Shen Jian (申鑑) · Volume 1

申鑑儒家

Shen Jian (Extended Mirror), Confucian category. (The received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription.)

【臣】等謹案申鑑五卷漢荀悅撰悅字仲豫潁川潁隂人淑之孫爽之兄子也獻帝時官秘書監侍中後漢書本傳稱悅侍講禁中見政移曹氏志在獻替而謀無所用乃作申鑑五篇其所論辨通見政體既成奏上帝覽而善之其書見於隋經籍志唐藝文志者皆五卷卷各一篇一曰政體二曰時事皆制治大要及時所當行之務三曰俗嫌皆破禨祥防緯之説四曰襍言上五曰襍言下則皆泛論義理頗似揚雄法言後漢書取其政體篇為政之方一章時事篇正尚主之制復內外註記二章載入傳中又稱悅別有崇徳正論及諸論數十篇今並不傳惟漢紀及此書尚行於世漢紀文約事詳足稱良史而此書剖析事理尤為深切著明蓋由其原本儒術故所言皆極醇正於治道深有禆益焉明正徳中吳縣黃省曽復為之注凡萬四千餘言引據博洽多得悅防其於後漢書所引間有同異者亦並列其文於句下以便考訂然如政體篇真實而已句今本後漢書實作定不肅而治句今本後漢書治作成而省曾均未之及則亦不免於偶疎也乾隆四十二年十月恭校上

[Your servants] respectfully note: Shen Jian, five scrolls, was compiled by Xun Yue of the Han dynasty. Xun Yue, courtesy name Zhongyu, was a native of Yingyin in Yingchuan, grandson of Xun Shu and son of the elder brother of Xun Shuang. Under Emperor Xian he rose to Director of the Palace Library and Palace Attendant. The biography in the Hou Han Shu says that Xun Yue, lecturing in the palace, saw that governmental power had fallen into the hands of the Cao family, and though he was eager to offer advice for correction, his plans had nowhere to be used, so he wrote five chapters of Shen Jian. His discussions in the book all penetrated the essentials of government, and when it was completed and presented, Emperor Xian read it and approved. This work is recorded in the Sui Shu Jingji Zhi and the Tang Shu Yiwen Zhi as five scrolls, each scroll one chapter: first, Zhengti (The Substance of Government), second, Shishi (Affairs of the Times), both on the great essentials of governing a state and what needed to be done in his day; third, Suxian (Doubts of Custom), all on dispelling the doctrines of omens and fortune and the (a rare character here, lost in transcription) apocrypha; fourth, Zayan Shang (Miscellaneous Sayings, Part One), and fifth, Zayan Xia (Miscellaneous Sayings, Part Two), all general discussion of principle, much like Yang Xiong's Fayan. The Hou Han Shu took the chapter "The Method of Governing" from Zhengti and the two chapters "Correcting the System of Marrying Princesses" and "Restoring the Inner and Outer Records" from Shishi and entered them in the biography. It also says Xun Yue wrote besides these Chongde, Zhenglun and dozens of other essays, none of which survive today, and only the Han Ji and this book remain current in the world. The Han Ji is concise in words and thorough in facts, and deserves to be called good history; this book is especially deep and clear in analyzing principles, presumably because he was originally trained in Confucian learning, so all that he says is quite pure and of great benefit to governance. In the Zhengde era of the Ming, Huang Shengzeng of Wuxian also wrote a commentary on it, some fourteen thousand characters in all, with wide and learned citations, which often caught Xun Yue's (a rare character here, lost in transcription). Where the book differs from what the Hou Han Shu quotes, the texts are also set side by side below the lines to aid comparison. Yet for example in the Zhengti sentence "it is only a matter of being real", the present text of the Hou Han Shu has "settled" in place of "real", and in the sentence "orders without strictness" the present Hou Han Shu has "accomplished" in place of "governed", and Huang Shengzeng mentions neither, so he too is not free of occasional oversights. Respectfully collated and submitted in the tenth month of the forty-second year of Qianlong.

夫道之本仁義而已矣五典以經之群籍以緯之詠之歌之之舞之前鑑既明後復申之故古之聖王其於仁義也申重而已篤序無疆謂之申鑑聖漢統天惟宗時亮其功格宇宙粵有虎臣亂政【虎臣漢興輔弼之臣所與共成天功者亂治也治亂謂之亂猶治汙謂之汙也書泰誓曰予有亂臣十人】時亦惟荒圮湮【治荒曰荒】茲洪軌儀監於三代之典王允迪厥徳【迪蹈也】功業有尚天道在爾惟帝茂止【古茂□通用勉也】陟降膚止萬國康止允出茲斯行逺矣立天之道曰隂與陽立地之道曰柔與剛立人之道曰仁與義【此引易繫辭文以見人道惟在仁義為政者當申重之也】隂陽以統其精氣【所謂在天成象】剛柔以品其群形【所謂在地成形】仁義以經其事業是為道也【此三才之道所以立也】故凢政之大經法教而已矣教者陽之化也【教者徳禮之謂】法者隂之符也【法者政刑之謂】仁也者慈此者也義也者宜此者也禮也者履此者也信也者守此者也智也者知此者也是故好惡以章之喜怒以涖之哀樂以恤之若乃二端不愆【二端者教與法也】五徳不離【五徳者仁義禮智信也】六節不悖【六節者好惡喜怒哀樂也】則三才允序五事交備【洪範次二曰敬用五事一曰貌二曰言三曰視四曰聽五曰思恭從明聰睿所謂交備也】百工惟釐庶績鹹熈【堯典曰允釐百工庶績鹹熈注曰工官釐治庶眾績功鹹皆熈廣也】天作道皇作極【洪範次五曰建用皇極又曰惟皇作極極中也】臣作輔民作基【輔助也弼也基址也謂臣工協棐民心鞏固也】惟先喆【古哲喆通用賔戲曰聖喆之治】王之政一曰承天二曰正身三曰任賢四曰恤民五曰明制六曰立業承天惟允正身惟常任賢惟固恤民惟勤明制惟典立業惟敦是謂政體也致治【按漢書作政字】之術先屏四患乃崇五政一曰偽二曰私三曰放四曰奢偽亂俗私壞法放越軌奢敗制四者不除則政末由行矣【按漢書矣下有夫字】俗亂則道荒雖天地不得保其性矣【所謂天生蒸民其命匪諶靡不有初鮮克有終者也】法壊則世傾雖人主不得守其度矣軌越則禮亡雖聖人不得全其道矣制敗則欲肆雖四表不能充其求矣是謂四患【此偽私放奢所以為患而當先屛也按當時如董卓鳴鐘鼔如洛以逐君側之惡為名而實有異志後則劫帝長安欲事成雄據天下偽莫有甚焉者卓以嚴刑脅眾睚眥之隙必報故當時法令苛刻愛憎滛刑更相被誣寃死私莫有甚焉者卓至西京乘青蓋金華車畫兩轓放莫有甚焉者卓築郿塢髙與長安城埒積穀為三十年儲珠玉錦綺竒玩雜物皆山崇阜積奢莫有甚馬者繼而傕汜擅政曹操柄國率由一軌海內成風故悅以為言】興農桑以養其生【按漢書作性字】審好惡以正其俗宣文教以章其化立武備以秉其威明賞罰以統其法是謂五政民不畏死不可懼以罪【老子曰民不畏死柰何以死愳之】民不樂生不可觀【按漢書作勸字】以善雖使卨布五教咎繇作士政不行焉【無死之畏法何由施無生之樂教何由立】故在上者先豐民財以定其志帝耕籍田後桑蠶宮【月令孟春之月乃擇元辰天子親載耒耜棤之於參保介之御間帥三公九卿諸侯大夫躬耕帝籍天子三推三公五推卿諸侯九推又季春之日後妃齋戒親東鄉躬桑祭義曰天子為籍千畆冕而朱紘躬秉耒諸侯為籍百畆冕而青紘躬秉耒以事天地山川社稷先古以為醴酪齊盛於是取之敬之至也又古者天子諸侯必有公桑蠶室近川而為之築宮仞有三尺棘牆而外閉之及大昕之朝君皮弁素積卜三宮之夫人世婦之吉者使入蠶室奉種浴於川桑於公桑風戾以食之至漢文帝常詔開籍田而漢制皇后亦帥公卿諸侯夫人蠶此所謂興農桑也】國無逰民野無荒業財不虛【按漢書作賈字】用力不妄加以周民事是謂養生【此政之當崇者一也】君子之所以動天地應神明正萬物而成王治【按漢書作化字】者必本乎真實而已故在上者審則儀道以定好惡【按漢書作審定好醜焉】善惡要於【一作乎】功罪譭譽效於凖驗聴言責事舉名察實【功罪凖驗事實之謂也】無或詐偽以蕩眾心故事無不核物無不切【按漢書作功字】善無不顯【功得其跡也】惡無不彰【罪得其情也】俗無奸怪民無淫風【滛過無節也伊訓曰敢有殉於貨色恆於逰畋時謂淫風】百姓上下睹利害之存乎已也故肅恭其心慎脩其行內不忒【按漢書作回字】惑外無異望慮其睹去徼倖無罪過不憂懼請謁無所聴【一作行】財賂無所用則民志平矣是謂正俗【此政之當崇者二也】君子以情用小人以刑用【俗本誤作形】榮辱者賞罰之精華也故禮教榮辱以加君子化其情也桎梏鞭樸以加小人治【漢書作化】其刑也【在手曰梏在足曰桎重者鞭以治之輕者樸以撻之樸榎楚也周禮掌囚凡囚者上罪梏拲而桎中罪桎梏下罪梏條狼氏誓大夫曰敢不□鞭五百虞典曰鞭作官刑樸作教刑】君子不犯辱況於刑乎【刑不能以逮君子】小人不忌刑況於辱乎【辱不足以治小人】若夫中人之倫則刑禮兼焉教化之廢推中人而墜於小人之域教化之行引中人而納於君子之塗【塗路也】是謂章化【此政之當崇者二也】小人之情緩則驕驕則恣恣則急急則怨怨則畔危則謀亂安則思欲非威強無以懲之故在上者必有武備以戒不虞【易曰君子以除戎器戒不虞】以遏冦虐【詩民勞曰式遏冦虐俗本誤作虞】安居則寄之內政【國語桓公曰國安矣吾欲從事於諸侯其可乎管子對曰未可君若正卒伍修甲兵則大國亦將正卒伍修甲兵則難以速得志矣君有攻伐之器小國諸侯有守禦之備則難以速得志矣君欲速得志於天下諸侯則事可以隱令可以寄政桓公曰為之若何管子曰作內政而寄軍令焉韋昭解曰內政國政也因治政以寄軍令若有徵伐隣國不知也】有事則用之軍旅是謂秉威【此政之當崇者四也】賞罰政之柄也明賞必罰審信慎令賞以勸善罰以懲惡人主不妄賞非徒愛其財也賞妄行則善不勸矣不妄罰非徒慎其刑也罰妄行則惡不懲矣賞不勸謂之止善【賞及淫人則善無所勸而為善者止矣】罰不懲謂之縱惡【罰及吉人則惡無所懲而為惡者縱矣】在上者能不止下為善不縱下為惡則國治矣【按漢書作國法立矣】是謂統法【此政之當崇者五也】四患既蠲五政既【漢書作又】立行之以誠守之以固簡而不怠踈而不失【老子曰天網恢恢踈而不失】無為為之使自施之無事事之使自交之【老子曰為無為事無事】不肅而治【按漢書此下有不嚴而化一句】埀拱揖遜【漢書作讓】而海內平矣是謂為政之方也

