The same lesson was given to the feudal princes when they were entertained as visitors at the royal court. SECT. I. THE KIAO THEH SANG. 419 ence, and therefore is not accompanied with music. All modulation of sound partakes of the character of development. 5. The number of tripods and meat-stands was odd, and that of the tall dishes of wood and bamboo was even'; this also was based in the numbers belonging to the developing and receding influences. The stands were filled with the products of the water and the land. They did not dare to use for them things of extraordinary flavours? or to attach a value to the multitude and variety of their contents, and it was thus that they maintained their intercourse with spiritual intelligences. 6. When the guests had entered the great door, the music struck up the Sze Hsia‘, showing the blended ease and respect (of the king). (While feasting), at the end of (every) cup the music stopped (for a moment), a practice of which Confucius often indicated his admiration. When the last cup had been put down, the performers ascended the hall, and sang; —exhibiting the virtues (of host and guests). The singers were (in the hall) above, and the organists were (in the court) below ;—the honour being thus 1 Every Chinese scholar knows that odd numbers all belong to the category of Yang ( ), and even numbers to that of Yin (— —). * The meaning of this clause is uncertain, and I have not found it anywhere sufficiently explained, considering what the characters -are (3% (Ae). * This paragraph and the next describe ceremonies on occasion of the king’s reception of the great nobles, when they appeared in great force at court. With this the expurgated Li A? begins. * See note 1, page 413. Ee2 420 THE Lf xt. BK. IX.
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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