BOOK I. THE GREAT DECLARATION. PART II.
On the day mow-woo, the king halted on the north of the River. When all the chiefs with their hosts were assembled, the king reviewed the hosts, and made the following declaration, saying, "Ah! Ye multitudes of the West, listen all to my words.
CONTENTS OF THE SECOND PART. Since the delivery of the first address, the army has crossed the Ho, when Woo reviews it, and makes this speech,which is more especially addressed to the troops. He makes Show and Këě, T＇ang and himself, all pass before his men, showing that Show was more wicked than Këě, and that his punishment of him would be more glorious than T＇ang＇s had been of Këě. Heaven will surely crown their enterprise with success; and he therefore in conclusion urges them all to go into battle,not despising the tyrant, but with united hand and heart, to accomplish a work that should last for ages. The whole is divided into 9 paragraphs.
Pp. 1, 2. The time, place and occasion of the address; and the parties addressed. The time was the day mow-woo, which we are able to determine, from the lst par. of the ＇Completion of the War,＇ to have been the 28th day of the lst month. We are there told that Woo began his march to attack Chow on the day jinshin, which was the 2d of the lst month. Calculating on to the day mow-woo, we ascertain that it was the 28th of the same moon. The controversy, described on the lst par. of the last Part, on the term ＇spring,＇however, is not decided by this fixing of the relation between the two dates. Ts＇ae will still have the month to be the first of the Hea year,—really the first month of spring; Gan-kwŏ and others will have it to be the first month of the Chow year, the second month of winter. 次于河北, 次=止, ＇to stop＇, ＇to be stationed＇. In the interval, therefore, between the two addresses, the army had crossed the Ho. 徇師,—徇 (3d tone)=循,＇to go about＇. Hwang Too explains it from the phrase拊循, ＇to cheer and animate＇. ＇To review＇ expresses the meaning accurately enough. Perhaps we are to understand that the king first crossed the river and encamped; and then, when all the princes with their troops, had pitched their tents around him, he went through the host and addressed the soldiers. 2. 西土有衆,—Woo and his father had both been ＇Chiefs of the West,＇—viceroys over that part of the empire.
3. "I have heard that the good man, doing good, finds the day insufficient, and that the evil man, doing evil,likewise finds the day insufficient. Now Show, the king of Shang, with strength pursues his lawless way.He has cast away the time-worn sires, and cultivates intimacies with wicked men. Dissolute, intemperate,reckless, oppressive, his ministers have become assimilated to him; and they form parties, and contract animosities, and depend on the emperor＇s power to exterminate one another. The innocent cry to Heaven. The odour of such a state is plainly felt on high.
4. "Heaven loves the people, and the sovereign should reverence this mind of Heaven.
P3. The dreadful wickedness of Show.
吉人, 凶人,—comp. the use of 吉 and 凶 in the＇Counsels of Yu＇, p5. Here, however, we are to take the terms in their purely moral signification. This use of them shows the deep conviction that goodness and prosperity, evil and calamity, ought always to be found together.
播棄犁老,—comp. in the ＇Viscount of Wei,＇ p.3,耄遜于荒, 播 is here explained by 放, very nearly synonymous with 棄. 犁 is most simply explained by taking it as for 黧, ＇black and yellow＇, the colour of old men＇s faces. Mih-tsze says of Chow that he 播棄黎老,where 黎 is probably intended for the character in the text.
胒比罪人,—胒 (neih), as in the ＇charge to Yuě p.5;比, as in the ＇Instructions of E,＇ p.7. 朋家作仇=各立朋黨, 互為仇讐. 脅權,—脅, as in the ＇Punitive Expedition of Yin,＇ p.6,=進, ＇to press＇, ＇to force＇. The phrase here=＇they make forcible use of—press upon with—the power of the emperor＇. 籲天=告天 or 呼天, ＇appeal to Heaven＇.
穢德,—＇their filthy, fetid deeds＇. See on the ＇Pwankǎng＇. Pt. ii., p. 8.
Pp. 4, 5. Heaven will always overthrow wickedness and tyranny:—illustrated in the case of Këě and T＇ang,and now in that of Show, who was worse than Këě,and himself. 4. 惠=愛, ＇to love＇, 有夏桀 is not= ＇there was Këě of Hea＇, but 有夏之君, 桀, Këě, the ruler who held Hea.＇
Këĕ, the sovereign of Hea, could not follow the example of Heaven, but sent forth his poisonous injuries through the States of the empire:—Heaven favoured and charged T＇ang, the successful, to make an end of the decree of Hea.