The root of the Dao is nothing but benevolence and righteousness. Take the Five Canons as its warp and the many books as its woof; chant it, sing it, (a rare character here, lost in transcription), and dance it. The earlier lessons are already clear, and one states them once more later. Therefore the ancient sage-kings, with regard to benevolence and righteousness, only restated them and added emphasis, sincerely arranging them without end; this is called Shen Jian, the Extended Mirror. The sage Han dynasty holds the whole world only by honoring what is timely and assisting what is bright, and its achievement fills the cosmos. So there were martial ministers to govern affairs ["tiger ministers" refers to the assisting ministers who, from the Han's founding, together brought about Heaven's work. "Luan" means "to govern". To call governing disorder "disorder" is like calling cleaning dirt "dirtying". The Shangshu, in Taishi, says: "I have ten ministers to govern."] and even then there were places that were desolate, ruined and buried [to govern desolation and chaos is called desolating]; so great models and rules were established, taking the institutions of the Three Dynasties as examples. If the king can sincerely tread that virtue ["di" means "to tread", to put into practice], there is something to esteem in achievement, and the Way of Heaven is here. May the emperor only strive [in ancient times "mao" and a character that is damaged in the received text were interchangeable and mean to strive], so that rising and falling are both fine and the myriad states are at peace. Sincerity going out from here can travel far. The Way that establishes heaven is called yin and yang; the Way that establishes earth is called soft and hard; the Way that establishes humankind is called benevolence and righteousness [this cites the Appended Judgments of the Book of Changes, to show that the human way lies only in benevolence and righteousness, which those who govern should restate and emphasize]. Yin and yang are used to govern essence and qi [this is what is meant by forming images in heaven]; soft and hard are used to distinguish the many forms [this is what is meant by forming shapes on earth]; benevolence and righteousness are used to manage affairs; this is the Dao [this is the reason the way of the three powers can be established]. Therefore the great warp of all government is nothing but law and teaching. Teaching is the nurturing of yang [teaching refers to virtue and ritual]; law is the verification of yin [law refers to administration and punishment]. Benevolence is what loves this; righteousness is what makes this fitting; ritual is what practices this; trustworthiness is what keeps this; wisdom is what knows this. Therefore make it manifest through likes and dislikes, approach it through joy and anger, and care for it through sorrow and delight. If the two ends make no mistake [the two ends are teaching and law], the five virtues are not scattered [the five virtues are benevolence, righteousness, ritual, wisdom and trustworthiness], and the six measures are not disordered [the six measures are liking, disliking, joy, anger, sorrow and delight], then the three powers are in due order and the five matters are mutually complete [the second category of the Hongfan chapter of the Shangshu says "respectfully employ the five matters": the first is appearance, the second speech, the third seeing, the fourth hearing and the fifth thinking. Respectfulness, accord, clarity, keenness and sagacity are what is meant by mutual completeness]; the hundred officials are governed and all achievements are broad [the Yao Dian chapter of the Shangshu says: "Sincerely order the hundred officials, and all achievements are broad." The old commentary says: gong means officials, li means to govern, shu means many, ji means achievements, xian means all, xi means broad]. Heaven completes the Way, the sovereign completes the pole [the fifth category of the Hongfan says "establish and use the sovereign's pole", and also "only the sovereign makes the pole". The pole means the center]; ministers complete the assistance, and the people complete the foundation [assistance means help, means to aid; foundation means base. It means that ministers help and assist, and the people's hearts are firm]. Only the government of the wise kings of earlier ages [in ancient times zhe and zhe, two forms of the word for "wise", were interchangeable; the Bin Xi says "the government of the sage and wise"] has six things: the first is to receive Heaven's mandate, the second to rectify oneself, the third to employ the worthy, the fourth to care for the people, the fifth to clarify institutions, and the sixth to establish enterprises. To receive Heaven's mandate one must be sincere, to rectify oneself one must be constant, to employ the worthy one must be steadfast, to care for the people one must be diligent, to clarify institutions one must conform to the canons, and to establish enterprises one must be generous; this is called the substance of government. The method of bringing about good government is first to remove four afflictions and then to honor five policies. The first is falsehood, the second is selfishness, the third is license, the fourth is extravagance. Falsehood disturbs custom, selfishness ruins the law, license oversteps the track, and extravagance ruins institutions. If these four are not removed, government has no way to be carried out [note: the Han Shu has the particle "fu" after "yi"]. When custom is disordered the Way is abandoned, and even heaven and earth cannot keep their nature [this is what is meant by Heaven giving birth to the multitude of people whose fates cannot be relied on, none lacking a beginning and few reaching an end]; when law is ruined the age is overturned, and even a ruler cannot keep his rules. When the track overshoots ritual one perishes, and even a sage cannot preserve his Way. When institutions are ruined desire runs wild, and even the four extremes cannot fill his demands. These are called the four afflictions [this is the reason falsehood, selfishness, license and extravagance are the afflictions that should be removed first. Note: at that time, for example, Dong Zhuo struck bells and beat drums as if in Luoyang, using the name of driving out the evil beside the ruler while actually harboring other ambitions, and later seized Emperor Xian and took him to Chang'an, intending to hold the world with a heroic grip once his plan succeeded; no falsehood was greater than this. Dong Zhuo cowed people with severe punishments and repaid even the smallest grudges, so the laws of the time were harsh, punishments were freely applied by love and hatred, and people falsely accused each other and died wronged; no selfishness was greater than this. When Dong Zhuo went to the western capital, he rode in a green-canopied gold-flowered carriage, (a rare character here, lost in transcription) with two banners painted; no license was greater than this. Dong Zhuo built the Mei fortress as high as the wall of Chang'an and stored grain for thirty years, and pearls, jade, brocades and rare playthings were piled up like mountains; no extravagance was greater than this. Then Li Jue and Guo Si monopolized government, and Cao Cao held the reins of state, all following the same track, so that within the seas it became a fashion, and so Xun Yue says these things]. Promote farming and sericulture to nourish the people's livelihood [note: the Han Shu has the character xing, nature]; examine likes and dislikes to rectify custom; spread culture and teaching to make teaching manifest; build military readiness to hold awe; make rewards and punishments clear to govern the law; this is called the five policies. If the people do not fear death, one cannot make them afraid with punishment [the Laozi says: "If the people do not fear death, why frighten them with death?"]; if the people do not delight in life, one cannot encourage them with goodness [note: the Han Shu has the character for "encourage"]; even if Xie were to spread the five teachings and Gao Yao were made judge, government could not be carried out [without the fear of death, where would law be applied; without delight in life, where would teaching be established]. Therefore those above first make the people's wealth abundant to settle their aims. The Son of Heaven personally plows the ceremonial field and the empress personally tends silkworms in the silkworm palace [the Liji, Yueling, says that in the first month of spring, on an auspicious day, the Son of Heaven personally carries the plow, places it between the guard and the driver, and leads the Three Dukes, Nine Ministers, feudal lords and grand masters to plow the imperial field: the Son of Heaven pushes three times, the Three Dukes five times, and the ministers and lords nine times. In the last month of spring, the consort fasts and personally gathers mulberry leaves facing east. The Jiyi says: the Son of Heaven has a thousand mu of ceremonial field and, in a crown and vermilion sash, personally holds the plow; feudal lords have a hundred mu of ceremonial field and, in a crown and blue sash, personally hold the plow, in order to serve heaven and earth, the mountains and rivers, the altars of soil and grain and the ancestors, and wine, sweet drink, sauce, curds and sacrificial rice all come from here, reverence at its utmost. Also in ancient times, the Son of Heaven and feudal lords surely had public mulberry groves and silkworm chambers, built near rivers, with palace walls one ren and three chi high, enclosed by thorn walls and barred from the outside. At dawn, the ruler, wearing a skin cap and plain skirt, divined among the ladies and consorts of the three palaces for the auspicious ones, and had them enter the silkworm chambers, take the silkworm eggs and wash them in the river, gather mulberry on the public groves, and dry the leaves in the wind to feed the silkworms. In the time of Emperor Wen of Han, edicts were often issued to open ceremonial fields, and under the Han system the empress also led the wives of the ministers and lords in tending silkworms. This is what is called promoting farming and sericulture.] The state has no idle people, the countryside has no abandoned work, wealth is not wasted [note: the Han Shu has the character for "trade"], and labor is not recklessly applied, so that the people's affairs are made complete; this is called nourishing life [this is the first of the five policies to be honored]. What enables the gentleman to move heaven and earth, evoke response from the spirits, set all things right and accomplish a king's governance [note: the Han Shu has the character for "transform"] must be rooted in nothing but being real. Therefore those above examine the rules and take their model from the Dao to fix likes and dislikes [note: the Han Shu has "examine and determine what is fine and what is ugly"]; good and evil are determined by [one text has "hu"] merit and offense, and praise and blame are verified by standards; listen to a person's words and hold him responsible for his work, cite his name and examine his reality [meaning merit and offense, standards and facts]; do not use deceit and falsehood to shake the people's hearts. Then there is no matter that is not verified and no thing that is not close at hand [note: the Han Shu has the character for "merit"]; there is no good that is not made known [merit gets its traces]; there is no evil that is not made clear [offense gets its facts]; custom has no wickedness and the people have no excess [excess means going beyond and lacking restraint. The Shangshu, in Yi Xun, says: "If any dare to indulge in goods and women, or are constant in roaming and hunting, this is called the excessive custom."]. When the people, high and low, see that benefit and harm lie in themselves, they respectfully compose their hearts and carefully cultivate their conduct; within, there is no error [note: the Han Shu has the character for "deviation"] or confusion, and without, there is no improper hope; they take care that others will see them and so drop hope of luck; with no offense they have no fear, there is nowhere for private requests to be heard [one text has "carried out"], and no place for bribes to be used, and then the people's aims are leveled. This is called rectifying custom [this is the second of the five policies to be honored]. The gentleman is governed through feeling, the petty person through punishment [the vulgar text mistakenly has "form"]; honor and disgrace are the essence of reward and punishment. So when ritual teaching and honor and disgrace are applied to the gentleman, it moves his feelings; when fetters and the whip are applied to the petty person, it is the punishment that governs him [the Han Shu has "transforms"] [on the hands it is called a gu, on the feet a zhi. For the heavy, the whip is used to govern; for the light, the rod is used to beat. The rod is a stick of catalpa or thorn. The Zhouli, Zhangqiu: for prisoners, those of the highest crime are put in hand and foot fetters, those of the middle crime in foot and hand fetters, and those of the lowest crime in hand fetters. The Tiaolangshi has the grand masters swear "dare not", followed by a character damaged in the received text, "five hundred strokes of the whip." The Yu Shu says: "The whip is for official punishment, the rod for teaching punishment."]. The gentleman does not even incur disgrace, let alone punishment [punishment cannot be used on the gentleman]; the petty person does not even fear punishment, let alone disgrace [disgrace is not enough to govern the petty person]. As for middling people, punishment and ritual are used together. When teaching is abandoned, the middling are pushed into the position of the petty; when teaching is carried out, the middling are drawn onto the path of the gentleman [tu means path]. This is called manifesting transformation [this is the third of the five policies to be honored; the "second" in the received text should be a miswriting of "third"]. The feelings of the petty person: when relaxed they grow proud, when proud they run wild, when wild they become urgent, when urgent they resent, and when resentful they turn against you; in danger they plot disorder and in security they seek to satisfy their desires, and without strong authority there is no way to warn them. Therefore those above must have military readiness to guard against the unforeseen [the Book of Changes says: "The gentleman removes weapons to guard against the unexpected."] and to check bandits and violence [the Shijing, Min Lao, says "to check bandits and violence"; the vulgar text mistakenly has "yu"]. In time of peace it is lodged in domestic government [in the Guoyu, Duke Huan said: "The state is at peace now; I wish to take up affairs with the feudal lords, may I?" Guan Zi answered: "Not yet. If you reorganize the ranks and repair armor and weapons, the great states will also reorganize their ranks and repair armor and weapons, and it will be hard to achieve your aim soon. If you have the tools of attack, the small states and lords will have preparations for defense, and it will be hard to achieve your aim soon. If you want to achieve your aim quickly among the lords of the world, affairs can be concealed and orders lodged within government." Duke Huan asked how. Guan Zi said: "Carry out domestic government and lodge the military orders in it." Wei Zhao explains: domestic government is state government, using the management of government to lodge military orders so that if there is a campaign, neighboring states do not know it.]; in time of trouble it is used in the army; this is called holding awe [this is the fourth of the five policies to be honored]. Rewards and punishments are the handle of government. Rewards must be clear and punishments must be certain, trust applied with care and orders issued with care. Rewards are used to encourage good, punishments to chastise evil. The ruler's not giving rewards carelessly is not only to save goods; if rewards are carelessly given, good cannot be encouraged. Not punishing carelessly is not only caution in using punishment; if punishments are carelessly given, evil cannot be chastised. Rewards that cannot encourage are called stopping the good [when rewards reach the licentious, there is nowhere for good to be encouraged, and those who do good stop]; punishments that cannot chastise are called indulging evil [when punishments reach the fortunate, there is nowhere for evil to be chastised, and those who do evil run wild]. If those above can neither stop those below from doing good nor indulge them in doing evil, the state is governed [note: the Han Shu has "the laws of the state are established"]. This is called unifying the law [this is the fifth of the five policies to be honored]. When the four afflictions have been removed and the five policies have been [the Han Shu has "further"] established, carry them out with sincerity, keep them with firmness, be simple but not lazy, be sparse but not leaky [the Laozi says: "Heaven's net is vast; though its mesh is wide, nothing slips through."]. Do by not-doing and let it carry itself out; attend to by not-attending and let it connect itself [the Laozi says: "Do the not-doing, attend to the not-attending."]. Order without strictness [note: the Han Shu has after this the sentence "transform without severity"], with robes hanging down and hands folded, bowing and yielding [the Han Shu has "yielding"], and the realm within the seas is at peace. This is called the method of governing.

惟【缺】六則以立道經一曰中二曰和三曰正四曰公五曰誠六曰通以天道作中以地道作和以仁德作正以事物作公以身極作誠以變數作通【易傳曰通其變又曰變則通】是謂道實

Only [the received text probably has missing text here] six rules establish the constant of the Dao: the first is the mean, the second is harmony, the third is uprightness, the fourth is fairness, the fifth is sincerity, and the sixth is thoroughness. Use the Way of Heaven to make the mean, the Way of Earth to make harmony, benevolent virtue to make uprightness, affairs and things to make fairness, one's own utmost to make sincerity, and the number of transformations to make thoroughness [the Yi Zhuan says "to penetrate its changes", and also "when it changes, it penetrates"]. This is called the substance of the Dao.

惟恤十難以任賢能【周禮注賢謂有徳行者能謂有道藝者】一曰不知二曰不進【有知而不能進者】三曰不任【有進而不能任者】四曰不終【有任而不能終者】五曰以小怨棄大徳六曰以小過黜大功七曰以小失掩大美八曰以奸訐傷忠正九曰以邪說亂正度十曰以防嫉廢賢能【賢能所以不進不任不終者不過以小怨小過小失奸訐邪説防嫉數端妨之而已故歴言之以足十難】是謂十難十難不除則賢臣不用用臣不賢則國非其國也

Only by caring about the ten difficulties can the worthy and capable be employed [the Zhouli commentary says: "worthy" refers to those of virtuous conduct and "capable" to those of skill in the Way and arts]: the first is not knowing, the second is not advancing [there are those who know but cannot bring them forward], the third is not employing [there are those who bring them forward but cannot employ them], the fourth is not seeing through [there are those who employ them but cannot carry it through to the end], the fifth is to cast aside great virtue because of a small grudge, the sixth is to dismiss great merit because of a small fault, the seventh is to cover up great excellence because of a small lapse, the eighth is to harm the loyal and upright through crafty attacks, the ninth is to disturb correct standards through heterodox talk, and the tenth is to discard the worthy and capable through (a rare character here, lost in transcription) jealousy [the reason the worthy and capable are not advanced, not employed and not seen through is only that they are hindered by small grudges, small faults, small lapses, crafty attacks, heterodox talk and (a rare character here, lost in transcription) jealousy; so each is named in order to make up the ten difficulties]. These are called the ten difficulties. If the ten difficulties are not removed, worthy ministers cannot be used; and if the ministers employed are not worthy, the state is no longer his state.

