It has never
been that the ruler of a State, where these results were seen, the old
wearing silk and eating flesh, and the black-haired people suffering
neither from hunger nor cold, did not attain to the Royal dignity."
[NOTE: _Books II, III, and IV are omitted_]
[Footnote 1: The title of this book in Chinese is--"King Hwuy of Leang;
in chapters and sentences." Like the Books of the Confucian Analects,
those of this work are headed by two or three words at or near the
commencement of them. Each Book is divided into two parts. This
arrangement was made by Chaou K'e, and to him are due also the divisions
into chapters, and sentences, or paragraphs, containing, it may be, many
sentences.]
[Footnote 2: Seang was the son of King Hwuy. The first year of his reign
is supposed to be B.C. 317. Seang's name was Hih. As a posthumous
epithet, Seang has various meanings: "Land-enlarger and Virtuous";
"Successful in Arms." The interview here recorded seems to have taken
place immediately after Hih's accession, and Mencius, it is said, was so
disappointed by it that he soon after left the country.]
THE SHI-KING
[_Metrical translation by James Legge_]
INTRODUCTION
The wisdom of Confucius as a social reformer, as a teacher and guide of
the Chinese people, is shown in many ways. He not only gave them a code
of personal deportment, providing them with rules for the etiquette and
ceremony of life, but he instilled into them that profound spirit of
domestic piety which is one of the strongest features in the Chinese
character.
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