5. But the crimes of Show exceed those of Këĕ.He has stript and degraded the greatly good man; he has behaved with cruel tyranny to his reprove and helper. He says that his is the decree of Heaven; he says that a reverent care of his conduct is not worth observing; he says that sacrifice is of no use; he says that tyranny is no matter. The case for his inspection was not remote;—in that king of Hea. It would seem that Heaven is going by means of me to rule the people. My dreams coincide with my divinations; the auspicious omen is double. My attack on Shang must succeed.
流毒下國=流毒于下國, ＇flowed out his poison upon the lower States＇. Këě is conceived of on the throne of the empire, as being raised on high, above his own and all the feudal domains. 降黜夏命,—降黜 = to brindown g . the e h tdxpressioihef＇C55ttoteanpaway.ompnnnouthe Preface,—成王既黜殷命. 5. 罪浮于桀,—浮, comp.on the ＇Pwan-kang＇, Pt. ii. Here it is evidently = 勝 or過, ＇to exceed＇. 剝喪元良,—剝, ＇to tear＇, ＇to peel＇ = ＇to degrade＇; 喪 is 失位, ＇to use one＇s office＇, used, here in a hiphil sense. It is supposed that this clause has reference to the viscount of Wei, whose withdrawal from hurt, it would thus appear, was preceded by violence and oppression on the part of Show.
The next clause,—賊虐諫輔, referred to Pe-kan. 謂已有天命,—see the ＇Conquest of Le＇, p. 5.
敬不足行,—＇reverence is not worth being practised＇.We had better understand the ＇reverence＇ with reference to his own conduct, and do the business of the state .祭無益,—this was the cry of the wicked Jews in the line of Malachi,—＇It is vain to serve God.＇ 暴無傷,—無傷,—see Men. I., Pt., vii. 8. —厥鑒, 云云,see the quotation from the She King in Mencius, IV.,Pt. I., ii., 5. —天其以予乂民,observe the force of 其.朕夢協朕卜, 襲于休祥, 戎商必克.—We have no other intimation of Woo＇s being encouraged in a dream toact against Show; his divination may have been before the shrine of his father, referred to in the last Part, p. 10 .襲,=重, ＇double＇, ＇repeated＇. 襲于休祥,—＇both agree in being auspicious＇, 戎, ＇a weapon＇, here= ＇to attack with weapons＇. Acc. to the interpretation thus indicated, which is after Ts＇ae, the omens were only two, which united in being favourable. In the 國語, however, 周語, 下, the passage is quoted, where the speaker is treating of the agreement of three omens, and he adds to the passage—以三襲也. On this view,襲于休祥= ＇agree with the 休祥＇, whatever this was.Lin Che-k＇e, adopting this construction, refers to the 24th chap. of the ＇Doctrine of the Mean＇, where it is said that when a nation or a family is about to flourish,there will be 禎祥, seen in the milfoil and tortoise, etc.
6. "Show has hundreds of thousands and millions of ordinary men, divided in heart and divided in practice;—I have of ministers capable of government ten men, one in heart and one in practice. Although he has his nearest relatives with him, they are not like my virtuous men.
7. Heaven sees as my people see; Heaven hears as my people hear. The people are blaming me, the one man, for my delay;—I must now go forward.
There, a substantive meaning may be given to those two characters, as to 休祥 here,—namely the occurrence of certain unusual phenomena;—see Ying-tǎ on the passage of the 中庸. The editors of Yung-ching＇s Shoo seem on the whole inclined to favour this view.
P. 6. The greater number of Show＇s host and adherents was no cause for doubt as to the issue. See on the 8th par. of last Part. 夷人,—夷=平常, ＇common, ordinary men＇. 予有亂臣十人,—see Con. Ana., VIII., xx. 周親,—周=至, the superlative adverb, ＇most＇. The phrase 周親, and the whole clause indeed, are difficult. The paraphrase of the ＇Daily Explanation＇ is:—受所親信者, 雖有同姓至親, 然皆兇人醜類, 同惡相濟, 我之十臣, 雖不盡是我之親戚, 然皆是仁厚有德之人, 可以經邦濟世, ＇Although those in whom Show reposes his most intimate confidence are his nearest relatives of thesame surname with himself, yet they are all bad men and detestable, helping him and one another in their common wickedness. My ten ministers, on the other hand, although they are not all my own relatives, are virtuous men, benevolent and generous, fit to rule a country and benefit the age.＇
[Confucius said that there was a woman among Woo＇s ten able ministers;—see the Ana., loc cit. She is generally spoken of as 文母, ＇mother Wǎn,＇ king Woo＇s mother, the famous 太姒. Others think Woo＇s wife, 邑姜, must be intended. It is not easy to believe this.]