惟察九風以定國常一曰治二曰衰三曰弱四曰乖五曰亂六曰荒七曰叛八曰危九曰亡君臣親而有禮百僚【僚官也書臯陶謨曰百僚師師】和而不同讓而不爭勤而不怨無事惟職是司【皆言百僚】此治國之風也【如唐虞三代盛時所謂治國之風】禮俗不一【教化不洽不能大同】位職不重小臣防嫉庶人作議【論語曰天下有道則庶人不議】此衰國之風也君好讓【一作嫌】臣好逸士好逰民好流【萬民離散不安其居如水之流也】此弱國之風也君臣爭明朝廷爭功士大夫爭名庶人爭利此乖國之風也上多欲下多端法不定政多門【不統於一】此亂國之風也以侈為博以伉為髙以濫為通遵禮謂之劬守法謂之固【以遵禮者為勞苦以守法者為執滯】此荒國之風也以苛為密【苛謂法令煩細】以利為公以割下為能以附上為忠此叛國之風也上下相疏內外相防【互相欺蔽】小臣爭寵大臣爭權【當時如進讓相謀汜傕相鬬之類也】此危國之風也上不訪下不諫【君無諮詢臣無納忠】婦吉用【政由房闥】私政行此亡國之風也故上必察乎國風也

Observe the nine kinds of ethos to establish the constant way of a state: the first is order, the second decline, the third weakness, the fourth discord, the fifth disorder, the sixth dissipation, the seventh rebellion, the eighth peril, and the ninth ruin. Where ruler and ministers are close and observe ritual, the hundred officials ["liao" means officials; the Documents, in "Counsels of Gao Yao," says "the hundred officials model themselves on one another"] are harmonious without echoing one another, are modest without contending, labor without resentment, and when there is nothing to do attend only to their own duties [all this refers to the hundred officials]: this is the ethos of a well-ordered state [as in the flourishing times of Tang, Yu and the Three Dynasties, which is what is meant by the ethos of a well-ordered state]. Where rites and customs are not unified [teaching and transformation are not pervasive, and there is no great concord], official posts are not valued, minor ministers are jealous (a rare character in the base text, lost in transcription), and commoners debate [the Analects says: "When the Way prevails in the world, commoners do not debate"]: this is the ethos of a declining state. Where the ruler likes to defer [one text has "suspect"], ministers like ease, scholars like roaming, and the people like to drift [the myriad people scatter and are not at peace in their dwellings, flowing like water]: this is the ethos of a weak state. Where ruler and ministers vie to be conspicuous, the court vies for merit, the scholar-officials vie for fame, and commoners vie for profit: this is the ethos of a discordant state. Where those above have many desires, those below have many threads, the laws are unfixed, and government comes from many gates [not unified under one]: this is the ethos of a disordered state. Where extravagance is taken for breadth, arrogance for loftiness, excess for open-mindedness, observing ritual is called drudgery, and abiding by law is called stubbornness [those who follow ritual are counted as toilers, those who keep the law as rigid]: this is the ethos of a dissipated state. Where pettiness is taken for strictness [pettiness means laws that are fussy and minute], profit for the public good, bleeding the lower people for ability, and echoing those above for loyalty: this is the ethos of a rebellious state. Where high and low keep apart, inside and outside (a rare character in the base text, lost in transcription) each other [deceive and cover up for one another], minor ministers vie for favor and major ministers vie for power [as with Jin Rang and Xiang Mou, or Li Jue and Guo Si fighting each other, in that time]: this is the ethos of a perilous state. Where those above do not consult and those below do not remonstrate [the ruler has no consultation and ministers offer no loyal counsel], women's words are adopted [government issues from the inner chambers], and private government prevails: this is the ethos of a doomed state. So those above must observe the ethos of the state.

惟慎庶獄以昭人情天地之大德曰生【易繋辭文】萬物之大極曰死【洪範六極一曰兇短折】死者不可以生刑者不可以復【漢文帝十三年齊大倉令淳于公有罪當刑其少女緹縈上書謂死者不可復生刑者不可復屬雖欲改過自新其道無繇也】故先王之刑也官師以成之【周禮鄉士遂士縣士方士各職聴於朝司冦聴之防其獄其訟於朝群士司刑皆在各麗其法以議獄訟獄訟成士師受中所謂官師以成之也】棘槐以斷之【周禮朝士掌建邦外朝之法左九棘孤卿大夫位焉群士在其後右九棘公侯伯子男位焉群吏在其後面三槐三公位焉州長眾庶在其後左嘉石平罷民焉右肺石達窮民焉又王制曰成獄辭史以獄成告於正正聴之正以獄成告於大司冦大司冦聴之棘木之下大司冦以獄之成告於王王命三公參聴之三公以獄之成告於王王三宥然後制刑所謂棘槐以斷之也】情訊以寛之【周禮司刺掌三刺三宥三赦之法以賛司冦聴獄訟一刺曰訊群臣再刺曰訊群吏三刺曰訊萬民一宥曰不識再宥曰過失三宥曰遺忘一赦曰防弱再赦曰老耄三赦曰惷愚以此三法者求民情斷民中而施上服下服之罪然後刑殺所謂情訊以寛之也】朝市以共之【周禮掌囚及刑殺告刑于王拲而適朝士加明梏以適市而刑殺之所謂朝市以共之也】矜哀以恤之刑斯斷樂不舉【施刑之日則弛縣】慎之至也刑哉刑哉其慎矣夫

Be careful with all lawsuits in order to make human feeling clear. The great virtue of Heaven and Earth is called life [words from the Book of Changes, "Appended Remarks"]; the great extreme of the myriad things is called death [the six extremes of the Great Plan, of which the first is calamity, shortened life and untimely death]. The dead cannot be revived, and those who have suffered mutilation cannot be restored [in the thirteenth year of Emperor Wen of Han, Chunyu Gong, the granary prefect of Qi, was guilty and due to be punished; his youngest daughter Tiying submitted a memorial saying that the dead cannot be revived and the mutilated cannot be made whole again, and even if they wished to reform, there would be no path for them]. So when the former kings applied punishments, the officials and masters completed them [in the Rites of Zhou, the township, outlying, county and regional scholar-officials each heard cases at court, and the minister of crime heard them, (a rare character in the base text, lost in transcription) the case; it was judged at court, with the many scholar-officials in charge of punishment all present, each deliberating the case according to law. When the case was done, the master of scholars received the middle-level record. This is what is meant by "the officials and masters complete it"]; judged beneath the thorn and locust trees [in the Rites of Zhou, "Court Scholars" has charge of establishing the law of the outer court of the state: on the left, nine thorn trees mark the seats of the solitary ministers and senior officials, with the scholar-officials behind; on the right, nine thorn trees mark the seats of the dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts and barons, with the many officials behind; in front, three locust trees mark the seats of the Three Dukes, with the district heads and the multitude behind; on the left is the Garden Stone to settle those who are to be released from labor, and on the right the Lung Stone to reach the destitute. And the Royal Regulations says: when the case record is complete, the clerk reports it to the magistrate, who hears and rules; the magistrate reports the finished case to the Grand Minister of Crime, who hears and rules beneath the thorn trees; the Grand Minister of Crime reports it to the king, and the king commands the Three Dukes to hear it together; the Three Dukes report to the king, and the king shows leniency three times before fixing the punishment. This is what is meant by "judged beneath the thorn and locust trees"]; eased through inquiry into the circumstances [in the Rites of Zhou, the "Officer of Pricking" has charge of the laws of the three inquiries, three leniencies and three pardons, to assist the minister of crime in hearing cases. The first inquiry is of the ministers, the second of the officials, the third of the myriad people; the first leniency is for the unwitting, the second for the accidental, the third for the forgetful; the first pardon is for (a rare character in the base text, lost in transcription) the weak, the second for the aged, the third for the dull. Using these three methods to seek the people's feelings and decide what is fair for the people, one applies the upper or lower grade of penalty, and only then carries out punishment or execution. This is what is meant by "eased through inquiry into the circumstances"]; jointly carried out in court and market [in the Rites of Zhou, "Keeper of Prisoners," when the time comes for execution, it is reported to the king, and the prisoner is put in fetters and sent to the market for execution. This is what is meant by "jointly carried out in court and market"]; and tempered with compassion. Once a punishment is decided, no music is played [on the day the punishment is carried out, the hung musical instruments are loosened]: this is the extreme of caution. Punishment, oh punishment, be cautious!

惟稽五赦以綏民中一曰原心【心可矜也】二曰明徳【徳可釋也】三曰勸功【功可凖也】四曰褒化【化所關也】五曰權計【權時之宜非常典也】凡先王之攸赦必是族也非是族焉刑茲無赦【族類也即祭法非此族也不在祀典之族】

Examine the five pardons to settle the rightness of the people's hearts: the first is excusing by the heart [the heart has something worthy of pity], the second is clarifying virtue [the virtue has something that can release], the third is encouraging merit [merit can serve as a standard], the fourth is commending transformation [what bears on moral teaching], the fifth is weighing expediency [balancing what suits the times; not a regular statute]. Whatever the former kings pardoned must have been of these kinds; if not of these kinds, then punishment falls here and there is no pardon ["kind" is as in "if not of this kind, it is not in the sacrificial canon" in the Regulations of Sacrifice].

天子有四時朝以聽政晝以訪問夕以脩令夜以安身【本公孫僑告叔向之言杜氏曰聴政聴國政也訪問問可否也脩令念所施也】上有師傅【成王作周官立太師太傅太保茲惟三公論道經邦爕理隂陽官不必備惟其人少師少傅少保曰三孤貳公化寅亮天地弼予一人班固曰三公蓋參天子坐而議政無不總統故不以一職為官名又立三少為之副】下有諍臣大有【按有當作則字】講業小則諮詢不拒直辭不恥下問公私不愆外內不二是謂有交【易曰上下交而其志同也】

The Son of Heaven has four times: in the morning he hears government, by day he makes inquiries, in the evening he refines orders, and at night he settles himself [from what Gongsun Qiao told Shuxiang. Du Yu says: hearing government is hearing the affairs of state, making inquiries is asking what is permissible, and refining orders is thinking over what is to be carried out]. Above there are teachers and tutors [King Cheng wrote the Offices of Zhou and established the Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor and Grand Guardian, who are the Three Dukes, discussing the Way and managing the state, harmonizing yin and yang; the offices need not be filled, depending only on the man. The Junior Preceptor, Junior Tutor and Junior Guardian are called the Three Solitaries, who assist the dukes in spreading transformation, reverently regulating Heaven and Earth, and aiding the one man, the Son of Heaven. Ban Gu says: the Three Dukes took part in sitting and discussing government with the Son of Heaven, and there was nothing they did not oversee, so no single post served as their office name; the three juniors were set up as their deputies]; below there are remonstrating ministers; at the greatest, they discuss and study their work, and at the least, they are consulted [note: "you" here should read "ze"]. He does not reject upright words and is not ashamed to ask those below him; public and private have no errors, and inside and outside have no difference; this is called having communion [the Book of Changes says: "When high and low commune, their wills are the same"].

問明於治者其統近【俗本誤作迫】萬物之本在身天下之本在家治亂之本在左右內正立而四表定矣【身脩家齊而左右防非正人則內正立矣四表四外猶言四方也四方定則國治天下平矣】

Question: One who understands governing has a thread of principle close to [vulgar texts mistakenly write "pressing"] this: the root of the myriad things is oneself, the root of the world is the family, and the root of order and disorder is those at one's side. When the rectitude within is established, the four directions are settled [when one's person is well cultivated and one's household well ordered, and those at one's side (a rare character in the base text, lost in transcription) are not upright people, inner rectitude is established. The four exteriors are the four directions. When the four directions are settled, the state is ordered and the world is at peace].

問通於道者其守約【孟子曰守約而施博者善道也】有一言而可常行者恕也【論語子貢問一言而可以終身行之者乎子曰其恕乎】有一行而可常履者正也恕者仁之術也【孟子曰強恕而行求仁莫近焉】正者義之要也至哉此謂道根萬化存焉爾【仁義而天下之理得矣】是謂不思而得不為而成執之胷心之間而功覆天下也【守約施博】自天子達於庶人好惡哀樂其脩一也豐約勞佚各有其制【言上下情無不同其貴豐而逸賤約而勞者分殊爾】上足以備禮下足以備樂夫是謂大道天下國家一體也君為元首臣為股肱【書曰元首明哉股肱良哉】民為手足【元首股肱手足為一體】下有憂民則上不盡樂下有饑民則上不備膳下有寒民則上不具服徒跣而垂旒非禮也【下民憂而上盡樂下民飢而上備膳下民寒而上具服所謂徒跣而垂旒】故足寒傷心民寒傷國

Question: One who has penetrated the Way keeps to the essentials [Mencius says: "One who keeps to the essentials and spreads broadly has the good Way"]. There is one saying that can be practiced constantly, and it is reciprocity [in the Analects, Zigong asked whether there is one word that can be practiced for a lifetime, and Confucius said: "Perhaps reciprocity"]; there is one conduct that can be carried out constantly, and it is rectitude. Reciprocity is the method of benevolence [Mencius says: "Strive to practice reciprocity, and there is no nearer way to seek benevolence"]; rectitude is the essence of righteousness. At the utmost, this is called the root of the Way, and the myriad transformations lie here [with benevolence and righteousness, the principles of the world are obtained]; this is called gaining without thinking and achieving without doing, holding fast in the breast while the achievement covers the world [keeping to the essentials and spreading broadly]. From the Son of Heaven down to the commoner, likes and dislikes, sorrows and joys, are cultivated in the same way. Generosity or frugality, toil or ease, each has its regulation [this means the feelings of high and low are not different, only that the noble have abundance and ease, and the humble have frugality and toil, a difference of status]. Above, enough to prepare ritual; below, enough to prepare music: this is called the Great Way. The world and the state are one body: the ruler is the head, the ministers are the limbs [the Documents says: "The head is bright, the limbs are good"], and the people are the hands and feet [head, limbs, hands and feet are one body]. When there are worried people below, those above dare not enjoy themselves to the full; when there are hungry people below, those above dare not set a full table; when there are cold people below, those above dare not put on full clothing. For the people to go barefoot while the ruler wears a hanging-beaded crown is not ritual [when below the people worry and above one revels to the full, below the people are hungry and above one sets a full table, below the people are cold and above one wears full clothing, this is the so-called barefoot beneath a beaded crown]. So cold feet will hurt the heart, and cold people will hurt the state.

問君以至美之道道民民以至美之物養君【美道五典之類美物五穀之類】君降其惠民升其功此無徃不復相報之義也故太平備物非極欲也物損禮闕【年兇禮】非謙約也其數雲耳

Question: The ruler guides the people with the finest Way, and the people nourish the ruler with the finest goods [the finest Way is the Five Canons and the like, the finest goods are the five grains and the like]. The ruler sends down kindness and the people offer their service; this is the principle of nothing going without return, of repaying one another. So in times of peace one prepares all things, which is not pushing desire to the limit; in lean years and with rites abbreviated [rites are reduced in famine years], that is not modesty. It is only that the numbers are so.

問人主有公賦無私求有公用無私費有公役無私使有公賜無私惠有公怒無私怨私求則下煩而無度是謂傷清私費【費出無經】則官耗【府庫空虛】而無限是謂傷制私使則民撓擾而無節是謂傷義【義謂使民之義】私則下虗望而無凖是謂傷正【正謂賜予之正】私怨則下疑懼而不安是謂傷德

Question: A ruler has public levies but no private demands, public expenditure but no private spending, public labor service but no private conscription, public bestowals but no private favors, public anger but no private grudges. With private demands, those below are troubled without limit, and this is called harming clarity. With private spending [expenditures without regular rule], the government treasuries are drained [storehouses empty] without limit, and this is called harming regulation. With private conscription, the people are harassed without moderation, and this is called harming righteousness [righteousness here is the righteousness of employing the people]. With private favors, those below hope in vain without any standard, and this is called harming rectitude [rectitude here is the rectitude of bestowal]. With private grudges, those below are suspicious and uneasy, and this is called harming virtue.

問善治民者治其性也或曰冶金而流去火則剛激水而升舍之則降惡【平聲】乎治曰不去其火則常流激而不止則常升【金流水升喻民治也】故大冶之爐可使無剛【説文曰冶消也又爐鑄謂之冶屍子曰蚩尤造九冶又鑄匠謂冶】踴水之機可使無降【莊子子貢謂漢隂丈人曰有械於此一日浸百畦用力甚寡而見功多夫子不欲乎為圃者仰而視之曰柰何曰鑿木為機後重前輕挈水若抽數如沃湯其名曰橰悅所謂機蓋是類也】善立教者若茲則終身治矣故凡器可使與顔冉同趨【凡常也善立教者愚可使賢】投百金於前白刃加其身雖巨蹠弗敢掇也【利在前刑在後則畏而止矣巨蹠莊子栁下季之弟名曰盜跖從卒九千人橫行天下侵暴諸侯穴室樞戶驅人牛馬取人婦女】善立法者若茲則終身不掇矣故蹠可使與伯夷同功【善立法者貪可使亷】問民由水也濟大川者太上乘舟其次泅【泅浮行水上也】泅者勞而危乘舟者逸而安虗入水【既不乘舟又不能泅所謂虛入水也】則必溺矣以知能治民者泅也以道德治民者舟也縱民之情謂之亂絶民之情謂之荒【上無道徳次無智能所謂亂與荒也】曰然則如之何曰為之限使勿越也【不縱不絶為之界限使不得逾分】為之地亦勿越故水可使不濫不可使無流【猶民可使不越不可使無情慾也】善禁者先禁其身而後人不善禁者先禁人而後身善禁之至於不禁【上既正則民不禁自正】令亦如之若乃肆情於身而繩欲於眾行詐於官而矜實於民求已之所有餘奪下之所不足舍已之所易責人之所難怨之本也【凡此皆所謂先禁人而後身者不惟不能禁人而民怨集矣】謂理之源斯絶矣【先禁其身者理之源也】自上御下猶夫釣者焉隠於手【按手下當有而字】應於鉤則可以得魚自近御逺猶夫御馬焉和於手而調於銜【馬口勒也】則可以使馬故至道之要不於身非道也睹孺子之驅雞也而見御民之方孺子驅雞者急則驚緩則滯【急急驅之緩緩驅之皆非所以驅雞也悅之取喻即其所謂小人之情緩則驕驕則恣急則怨怨則畔爾】方其北也遽要之則折而過南方其南也遽要之則折而過北迫則飛踈則放【過南過北飛放者皆不循路入門也】志閒則比之【比近也竢雞志閒然後近之則不驚】流緩而不安則食之【食之則不滯】不驅之驅驅之至者也【比之食之不驅之驅也】志安則循路而入門

Question: One good at governing the people governs the people's nature. Someone said: melt metal and it flows, remove the fire and it hardens; agitate water and it rises, release it and it falls; how can this be governed? Answer: If you do not remove the fire it flows constantly; if you agitate without stopping it rises constantly [flowing metal and rising water are metaphors for the people being governed]. So the furnace of a great smith can keep metal from hardening [the Shuowen says: "ye" means melting. And casting in a furnace is called "ye." Master Shi says Chiyou made nine smelters. Also a founder is called a smelter]; the machine for lifting water can keep water from falling back [in the Zhuangzi, Zigong said to the old man of Hanyin: "There is a device that irrigates a hundred plots a day, with little effort and great result; would the Master not want it?" The gardener looked up and said: "How?" He said: "Chisel wood to make a device, heavy at the back and light in front, lifting water as if drawing it, as fast as boiling soup, called a well-sweep." What Xun Yue calls a machine is probably of this kind]. One good at establishing teaching is like this, and can govern for a lifetime. So even ordinary vessels can be made to go along with Yan Yuan and Ran Yong ["ordinary" means common. One good at establishing teaching can make the foolish worthy]. Put a hundred pieces of gold in front and a white blade upon one's body, and even the great robber Zhi would not dare pick it up [profit in front and punishment behind, so he stops out of fear. The great Zhi, in the Zhuangzi, was the younger brother of Liuxia Ji, called Robber Zhi, who with nine thousand followers ran riot across the world, assaulted the lords, dug through walls and broke into houses, drove off people's oxen and horses, and seized people's wives]. One good at establishing law is like this, and no one dares pick it up for a lifetime. So even Zhi can be made to share merit with Boyi [one good at establishing law can make the greedy honest]. Question: The people are like water. For one crossing a great river, the best is to take a boat and next is to swim [swimming is floating through water]; swimmers are weary and in danger, while those in a boat are at ease and safe. To go into the water empty-handed [neither in a boat nor able to swim, which is what is meant by entering water empty] is to be sure to drown. To govern the people with knowledge and ability is swimming; to govern the people with the Way and virtue is the boat. To indulge the people's feelings is called disorder, and to cut off the people's feelings is called dissipation [those above have no Way and virtue, and next, no knowledge and ability; this is what is meant by disorder and dissipation]. Question: Then what should one do? Answer: Set limits for them so that they do not overstep [neither indulge nor cut off, setting boundaries so that they cannot exceed their share], and give them room, also so that they do not overstep. So water can be made not to overflow but cannot be made not to flow [like the people, who can be made not to exceed their station but cannot be made without feelings and desires]. One good at prohibiting first prohibits himself and then others; one not good at prohibiting first prohibits others and then himself. Good prohibition reaches the point of needing no prohibition [when those above are already upright, the people correct themselves without prohibition]. Orders are the same. As for one who indulges his own desires while restraining the desires of the multitude, who acts deceitfully in the government office while boasting of honesty to the people, who seeks what he has in surplus and seizes what those below lack, who drops what is easy for himself and blames others for what is hard: this is the source of resentment [all these are the so-called prohibiting others before oneself, which not only fails to prohibit others but gathers up the people's resentment]. The source of reason is cut off here [the one who first prohibits himself is the source of reason]. To manage those below from above is like fishing: hidden in the hand [note: there should be a word "and" after "hand"] responding on the hook, one can get the fish. To manage the distant from the near is like driving a horse: the hand is gentle and the bit is balanced [the bit is the bridle in the horse's mouth], and one can get the horse to obey. So the essence of the supreme Way is that if it is not in oneself, it is not the Way. Watch a small child chasing chickens and you see the way to manage the people. A small child chasing chickens startles them if hasty and leaves them stuck if slow [chasing in a hurry or chasing slowly are both not the way to drive chickens. Xun Yue takes this analogy, as in his saying that the feelings of petty people, when slackened, become proud, pride leads to license, and when pressed, resentment, and resentment leads to rebellion]. When they are heading north and are suddenly blocked, they turn south; when heading south and suddenly blocked, they turn north. Press close and they fly; stay distant and they wander [going too far south or north, flying off or wandering off, none enters the gate by the road]. Wait until their minds are at ease and then draw near ["bi" means near; when the chicken's mind is at ease and you then draw near, it is not startled]; if they move slowly and uneasily, feed them [feeding keeps them from being stuck]. Driving without driving is the utmost of driving [drawing near and feeding them is driving without driving]; when their minds are settled, they follow the path and enter the gate.

太上不空市其次不偷竊其次不掠奪上以功惠綏民下以財力奉上【即悅所謂君降其惠民升其功】是以上下相與空市則民不與民不與則為巧詐而取之謂之偷竊偷竊則民備之備之而不得【不得巧詐而取也】則暴迫而取之謂之掠奪民必交爭則禍亂矣

The best is not to empty the market, the next is not to steal, and the next is not to plunder. Above, one uses merit and kindness to settle the people; below, the people use their labor and wealth to serve those above [this is what Xun Yue says, that the ruler sends down kindness and the people offer service]. So high and low give to each other. Emptying the market makes the people not give; when the people do not give, one takes through trickery, which is called stealing; with stealing the people guard against it; guarding against it and still not getting [not getting what was taken by trickery], one takes by force, which is called plunder. The people are sure to fight one another in turn, and disaster arrives.

或曰聖王以天下為樂曰否聖王以天下為憂【如帝堯存心天下加志窮民一民飢曰我飢之一民寒曰我寒之一民有罪曰我陷之是已】天下以聖王為樂【如帝堯之世天下太和耕田鑿井歌於擊壤立我烝民謡於康衢是已】凡主以天下為樂【如履癸瓊宮瑤臺肉山脯林酒池糟堤以為樂者是已】天下以凡主為憂【如夏邑民曰時日曷喪予及汝偕亡是已】聖王屈己以申天下之樂【屈己而憂】凡主申己以屈天下之憂【申己而樂】申天下之樂故樂亦報之【民樂則聖王必享其樂】屈天下之憂故憂亦及之【民憂則幾主必至於憂】天下之道也

Someone said: The sage-king takes the world as his joy. Answer: No. The sage-king takes the world as his worry [as with Emperor Yao, who set his heart on the world and put his will on the destitute; if one person was hungry he said it was he who made him hungry, if one person was cold he said it was he who made him cold, if one person was guilty he said it was he who made him fall into it]. The world takes the sage-king as its joy [as in the age of Emperor Yao the world was in great harmony, with people tilling fields, digging wells, beating the ground and singing, "you established us people," and ballads in the busy streets]. A mediocre ruler takes the world as his joy [as with Jie of Xia, who built a jade palace and a crystal terrace, mountains of meat and forests of dried meat, pools of wine and embankments of lees, as his pleasure]. The world takes a mediocre ruler as its worry [as the people of Xia said: "When will this sun perish? I would die together with you"]. The sage-king bends himself to extend the world's joy [bending himself and worrying]; the mediocre ruler extends himself and bends the world's worry [extending himself and enjoying]. Extending the world's joy, so joy returns to him [when the people rejoice, the sage-king will surely share in joy]; bending the world's worry, so worry falls on him [when the people worry, the mediocre ruler will surely fall into worry]. This is the principle of the world.