P. 7. The will of Heaven might be seen from the earnest wish of the people that he should destroy Show .天視民聽……,—see Men., V,. Pt. I., v., 8. Itwould not be easy to determine the exact meaning of the term ＇Heaven＇ here. The attention of Choo He being called to the applicability of the definition of Heaven as meaning ＇Reason,＇ or ＇what is Reasonable＇here, replied, ＇Heaven certainly means "What is Reasonable"; but it does not mean that only. It means also "the azure vault" (蒼蒼者亦是天), and it means too "the Lord and Ruler who is above" (在上而有主宰者亦是天). The term is to be explained in every place by a consideration of the context. If here you say that it means "what is Reasonable," how can that see and hear? Although the explanations are different, there yet is something common in all the usage. If you know that, you will not be startled by the differences;and if you know them, you will see that they are not inconsistent with the common idea.＇—See the passage quoted in the 集說. 百姓有過, 在予一人,—Lin Chek＇e takes these words as equivalent to those in the＇Announcement of T＇ang,＇ p. 7, 萬方有罪, 在予一人;and most readers will feel inclined at first to agree with him.
8. My military prowess is displayed, and I enter his territories, to take the wicked tyrant. My punishment of evil will be shown more glorious than that of T＇ang.9. Rouse ye, my heroes! Do not think that he is not to be feared;—better think that he cannot be withstood.His people stand in trembling awe of him, as if the horns were falling from their heads. Oh! Unite your energies, unite your hearts;—so shall you forthwith surely accomplish the work to last for all ages."
過 is to be distinguished, however, from罪, and the sentiment appropriate to the lips of T＇ang, who had vanquished his rival is not to be expected from Woo,who was only marching to the flight, Gan-kwŏ,as if he had T＇ang＇s words before him, and yet felt the difference between 過 and 罪, interpreted—＇It devolves on me, the one man to teach the people,and correct their errors.＇ But this idea is foreign to the occasion. Ts＇ae＇s explanation of 過 by 責, ＇faultfinding＇, ＇complaining of,＇ is very ingenious, and sound. See the Con. Ana,. xx., i., 5, where also we have the conclusion of the last paragraph.
P. 8. The present enterprise was not less but more glorious than that of T＇ang. Compare the paragraph as quoted by Mencius, Bk. III., Pt. II., v., 6. It will be seen to be rhythmical, and this may account for the difficulty which we find in construing it. 侵于之疆=侵入受之疆界, ＇I invade and enter the boundaries of Show＇s domain.＇ 于湯有光,—Ts＇ae makes this to = ＇and this will reflect light on T＇ang,＇ i.e., will make his mind in attacking Këě more clear. As the editors of Yungching＇s Shoo say, this is too ingenious. Ts＇ae wanted to relieve Woo of a portion of the charge of boastfulness,which is urged against the language of this Book; but foreign students of Chinese history do not feel the pressure of such a charge. We are content to take king Woo as we find him, and are not concerned to bring his character either up or down to the Chinese idea of a sage.
P. 9. He rouses his men to prepare for the fight with stern determination, not undervaluing their enemy, but rather overvaluing him. A good part of this paragraph is also found in Mencius;—see VII., Pt. II., iv. 5. His variations from the present text are, however, greater, and affect the meaning of the several parts of the par. How to account for the differences is a difficult question. To say that our present ＇Old Text＇ is a forgery, is an absurd solution;—the true solution has yet to be found.
夫子,—＇my masters,＇ here = ＇my heroes＇,
罔或無畏, 寧執非敵=無或以紂為不足畏, 寧執心以為非我所敵也, as in the translation. 百姓懍懍,—the people are understood to be those of Show＇s domain,and the parts of the empire in the east. The next clause represents them as a flock of cattle, whose horns were being broken. 立定厥功,—the立is best taken adverbially,= ＇forthwith＇.