治世所貴乎位者三一曰逹道於天下二曰達惠於民三曰達德於身【道非位不行惠非位不降徳非位不顯治世之所貴者此也】衰世所貴乎位者三一曰以貴髙人二曰以富奉身三曰以報肆心【勢非位不隆欲非位不厭讎非位不報衰世之所貴者此也】治世之位真位也衰世之位則生災矣苟髙人則必損之災也苟奉身則必遺之災也苟肆心則必否之災也

In an ordered age, what is valued in a position is threefold: first, to extend the Way throughout the world; second, to extend kindness to the people; third, to extend virtue to oneself [the Way cannot be practiced without a position, kindness cannot be sent down without a position, virtue cannot be displayed without a position. These are what the ordered age values]. In a declining age, what is valued in a position is also threefold: first, to press on others with nobility; second, to nourish oneself with wealth; third, to indulge one's will through revenge [power cannot be magnified without a position, desire cannot be satisfied without a position, enmity cannot be avenged without a position. These are what the declining age values]. The position in an ordered age is a true position, and the position in a declining age brings disaster. If one presses on others, one will surely be diminished, and that is disaster; if one nourishes oneself, one will surely be abandoned, and that is disaster; if one indulges one's will, one will surely be blocked, and that is disaster.

治世之臣所貴乎順者三一曰心順二曰職順三曰道順【此下疑脫衰世之臣所貴乎順者三一曰體順二曰亂順三曰事順二十二字】治世之順真順也衰世之順生逆也【當作則生逆矣】體苟順則逆節【逆節則心不順矣】亂苟順則逆忠【逆忠則職不順矣】事苟順則逆道【逆道則道不順矣】髙下失序則位輕班級不固則位輕【漢爵有二十級】祿薄卑寵則位輕官職屢改則位輕遷轉煩瀆則位輕黜陟不明則位輕【黜退降也陟升進也舜典曰三載考績三考黜陟幽明】待臣不以禮則位輕夫位輕而政重者未之有也聖人之大寶曰位【易繫辭文】輕則喪吾寶也

What ministers in an ordered age value in compliance is threefold: first, compliance of the heart; second, compliance of duty; third, compliance of the Way [below this there seems to be a gap of twenty-two characters: "what ministers of a declining age value in compliance is threefold: first, compliance of the body; second, compliance with disorder; third, compliance in affairs"]. Compliance in an ordered age is true compliance, and compliance in a declining age gives rise to disobedience [it should read "then gives rise to disobedience"]. If the body complies, it goes against integrity [going against integrity, the heart does not comply]; if disorder is complied with, it goes against loyalty [going against loyalty, duty does not comply]; if affairs are complied with, it goes against the Way [going against the Way, the Way does not comply]. When high and low lose their order, the position is slight; when the ranks are not firm, the position is slight [the Han had twenty grades of nobility]; when salary is meager and favor is low, the position is slight; when offices are frequently changed, the position is slight; when transfers are vexatious, the position is slight; when demotion and promotion are unclear, the position is slight [demotion is lowering and promotion is raising. The Canon of Shun says: "Examine achievements every three years; after three examinations, demote or promote, the obscure and the clear"]; when ministers are treated without ritual, the position is slight. There has never been a case where the position is slight and government is weighty. The great treasure of the sage is called position [words from the "Appended Remarks" of the Book of Changes]; to make it slight is to lose my treasure.

好惡之不行其俗尚矣嘉守節而輕狹陋疾威福而尊權右賤求欲而崇克濟貴求己而榮華譽萬物類是己夫心與言言與事參相應也好惡譭譽賞罰參相福也六者有失【六者謂好惡譭譽賞罰有失謂不能詢事考言占外知內而謬施之】則實亂矣守實者益榮求己者益達處幽者益明然後民知本也

If likes and dislikes cannot be carried out, such custom has been long-standing. We praise keeping integrity yet make light of the narrow; we hate those who lord it over others yet honor those of power and right; we despise those who seek desires yet esteem self-restraint that gets things done; we value seeking within oneself yet glorify flowery fame; the myriad things are all of this kind. Heart and word, word and deed, must be checked against one another. Likes and dislikes, blame and praise, rewards and punishments, must be checked against one another to see what blessings follow. If there is a failing in the six [the six are likes and dislikes, blame and praise, rewards and punishments; a failing means failing to inquire into affairs and examine words, to know the inside from the outside, and so carrying them out wrongly], then substance is disordered. When those who hold to substance become more honored, those who seek within become more successful, and those in obscurity become more illustrious, then the people will know the root.

最凡有二十一首其初二首尚知貴敦也其二首有申重可舉者十有九事一曰明考試二曰公卿不拘為郡二千石不拘為縣三曰置上武之官四曰議州牧五曰生刑而死者但加肉刑六曰徳刑並用七曰避讎有科八曰議祿九曰議專地十曰議錢貨十一曰約祀舉重十二曰天人之應十三曰月正聴朝十四曰崇內教十五曰備博士十六曰至德要道十七曰禁數赦令十八曰正尚主之制十九曰復外內註記者

In total there are twenty-one pieces. The first two esteem knowledge and value sincerity; the rest name nineteen matters that should be restated and given weight: first, making examinations clear; second, not confining high ministers to serving as commandery governors and not confining two-thousand-bushel officials to serving as county magistrates; third, establishing officials who esteem martial affairs; fourth, discussing provincial governors; fifth, for those whose sentence goes from life-sparing to death, applying only bodily punishment; sixth, using virtue and punishment together; seventh, regulations for avoiding vendettas; eighth, discussing salaries; ninth, discussing monopolizing land; tenth, discussing coin and goods; eleventh, economizing on sacrifices and holding up the essentials; twelfth, the response between Heaven and humans; thirteenth, hearing court affairs in the first month; fourteenth, esteeming inner teaching; fifteenth, filling the ranks of erudites; sixteenth, supreme virtue and essential Way; seventeenth, forbidding repeated amnesties; eighteenth, correcting the system of marrying princesses; nineteenth, restoring records of inner and outer court.

盤庚遷殷革奢即約【盤庚殷王名自契至湯八遷始居亳自湯至盤庚五遷乃渉河南復湯故居行湯之政以具貝玉總貨寶為戒乃革奢即約之類】化而裁之與時消息眾寡盈虗不常厥道尚知貴敦古今之法也民寡則用易足土廣則物易生事簡則業易定厭亂則思治創難則思靜【殷自中丁以來廢適而更立諸弟子或爭相代立比九世亂諸侯莫朝】或曰三皇民至敦也其治至清也天性乎曰皇民敦秦民時也【皇秦之時不同故敦不同】山民樸市民玩處也【山市之處不同故樸玩不同】桀紂不易民而亂湯武不易民而治政也【桀紂湯武之政不同故治亂不同】皇民寡寡斯敦【三皇之時烝庶鮮少機智不生所以至敦】皇治純純斯清【三皇之治無為而化繁苛不尚所以至清】奚惟性不求無益之物不蓄難得之貨節華麗之飾退利進之路則民俗清矣簡小忌去淫祀絶竒怪則妖偽息矣致精誠求諸已正大事則神明應矣放邪説去淫智抑百家【諸子殽亂之言】崇聖典則道義定矣去浮華舉功實絶末伎同本務則事業脩矣【能盡五事則民敦治清矣此初二首所謂尚知貴敦也】

Pan Geng moved the capital to Yin, abolishing extravagance and turning toward frugality [Pan Geng was a king of Yin. From Xie to Tang they moved eight times before settling at Bo, and from Tang to Pan Geng they moved five more times, then crossed the Yellow River southward and returned to Tang's former home, carried out Tang's government, and took as warnings the amassing of shells and jade and the hoarding of goods and treasures, which is the sort of thing meant by abolishing extravagance and turning to frugality]. Transform and adapt, rise and fall with the times, with many and few, full and empty; the Way is not always one form. Esteeming knowledge and valuing sincerity is the law of past and present. When the people are few, expenses are easily met; when land is broad, goods are easily produced; when affairs are simple, livelihoods are easily settled; having wearied of disorder, one wants order; having been wounded by hardship, one wants calm [from Zhong Ding onward Yin set aside the heir and installed younger sons instead, or they contended to succeed in turn, and disorder continued for nine generations, with the lords not coming to court]. Someone said: The people of the Three Sovereigns were the most sincere and their government the purest; was this because of their innate nature? Answer: The people of the age of the Sovereigns were sincere and the people of the age of Qin were thin, because the times differed [the times of the Sovereigns and Qin differ, so sincerity and thinness differ]. Mountain people are plain and market people play at cleverness, because the places differ [mountain and market differ in place, so plainness and cleverness differ]. Jie and Zhou did not change the people yet there was disorder, Tang and Wu did not change the people yet there was order, because the governments differ [the governments of Jie and Zhou and of Tang and Wu differ, so order and disorder differ]. In the age of the Sovereigns the people were few, and being few, they were sincere [in the time of the Three Sovereigns the population was sparse and cleverness did not arise, so they were most sincere]; the government of the Sovereigns was pure, and being pure it was clear [the Three Sovereigns governed by non-action and transformed, not esteeming the complex and harsh, so it was most clear]. How could it be only a matter of nature? Do not seek useless things, do not hoard hard-to-get goods, restrain splendid decoration, and shut the roads of seeking profit and advancement, and customs among the people will be clear. Simplify small taboos, remove licentious sacrifices, and cut off the strange, and fraud and falsehood will cease. Reach utmost sincerity, seek within oneself, and set great matters right, and the divine will respond. Discard heterodox doctrines, remove licentious cleverness, and restrain the hundred schools [the confused doctrines of the various masters], esteem the sacred texts, and the Way and righteousness will be settled. Remove flashiness, bring up real achievement, cut off trivial skills, and unite them with fundamental tasks, and affairs will be well ordered [if one can complete these five things, the people will be sincere and government will be clear. This is what the first two pieces mean by esteeming knowledge and valuing sincerity].

誰毀誰譽譽其有試者萬事之概量也【孔子曰吾之於人也誰毀誰譽如有所譽者其有所試矣概所以戛摩取平者鬥斛曰量言考試品賢能之虛實猶概量較米粟之多寡也】以茲舉者試其事處斯職者考其績【詢事驗舉省績察職】賞罰夫實以惡反之人焉飾哉語曰盜跖不能盜田尺寸寸不可盜況尺乎【纎惡細善不可閟掩】夫事驗必若土田之張於野也則為私者寡矣【田佈於野不可隱者喻惡不可掩也】若亂之墜於澳也則可信者觧矣【亂朱子曰舟之截流橫渡者澳厓內近水之處舟登於陸不可信者喻善不可偽也】故有事考功有言考用動則考行靜則考守【此一首所謂明考試也】

Whom do I blame and whom do I praise? Praise must be tested; this is the leveler and the measure for all affairs [Confucius said: "Of people, whom do I blame, whom do I praise? If there is anyone I praise, he must have been tested." The leveler is the tool for scraping a dou or hu measure level, and the dou and hu are called measures. It means testing and evaluating the substance or emptiness of the worthy and able, like using a leveler to compare the amount of grain]. For one recommended, test his deeds; for one in his post, assess his achievements [verify recommendation by inquiring into his deeds, and examine his duty by reviewing his achievements]. Rewards and punishments must match reality; use evil as counter-evidence, and what can a person still hide? As the saying goes: Robber Zhi cannot steal a foot of field, cannot even steal an inch, much less a foot [even the slightest evil and the finest good cannot be hidden]. The verification of affairs must be like fields spread out across the open country, so that there is less that is private [fields spread across the open cannot be concealed, a metaphor for evil that cannot be covered up]. If it is like a tangled boat dropped into a bay, there is less that is trustworthy ["luan," Zhu Xi says, is a boat crossing the current sideways; "ao" is the place near the water inside the bank. A boat on land cannot be trusted, a metaphor for goodness that cannot be faked]. So when there is a task, examine merit; when there is speech, examine use; when in motion, examine conduct; when at rest, examine keeping [this piece is what is meant by making examinations clear].

公卿不為郡二千石不為縣未是也【公謂三公師傅保也卿謂六卿冡宰至司空也郡謂郡守郡尉縣謂縣令縣長也班固曰郡守秦官掌治其郡秩二千石郡尉秦官掌佐守典武職甲卒秩比二千石縣令長皆秦官掌治其縣萬戶以上為令秩千石至六百石減萬戸為長秩五百石至三百石】小能其職以極登於大故下【俗本誤作不】位競【小職有登則下位競修其業矣】大橈其任以墜於下故上位慎【大任有墜則上位慎共其職矣】其鼎覆刑焉何憚於降【易鼎九四曰鼎折足覆公餗其形渥兇此言大臣廢壞國事刑之尚可何況降位】若夫千里之任不能充於郡而縣邑之功廢惜矣哉不以過職絀則勿降所以優賢也以過職絀則降所以懲愆也【此一首所謂公卿不拘為郡二千石不拘為縣也】

That high ministers do not serve as commandery governors and two-thousand-bushel officials do not serve as county magistrates is wrong ["dukes" means the Three Dukes, Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor and Grand Guardian; "ministers" means the six ministers from the Chief Steward to the Minister of Works; "commandery" means governors and commandery commandants; "county" means county magistrates and chiefs. Ban Gu says: the commandery governor is an office of Qin, in charge of governing a commandery, with a salary of two thousand bushels; the commandery commandant is an office of Qin, who assists the governor in managing military affairs and soldiers, with a salary equal to two thousand bushels; county magistrates and chiefs are all offices of Qin in charge of governing a county; those over ten thousand households are magistrates, with salaries from a thousand to six hundred bushels, and those under ten thousand households are chiefs, with salaries from five hundred to three hundred bushels]. A minor official who can fulfill his duties may rise to a major one, so those in low positions [vulgar texts mistakenly read "not"] compete in effort [minor posts have promotion, so low positions compete to improve their work]. A major official who is not up to the task falls to the bottom, so those in high positions are careful [major responsibilities carry the risk of a fall, so high positions are careful in office]. If a tripod overturns, punishment still follows, much less demotion [the fourth line of the tripod hexagram in the Book of Changes says: "The tripod's leg breaks, the duke's dish is overturned, his form is soaked; ill fortune." This means that when a great minister ruins the affairs of state, punishment is still permissible, not to speak of demotion]. As for thousand-li responsibilities that cannot be filled in a commandery, while the achievements of counties and towns are abandoned, what a pity! Those who are demoted for exceeding their office are not lowered, in order to treat the worthy well; those who are demoted for exceeding their office are lowered, in order to warn against faults [this piece is what is meant by not confining high ministers to commandery governors and two-thousand-bushel officials to counties].

孝武皇帝以四夷未賔冦賊奸宄初置武功賞官以寵戰士【大司農陳臧錢經用賦稅既竭不足以奉戰士有司請令民得買爵及贖禁錮免贓罪請置賞官名曰武功爵級十七萬凡直三十餘萬金諸買武功爵官首者試補吏先除千夫如五大夫其有罪又減二等爵得至樂卿以顯軍功按茂陵中書有武功爵一級曰造士二級曰閒輿衞三級曰良士四級曰元戎士五級曰官首六級曰秉鐸七級曰千夫八級曰樂卿九級曰執戍十級曰政戾庶長十一級曰軍衛此武帝所制以寵軍功】若今依此科而崇其制置尚武之官以司馬兵法選位秩比博士【齊將司馬穰苴撰兵法三卷秩比博士六百石也】講司馬之典簡搜狩之事【古者中春教振旅遂以搜田中夏教苃舍遂以苗田中秋教治兵遂以獮田中冬教大閱遂以狩田詳見周禮】掌軍功爵賞小統於五校【校俗本誤作枚五校者一曰屯騎二曰越騎三曰步兵四曰長水五曰射聲俱掌宿衞兵所謂大駕鹵簿五校在前是也】大統於太尉【太尉秦官金印紫綬掌武事武帝建元二年省元狩四年初置大司馬以冠將軍之號建武二十七年復為太尉】既周時務禮亦宜之周之末葉兵革繁矣莫亂於秦民不荒殄今國家忘戰日久毎冦難之作民瘁幾盡不教民戰是謂棄之信矣【孔子曰以不教民戰是謂棄之古者四時于田所以教爾此一首所謂置尚武之官也】

Emperor Xiaowu, because the four barbarians had not submitted and there were bandits and traitors, began setting up martial-merit ranks to honor warriors [the Grand Minister of Agriculture reported that the treasuries' coin had been spent and taxes drained, not enough to support the warriors. The officials asked to let the people buy ranks and redeem from confinement and be exempted from corruption penalties, and asked to establish rank offices called Martial Merit Ranks, each grade at 170,000, in total worth over 300,000 gold. Those who bought a Martial Merit rank up to "Official Head" were tested and given priority in appointment as clerks; a "Thousand-Man Leader" was like a Fifth-Rank Grandee; if guilty, one's penalty was reduced by two grades; the rank could reach "Music Minister," to publicize military merit. According to the Maoling Central Records, the Martial Merit ranks are: first grade Learned Scholar, second Leisure Escort, third Good Scholar, fourth Chief Warrior, fifth Official Head, sixth Bell Holder, seventh Thousand-Man Leader, eighth Music Minister, ninth Wielder of Arms, tenth Governing Elder, eleventh Army Guard. These were set up by Emperor Wu to honor military merit]. If now we follow these regulations and elevate this system, setting up officials who honor martial affairs, appointing them by the Sima's military methods, with rank equal to the erudites [Sima Rangju, a general of Qi, compiled three volumes of military methods. Rank equal to an erudite at six hundred bushels], lecturing on the Sima texts and reviewing the matters of the hunt [in ancient times, in mid-spring they taught the forces to assemble and held the searching hunt; in mid-summer, they taught camping and held the seedling hunt; in mid-autumn, they taught military drills and held the autumn hunt; in mid-winter, they taught the great review and held the winter hunt; see the Rites of Zhou for details], in charge of military merit ranks and rewards, the smaller under the Five Colonels ["colonel" is mistakenly written "mei" in vulgar texts. The five colonels: first, the cavalry garrison; second, the Yue cavalry; third, the infantry; fourth, the Changshui; fifth, the sound-shooters, all in charge of palace guard soldiers, which is the so-called five colonels in the lead of the grand imperial procession], the greater under the Grand Commandant [the Grand Commandant is an office of Qin, with gold seal and purple ribbon, in charge of military affairs. Emperor Wu abolished it in the second year of Jianyuan; in the fourth year of Yuanshou the Grand Marshal was first established and added to the general's title; in the twenty-seventh year of Jianwu it was restored as Grand Commandant]. It would meet current needs and also be proper by ritual. In the late Zhou there were many wars; no disorder was greater than Qin's, yet the people were not laid waste. Today the state has long forgotten war, and whenever bandit troubles break out, the people are exhausted nearly to death. "To lead people to war without having taught them is called abandoning them"; so it is [Confucius said: "To lead people to war without having taught them is called abandoning them." In ancient times the four seasonal hunts were used to teach war. This piece is what is meant by establishing officials who honor martial affairs].

或問曰州牧刺史監察御史三制孰優【監御史秦官掌監郡漢興省之至惠帝三年又遣御史監三輔郡所察之事凡九條監者二嵗更之其後諸州復置監察御史文帝十三年以御史不奉法下失其職乃遣丞相史出刺並督察監御史武帝元封元年御史止不復監至五年乃置部刺史掌奉詔六條察州凡十二州焉居部九嵗舉為守相成帝綏和元年以為刺史位下大夫而臨二千石輕重不相凖乃更為州牧秩真二千石位次九卿建平二年復為刺史元壽二年復為牧建武十八年復為刺史十二人各主一外州舊以八月廵行所部録囚徒考殿最初嵗盡詣京師奏事中興但因計吏不復自詣京師雖父母之防不得去職或謂州府為外臺靈帝中平五年改刺史惟置牧是時天下方亂多自九卿出領州牧州牧之任自此重矣】曰時制而已【三制隨時所定】曰天下不既定其牧乎曰古諸侯建家國世位權柄存焉於是置諸侯之賢者以牧總其紀綱而已不統其政不御其民今郡縣無常【不若古諸侯之世位】權輕不固【不若古諸侯之權柄存】而州牧秉其權重勢異於古【不若古諸侯之牧不統政御民】非所以強幹弱枝也而無益治民之實監察御史斯可也【言監御史愈於州牧】若權時之宜則異論也【此一首所謂議州牧也】

Someone asked: Of the three systems, provincial governors, inspectors and investigating censors, which is better [the investigating censor is an office of Qin, in charge of overseeing the commanderies. The Han dynasty rose and abolished it. In the third year of Emperor Hui, censors were again sent to oversee the three capital-area commanderies, with nine items to inspect, and the inspectors were rotated every two years. Later, the various provinces also set up investigating censors. In the thirteenth year of Emperor Wen, because the censors did not uphold the law and those below neglected their duty, the chancellor's clerks were sent out to inspect and supervise the censors. In the first year of Yuanfeng under Emperor Wu, the censors stopped inspecting, and only in the fifth year were regional inspectors established, who by imperial edict used six articles to inspect provinces, twelve provinces in all, and after nine years in office were promoted to governor or chancellor. In the first year of Suihe under Emperor Cheng, it was held that the inspector's position was that of a junior grandee yet he oversaw two-thousand-bushel officials, an imbalance, so it was changed to provincial governor, with a true two-thousand-bushel salary, ranking next to the nine ministers. In the second year of Jianping it was restored to inspector, and in the second year of Yuanshou restored to governor. In the eighteenth year of Jianwu it was restored to twelve inspectors, each in charge of one outer province. Under the old system, in the eighth month they toured their districts, recorded prisoners, and assessed merit and demerit, and at the start of the year they all went to the capital to report; after the Restoration they only sent accountants, and did not go to the capital in person, not leaving their posts even for their parents (a rare character in the base text, lost in transcription). Some called the provincial offices the outer terrace. In the fifth year of Zhongping under Emperor Ling, the inspector was changed to a governor only, and with the world in turmoil at the time, many provincial governors came from among the nine ministers, and the governor's office became weighty from then on]? Answer: It is only a matter of the system of the time [the three systems were fixed according to the time]. Question: Since the world is not yet settled, should we use governors? Answer: In ancient times the feudal lords established their own houses and states and held power from generation to generation, so the most worthy among the lords were set up as governors to oversee their general discipline, without governing their affairs or controlling their people. Now the commanderies and counties have no fixed tenure [not like the ancient lords who held their seats for generations], their power is light and not firm [not like the ancient lords who retained their power], while the provincial governors hold heavy power, so the situation is different from ancient times [not like the governors of ancient lords who did not govern affairs or control the people]. This does not strengthen the trunk and weaken the branches, and is of no benefit to the real governing of the people. Investigating censors would be enough [meaning censors are better than governors]. If it is an expedient measure, that is another discussion [this piece is what is meant by discussing provincial governors].

肉刑古也或曰復之乎曰古者人民盛焉今也至寡整眾以威撫寡以寛道也復刑非務必也生刑而極死者復之可也【如斬右趾本生刑也而改為棄市則極死矣斯則斬右趾之刑復之可也】自古肉刑之除也斬右趾者死也惟復肉刑是謂生死而息民【孝文下令除肉刑張蒼等立律曰諸當完者完為城旦舂當黥者髠鉗為城旦舂當劓者笞二百當斬左趾者笞五百當斬右趾及殺人先自告及吏受賕枉法守縣官財物而即盜之已論命復有笞罪者皆棄市是後外有輕刑之名內實殺人斬右趾者又當死笞五百三百率多死至景帝更定棰令此言肉刑極死者復之則死者生而民生息矣此一首所謂生刑而死者但加肉刑也】

Bodily punishment existed in antiquity. Someone said: Should it be restored? Answer: In antiquity there were very many people, and now there are very few. To regulate the many one uses severity, and to soothe the few one uses leniency; this is the Way. Restoring bodily punishment is not necessary. Where a life-sparing punishment has gone to the extreme penalty of death, restoring it is acceptable [for example, cutting off the right foot was originally a life-sparing punishment but was changed to execution in the marketplace, which reached extreme death. In that case, restoring the punishment of cutting off the right foot is acceptable]. Since bodily punishment was abolished in ancient times, those whose right foot was cut off died. Only by restoring bodily punishment can those who should die be allowed to live and the people be given rest [Emperor Xiaowen ordered bodily punishments abolished, and Zhang Cang and others drew up statutes: those to be left whole were made wall-builders or grain-pounders, those to be tattooed had their hair shaved and were fettered as wall-builders or grain-pounders, those to have the nose cut were beaten two hundred strokes, those to have the left foot cut were beaten five hundred, and those to have the right foot cut, and those who killed and first reported themselves, officials who took bribes and bent the law, those who guarded official goods and stole them, and those already sentenced who also had flogging offenses, were all executed in the marketplace. After that, outwardly the punishments bore a light name, while inwardly they killed people in fact. Those whose right foot was to be cut were again to die, and those given five hundred or three hundred strokes mostly died. Only under Emperor Jing was the flogging ordinance revised. This means that where bodily punishment reaches extreme death, restoring it lets those who would die live and the people recover. This piece is what is meant by applying only bodily punishment where a life-sparing sentence went as far as death].

問德刑並用常典也或先或後時宜【或先徳後刑或先刑後徳隨時所宜】刑教不行勢極也【常典不行過伉耳】教初必簡刑始必略事漸也【創始欲民易從宜於簡略】教化之隆莫不興行然後責備【簡者以漸而備】刑法之定莫不避罪然後求密【略者以漸而密】未可以備謂之虛教【教化未隆民不興行而責備焉是謂虛教也】未可以密謂之峻刑【刑法未定民不避罪而求密焉是謂峻刑也】虛教傷化峻刑害民君子弗由也設必違之教不量民力之未能是招民於惡也故謂之傷化【未可以備而責備則教必違】設必犯之法不度民情之不堪是陷民於罪也故謂之害民【未可以密而求密則法必犯】莫不興行則一毫之善可得而勸也然後教備【民行脩飭則教備而不違】莫不避罪則纎介之惡可得而禁也然後刑密【民知畏罪則法密而不犯此一首所謂徳刑並用也】

Question: Using virtue and punishment together is the constant statute, and which comes first or later is a matter of timeliness [sometimes virtue comes first and punishment later, sometimes punishment first and virtue later, as suits the time]. Punishment and teaching cannot be carried out, which is a situation that has reached an extreme [when the constant statute cannot be carried out, it is because one has been too harsh and rigid]. At the start, teaching must be simple and punishment must be brief, for things come gradually [at the beginning, make it easy for the people to follow, and simplicity and brevity are fitting]. When teaching flourishes and none fail to rise and practice it, only then demand completeness [the simple gradually becomes complete]; when punishment is settled and none fail to avoid crime, only then seek strictness [the brief gradually becomes strict]. To seek completeness before it can be complete is called empty teaching [when teaching has not flourished and the people have not risen to practice, yet one reproaches them, that is empty teaching]; to seek strictness before it can be strict is called harsh punishment [when punishments have not been settled and the people do not avoid crime, yet one seeks strictness, that is harsh punishment]. Empty teaching harms transformation and harsh punishment harms the people; the noble person does not take this road. To establish a teaching that will certainly be violated, without gauging whether the people's strength can manage it, is to invite the people toward evil, and so it is called harming transformation [if one demands completeness before it can be complete, the teaching will surely be violated]. To establish a law that will certainly be broken, without measuring whether the people's feelings can bear it, is to trap the people in crime, and so it is called harming the people [if one seeks strictness before it can be strict, the law will surely be broken]. When none fail to rise and practice, even a bit of goodness can be encouraged, and only then is teaching complete [the people's conduct is well ordered, and when teaching is complete it will not be violated]. When none fail to avoid crime, even a trifle of evil can be forbidden, and only then is punishment strict [the people know to fear crime, and when law is strict it will not be broken. This piece is what is meant by using virtue and punishment together].

或問復讎古義也曰縱復讎可乎曰不可【縱之則人將倚法專殺亂滋生矣】曰然則如之何曰有縱有禁有生有殺【弗避而報者無罪所謂有縱有生避而報之殺所謂有禁有殺】制之以義【據禮經則義不同天】斷之以法【徵法令則殺人者死】是謂義法並立曰何謂也曰依古復讎之科使父讎避諸異州千里兄弟之讎避諸異郡五百里從父從兄弟之讎避諸異縣百里【周禮調人凡和難父之讐闢諸海外兄弟之讐闢諸千里之外從父兄弟之讐不同國君之讐眡父師長之讐眡兄弟主友之讐眡從父兄弟弗闢則與之瑞節而以執之凡殺人有反殺者使邦國交讐之凡殺人而義者不同國令勿讐讐之則死此古復讐之科也又禮記曰父之讐弗與共戴天兄弟之讐不反兵交逰之讐不同國又子夏問於孔子曰居父母之讐如之何夫子曰寢苫枕幹不仕弗與共天下也遇諸市朝不反兵而鬬曰請問居昆弟之讐如之何曰仕弗與共國銜君命而使雖遇之不鬬曰請問居從父昆弟之讐如之何曰不為魁主人能則執兵而陪其後按此異州乃九州之州】弗避而報者無罪【未闢之前但知有復讐之義而已故報者生之】避而報之殺【既闢之後則有王禁在焉故報者誅之】犯王禁者罪也復讎者義也以義報罪從王制順也犯制逆也以逆順生殺之凡以公命行止者不為弗避【此一首所謂闢讐有科也】

Someone asked: Avenging is an ancient principle. Question: Can we allow avenging freely? Answer: No [if allowed freely, people will rely on the law to kill at will, and disorder will grow worse]. Question: Then what should be done? Answer: There is indulgence and prohibition, life and death [one who avenges without having been avoided is innocent, which is indulgence and life; one who avenges after having been avoided is killed, which is prohibition and death]. Restrain it with righteousness [by the ritual classics, righteousness is that one does not share the sky with one's father's killer]; judge it with law [by the statutes, the killer must die]; this is called establishing righteousness and law side by side. Question: What does this mean? Answer: Following the ancient regulations on avenging, the killer of one's father must avoid to another province a thousand li away, the killer of one's brother must avoid to another commandery five hundred li away, and the killer of one's paternal uncle or cousin must avoid to another county a hundred li away [the Rites of Zhou, "Reconciler": in all reconciliation of feuds, the killer of one's father avoids beyond the seas, the killer of one's brother avoids a thousand li away, and the killer of one's paternal uncle or cousin does not live in the same state; the killer of one's lord is treated like the killer of one's father, the killer of one's teacher or elder like the killer of a brother, the killer of a master's friend like the killer of a paternal cousin. If he does not avoid, one gives the avenger the jade tally to go and seize him. Whenever a killing is answered with killing in return, it causes states to become one another's enemies. Whenever a killing is righteous, they do not live in the same state, and are ordered not to hold a grudge, and if they do, they are killed. These are the ancient regulations on vengeance. And the Book of Rites says: one does not share the sky with the killer of one's father; against the killer of a brother one does not turn away one's weapon; against the killer of a friend one does not live in the same state. And Zixia asked Confucius: how should one deal with the killer of one's parents? The Master said: sleep on straw with a shield for a pillow, do not take office, do not share the world with him, and if you meet him at market or court, do not go back for weapons but fight him at once. Asked how to deal with the killer of a brother? He said: if in office, do not share the state with him, and if sent abroad on the ruler's commission, do not fight him even if you meet him. Asked how to deal with the killer of a paternal cousin? He said: do not lead, and if the host can avenge, follow him with weapons in hand. Note: here "another province" means a province of the nine provinces]. One who avenges without having avoided is innocent [before avoiding, one knows only the principle of avenging, so one who avenges is allowed to live]; one who avenges after having avoided is killed [after avoiding, the king's prohibition exists, so one who avenges is put to death]. To violate the king's prohibition is a crime, and avenging is righteousness. To repay a crime with righteousness and to submit to the king's rule is compliance, and to violate the system is defiance. Use defiance and compliance to decide life and death. Those who act or stop on public orders are not counted as not having avoided [this piece is what is meant by regulations for avoiding vendettas].

或問祿曰古之祿也備【其詳見周禮孟子王制】漢之祿也輕【漢制祿秩自中二千石至百石各有等差】夫祿必稱位一物不稱非制也公生貶則私利生【言月俸貶損則賄賂行矣】私利祿則亷者匱而貪者豐也【潔白者窶貧汙墨者富羨】夫豐貪生私匱亷貶公是亂也先王重之曰祿可増乎曰民家財愆増之宜矣或曰今祿如何【今謂獻帝時】曰時匱也祿依食食依民叅相澹【澹古贍字給也即漢書猶未足以澹其欲及以澹不足之澹此言民以給食食以給祿所謂叅相贍也】必也正貪祿【黜汙吏】省閒冗【汰羨官】與時消息昭惠恤下損益以度可也【此一首所謂議祿也】

Someone asked about salaries. Answer: In antiquity salaries were complete [see the Rites of Zhou, Mencius and the Royal Regulations for details]; Han salaries were light [under the Han system, salary ranks ranged from two thousand bushels down to a hundred bushels, with differences]. Salary must match position, and when one thing does not match, it is not a system. Once public pay is reduced, private gain arises [meaning when monthly pay is cut, bribery spreads]; once private gain becomes salary, the honest are deprived and the greedy are enriched [the clean are poor and the corrupt are wealthy]. Wealth and greed produce private interest, and deprivation and honesty diminish the public good; this is disorder. The former kings valued this. Question: Can salaries be increased? Answer: When people's households have surplus resources, increasing is appropriate. Someone said: How are salaries at present [at present means in the time of Emperor Xian]? Answer: The age is in want. Salary depends on food, food depends on the people, and the three supply one another ["dan" is the old form of "shan," to supply; it is the "dan" in the Book of Han, "still not enough to supply his desires" and "to supply what is lacking." This means the people's resources supply food and food supplies salary, the so-called three supplying one another]. One must correct those greedy for salary [dismiss the corrupt officials], cut idle and redundant posts [weed out surplus offices], rise and fall with the times, make kindness clear and care for the lower people, and increase or decrease with proper measure, and that will do [this piece is what is meant by discussing salaries].

諸侯不專封富人名田逾限富過公侯是自封也大夫不專地人賣買由已是專地也【董仲舒説武帝曰秦用商鞅之法改帝王之制除井田民得賣買富者田連阡陌貧者亡立錐之地又顓川澤之地管山林之饒荒越制逾侈以相髙邑有人君之尊裡有公侯之富小民安得不困古井田法雖難卒行宜少近古限民名田以澹不足至哀帝時師丹建言累世承平豪富吏民訾數鉅萬而貧弱愈困宜畧為限丞相孔光大司空何武奏請諸侯王列侯皆得名田國中列侯在長安公主名田縣道及闗內侯吏民名田皆毋過三十頃時丁傅用事董賢隆貴皆不便也後遂寢不行】或曰復井田與曰否專地非古也井田非今也【言專地固非隆古之典而井田廢久又非今所可行】然則如之何曰耕而勿有以俟制度可也【耕而勿有不得賣買由已以俟制度不得逾限也此一首所謂議專地也】

Lords do not enfeoff on their own authority, and when rich people hold land beyond the limit and are richer than dukes and marquises, they are enfeoffing themselves. Senior officials do not monopolize land, and when people buy and sell by themselves, that is monopolizing land [Dong Zhongshu urged Emperor Wu: Qin used the law of Shang Yang, altered the system of the emperors and kings, abolished the well-field system, and let the people buy and sell, so that the rich had fields connecting the paths and the poor had no land to stand an awl on, and moreover they alone held the benefits of rivers, marshes, mountains and forests, living dissolutely beyond the system and vying in extravagance, so that a town had the dignity of a ruler and a village the wealth of a duke or marquis; how could the small people not be in want? The ancient well-field law is hard to carry out at once, but it should be brought somewhat closer to antiquity, limiting people's landholding to supply those in need. In the time of Emperor Ai, Shi Dan proposed: after generations of peace, wealthy officials and people have assets of many tens of thousands while the poor and weak are increasingly in want, and there should be slight limits. Chancellor Kong Guang and Grand Minister of Works He Wu memorialized asking that lords, kings and marquises all be allowed to hold land in their states, while marquises in Chang'an, princesses in counties and roads, and marquises within the passes, officials and people, may not hold more than thirty qing of land. At that time Ding and Fu held power and Dong Xian was exalted, and they all found it inconvenient, so afterward it was shelved and not carried out]. Someone said: Should the well-field system be restored? Answer: No. Monopolizing land is not an ancient law, and the well-field system is not what can be done today [this means that monopolizing land is certainly not a statute of high antiquity, while the well-field system has long been abolished and cannot be carried out now]. Then what should be done? Answer: Till without owning, and wait for a system, and that is enough [till without owning, so one may not buy and sell by oneself; wait for a system, so one may not exceed the limit. This piece is what is meant by discussing monopolizing land].

或問貨曰五銖之制宜矣【太公為周立九府圜法錢圜函方輕重以銖至漢孝武元狩五年初鑄五銖錢至平帝元始中成錢二百八十億萬餘王莾居攝變漢制於是更造大錢重十二銖又曰大錢五十又造契刀錯刀與五銖凡四品並行莾即真乃罷契刀錯刀及五銖更造錢貨六品而民便五銖私相市買莾下詔敢非井田挾五銖錢者為惑眾投諸四裔以御魑魅於是農商失業食貨俱廢世祖受命復五銖錢與天下更始觀此則五銖之制宜便於民者久矣】曰今廢如之何【今謂獻帝時廢者初平元年董卓壞五銖錢更鑄小錢是也】曰海內既平行之而已【言卓既誅此制宜復】曰錢散矣京畿【一作甸】虛矣其勢必積於逺方若果行之則彼以無用之錢市吾有用之物是匱近而豐逺也【曰散曰虗曰積曰無用之錢皆言五銖彼謂逺方也】曰事勢有不得官之所急者谷也牛馬之禁不得出百里之外若其他物彼以其錢取之於左用之於右貿遷有無周而通之海內一家何患焉【言五穀不得及逺他物以五銖貿遷不足以匱近為患也】曰錢寡矣曰錢寡民易矣若錢既通而不周於用然後官鑄而補之【言五銖由廢故易由易故寡不足官鑄以贍可也】或曰收民之藏錢者輸之官牧逺輸之京師然後行之曰事枉而難實者欺慢必眾奸偽必作爭訟必繁刑殺必深吁嗟紛擾之聲章乎天下矣非所以撫遺民成緝熈也【此言逺收五銖於京師而後行之騷動不可】曰然則收而積之與曰通市其可也【此言收五銖積貯亦不可】或曰改鑄四銖曰難矣【此言改鑄四銖以復孝文之舊亦不可】或曰遂廢之曰錢實便於事用民樂行之禁之難今開難令以絶便事禁民所樂不茂矣【此言廢五銖以絶民所便禁民所樂亦不可】曰起而行之錢不可如之何曰尚之廢之弗得已何憂焉【言或尚或廢其勢自有所不得已者蓋民便五銖不得而終廢之不憂其不行也厥後曹操為相還用五銖悅之言驗矣此一首所謂議錢貨也】聖王先成民而後致力於神【東觀書詔傳曰聖王先成民而後致力於神】民事未定【謂有日月水旱癘疫之災】郡祀有闕不為尤矣必也舉其重而祀之望祀五嶽四瀆其神之祀縣有舊常【五嶽岱衡華恆嵩也四瀆江河淮濟也按漢制岱宗廟在博縣西北三十里山虞長守之十月日合凍臘月日涸凍正月日解凍皆太守自侍祠法七十萬五千三牲燔柴上福脯三十朐縣次傳送京師衡廟在廬江縣華廟在農華隂縣恆廟在中山上曲陽縣嵩廟在潁川陽城縣皆同禮河廟在河南滎陽縣河隄謁者掌四瀆禮祠與五嶽同江廟在廣陵江都縣淮廟在平氏縣濟廟在東郡臨邑縣所謂其神之祀縣有舊常也】若今郡祀之而其祀禮物從鮮可也【言嶽瀆之祀雖曰縣有常典但民事未定望祀可也若必郡祀則禮物宜從省畧】禮重本示民不偷且昭典物其備物以豐年日月之災降異非舊也【此一首所謂約祀舉重也】

Someone asked about currency. Answer: the wuzhu coin system is suitable [Taigong established the nine treasuries and the round-coin system for Zhou, with coins round and holes square, weighed by the zhu. In the fifth year of the Yuanshou era of Emperor Xiaowu of Han, wuzhu coins were first cast, and by the Yuanshi era of Emperor Ping more than 28 billion myriad had been minted. When Wang Mang acted as regent he changed the Han system and cast a large coin weighing twelve zhu, said to be worth fifty, and also cast qi-dao and cuo-dao knife coins, running four denominations together with the wuzhu. When Wang Mang took the throne he abolished the knife coins and the wuzhu and cast six new denominations of coin, but the people found the wuzhu convenient and traded in them privately. Wang Mang issued an edict: whoever dared to criticize the well-field system or carry wuzhu coins was misleading the multitude and would be banished to the four borderlands to fend off sprites. Thus farmers and merchants lost their livelihoods and food and goods were both ruined. Shizu, receiving the mandate, restored the wuzhu coin and made things new with the world. Seen from this, the wuzhu system has long been convenient for the people]. Question: what of abolishing it now [“now” means the time of Emperor Xian. “Abolishing” refers to the first year of Chuping, when Dong Zhuo destroyed the wuzhu coins and cast small coins]? Answer: now that all within the seas is pacified, simply put it into practice [meaning that Dong Zhuo has been put to death and this system should be restored]. Question: when coin is scattered, the capital region [one text has “dian”] will be empty, and it will inevitably pile up in distant places. If it is really put into practice, they will use their useless coins to buy our useful goods, making the near lacking and the far abundant [what are called scattered, empty, piled up, and useless coins all refer to the wuzhu; “they” means the distant places]. Answer: circumstances sometimes allow no choice. What the government is anxious about is grain. The ban on oxen and horses means they cannot leave beyond a hundred li; as for other goods, they take coin from the left hand and spend it with the right, trading what is present for what is absent, circulating and flowing; within the seas it is one household, so what is there to worry about [meaning the five grains cannot be shipped far, while other goods trade with wuzhu coins, which is not enough to make the near suffer lack]? Question: coin will be scarce. Answer: when coin is scarce the people find things easy. If the coin has already circulated and is not enough, then the government can cast more to make up for it [meaning that the wuzhu is scarce because it was abolished, and appears insufficient because it is scarce; if it is insufficient, official casting will supply it]. Someone said: collect the coins that the people have stored and hand them to the government, send those from distant places to the capital, and then put it into practice. Answer: where matters are crooked and hard to verify, deception will surely be many, falsehood will surely arise, lawsuits will surely multiply, and punishments and killings will surely be harsh, and the sound of sighs and clamor will be proclaimed throughout the world; this is not the way to soothe the remnant people and accomplish the bright and shining [this says that collecting wuzhu coins from far away to the capital before putting it into practice would cause disturbance and is not acceptable]. Question: then collect it and store it? Answer: let it circulate in the market and that is enough [this says that collecting and storing wuzhu coins is also not acceptable]. Someone said: recast as four-zhu coins. Answer: that is difficult [this says that recasting four-zhu coins to restore the old system of Emperor Xiaowen is also not acceptable]. Someone said: then abolish it. Answer: coin is truly convenient for affairs, the people gladly practice it, and a ban is very hard. If one now issues a hard-to-obey order to cut off a convenient thing and forbid what the people delight in, it will not flourish [this says that abolishing the wuzhu to cut off what is convenient for the people and forbid what they delight in is also not acceptable]. Question: if one sets about to put it into practice, what if the coin cannot be done? Answer: honoring it and abolishing it are both unavoidable, so what is there to worry about [meaning that whether it is honored or abolished, circumstances have their own necessity. The people find the wuzhu convenient, and it cannot in the end be abolished, so there is no need to worry that it will not be put into practice. Later Cao Cao, as chancellor, still used the wuzhu, and Xun Yue’s words were borne out. This paragraph is what is called discussing coin and goods]. The sage kings first perfected the people and only then devoted themselves to the spirits [the edicts and biographies in the Dongguan Records say: “The sage kings first perfected the people and only afterward devoted themselves to the spirits.”]. When the people’s affairs are unsettled [meaning there are disasters of sun and moon, flood and drought, plague and pestilence], if a commandery’s sacrifices are incomplete, it is not a fault. One must pick the important ones to sacrifice to. In the sacrifices from afar to the Five Peaks and Four Rivers, the sacrifices to those spirits have an old regular practice in the counties [the Five Peaks are Dai, Heng, Hua, Heng, and Song, and the Four Rivers are the Yangtze, the Yellow River, the Huai, and the Ji. According to Han regulations: the temple of Mount Dai is thirty li northwest of Bo county, guarded by the mountain warden; on the ice-forming day of the tenth month, the ice-hardening day of the twelfth month, and the ice-thawing day of the first month, the grand administrator personally attends the sacrifice, with an official fund of 705,000 coins, the three sacrificial animals, burning of firewood, and thirty strips of dried meat offered for blessing, and the counties relay it in order to the capital. The temple of Mount Heng is in Qian county of Lujiang, the temple of Mount Hua in Huayin county of Hongnong, the temple of Mount Heng is in Shangquyang county of Zhongshan, and the temple of Mount Song in Yangcheng county of Yingchuan, all with the same rites. The temple of the Yellow River is in Xingyang county of Henan, and the River Embankment Chamberlain oversees the rites of the Four Rivers, the same as for the Five Peaks. The temple of the Yangtze is in Jiangdu county of Guangling, the temple of the Huai in Pingshi county, and the temple of the Ji in Linyi county of Dongjun. This is what is meant by saying that the sacrifices to those spirits have an old regular practice in the counties]. If it were now done by the commandery, simple offerings would be enough [this says that although the sacrifices to peaks and rivers are said to be regular in the counties, when the people’s affairs are unsettled sacrificing from afar is enough; if the commandery must perform it, the offerings should be reduced]. Ritual values the root, shows the people that one is not careless, and makes the canonical things clear. Preparing the offerings in full should be done in years of plenty. Disasters of sun and moon that send down anomalies are not part of the old regular practice [this paragraph is what is called pruning sacrifices and keeping the important ones].

天人之應所由來漸矣故履霜堅氷非一時也【坤初六曰履霜堅氷至】仲尼之禱非一朝也且日食行事或稠或曠一年二交非其常也洪範傳云六沴作見若是王都未見之無聞焉爾官脩其方而先王之禮保章視祲安宅敘降必書云物為備故也【周禮保章氏掌天星以志星辰日月之變動以觀天下之遷辨其吉凶以星土辨九州之地所封封域皆有分星以觀妖祥以十有二嵗之相觀天下之妖祥以五雲之物辨吉凶水旱降豐荒之祲象以十有二風察天地之和命乖別之妖祥凡此五物者以詔救政訪序事又眡祲掌十煇之法以觀妖祥辨吉凶一曰祲二曰象三曰鑴四曰監五曰闇六曰瞢七曰彌八曰敘九曰隮十曰想掌安宅敘降鄭氏曰宅居也降下也人見妖祥則不安主安其居處也次序其兇禍所下謂禳移之】太史上事無隱焉勿寢可也【百官志太史令掌天時星厯凡嵗將終奏新年厯凡國祭祀防娶掌奏良日及時節禁忌凡國有瑞應災異掌記之靈臺丞掌守靈臺候日月星氣屬太史漢官曰靈臺待詔四十二人其十四人候星二人日三人候風十二人氣三人候晷景七人候鐘律一人舍人此一首所謂天人之應也】

The response between Heaven and humankind comes gradually. So “treading on frost, solid ice arrives” is not the matter of a moment [the first yin line of the Kun hexagram says: “Treading on frost, solid ice will come.”], and Confucius’s prayer was not the matter of a single morning either. Moreover, in matters of solar eclipses the intervals are sometimes close and sometimes distant, and two crossings in a year are not the rule. The Commentary on the Great Plan says six kinds of ominous qi appear, and if the royal capital did not see them, it is only that they were not heard of. The officials cultivate their methods, and in the rites of the former kings, the Baozhang officer observes ominous vapors, sets homes at ease and arranges the descent of calamities, and must record clouds and phenomena, so as to be prepared [in the Rites of Zhou, the Baozhang officer is in charge of the stars of heaven and records the movements of stars, sun, and moon to observe the changes of the world and distinguish good and ill, uses the soil of the stars to distinguish the allotted stars of the Nine Provinces’ territories to observe omens, uses the aspects of the twelve years to observe the world’s omens, uses the phenomena of the five clouds to distinguish the ominous signs of good and ill, flood and drought, plenty and famine, and uses the twelve winds to observe the harmony of heaven and earth and name the omens of discord. These five kinds of things are used to report and relieve government and to consult on arranging affairs. Also the Shijin officer is in charge of the method of the ten halos to observe omens and distinguish good and ill: first the omen, second the image, third the hook, fourth the supervisor, fifth the darkness, sixth the dimness, seventh the spreading, eighth the order, ninth the rainbow, tenth the thought. He is in charge of settling homes and arranging descents. Zheng Xuan says: “zhai” means dwelling, and “jiang” means descending. When people see ill omens they are uneasy, and the officer sees to it that they are settled in their dwellings and arranges the order in which misfortunes descend, which is called averting and transferring]. The Grand Historian should report matters upward without concealment and not suppress them [Treatise on the Hundred Officials: the Grand Historian is in charge of the seasons of heaven and the calendar of stars, and at the end of the year presents the calendar of the new year; at all state sacrifices, weddings and (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription), he is in charge of presenting auspicious days and the prohibitions of the seasons; whenever the state has auspicious responses or disasters and anomalies, he is in charge of recording them. The Assistant of the Spirit Terrace is in charge of guarding the Spirit Terrace and observing the sun, moon, stars, and vapors, and belongs to the Grand Historian. The Han Offices says that at the Spirit Terrace there were forty-two men awaiting appointment: fourteen watched the stars, two the sun, three the wind, twelve the vapors, three the sundial shadows, seven the bells and pitch-pipes, and one was an attendant. This paragraph is what is called the response between Heaven and humankind].

天子南靣聴天下向明而治蓋取諸離【易繫辭離也者明也萬物皆相見南方之卦也聖人南面而聴天下向明而治蓋取諸此也】天之道也月正聴朝國家之大事也【禮儀志每月朔嵗首為大朝受賀其儀夜漏未盡七刻鐘鳴受賀及防公侯璧中二千石二千石羔千石六百石鴈四百石以下雉百官賀正月二千石以上上殿稱萬嵗舉觴御坐前司空奉羮大司農奉飯奏食舉樂百官受賜宴享大作樂其每朔惟十月旦從故事者髙祖定秦之月元年嵗首也】宜正其儀以明舊典【漢舊儀公卿以下每月常朝後以頻省唯六月十月朔後復以六月盛暑省之其儀不舉久矣此一首所謂月正聴朝也】

The Son of Heaven faces south to hear the world’s affairs and governs facing the light, taking this from the Li hexagram [the Commentary on the Book of Changes says: Li is brightness, in which all things see one another, the hexagram of the south. The sage faces south to hear the world’s affairs and governs facing the light, taking this from it]. This is the principle of Heaven. Holding court in the first month is a great affair of state [Treatise on Rites: on the first day of each month and at the new year’s opening, a great court is held to receive congratulations. The ceremony: when seven marks of the night water-clock remain, the bell sounds and congratulations are received and (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription); dukes and marquises use jade discs, officials of the full two thousand and two thousand shi ranks use lambs, those of the thousand and six hundred shi use wild geese, and those of four hundred shi and below use pheasants. The hundred officials congratulate the first month; those of two thousand shi and above go up into the hall and shout “ten thousand years,” raise cups to the imperial seat, the Minister of Works presents soup and the Minister of Agriculture presents rice, music is performed for the meal, and the officials receive a banquet with great music. Each month’s first day only the first day of the tenth month follows the old practice, because that was the month in which Emperor Gao pacified Qin and the opening of the first year]. One should correct the ceremony to make the old canon clear [the old Han ceremonies: officials from dukes and ministers down held regular court every month, but later, because it was too frequent, it was reduced and only the first days of the sixth and tenth months were kept; later the sixth month was also dropped for the heat of high summer. The ceremony has long not been performed. This paragraph is what is called hearing court at the first of the month].

古有掌隂陽之禮之官以教後宮【周禮內宰以隂禮教六宮以隂禮教九嬪以婦職之法教九御】掌婦學之法婦徳婦言【按此當有婦容二字】婦功【周禮九嬪掌婦學之法以教九御婦徳婦言婦容婦功各帥其屬而以時御敘於王所鄭氏曰婦徳謂貞順婦言謂辭令婦容謂婉娩婦功謂絲枲也】各率其屬而以時御序於王先王禮也宜崇其教以先內政覽列圖誦列傳遵典行內史執其彤管記善書過考行黜陟以章好惡男女正位乎內外正家而天下定矣【易家人曰女正位乎內男正位乎外男女正天地之大義也又曰正家而天下定矣】故二儀立而大業成君子之道匪闕終日造次必於是【此一首所謂崇內教也】

In ancient times there were officials in charge of the rites of yin and yang who instructed the rear palace [the Rites of Zhou: the Palace Steward uses the rites of yin to instruct the six palaces, uses the rites of yin to instruct the nine consorts, and uses the methods of women’s duties to instruct the nine attendants], in charge of the methods of women’s learning: women’s virtue, women’s speech [note: here there should be the two words for “women’s appearance”], and women’s work [the Rites of Zhou, “Nine Consorts”: in charge of the methods of women’s learning, instructing the nine attendants in women’s virtue, women’s speech, women’s appearance, and women’s work, each leading her subordinates to attend the king at the proper times in order. Zheng Xuan says: women’s virtue means chastity and compliance, women’s speech means choice of words, women’s appearance means gracefulness, and women’s work means silk and hemp work], each leading her subordinates to attend the king in order at the proper times; this was the rite of the former kings. One should honor this teaching so as first to govern the inner affairs, look at the illustrations of exemplary women, recite their biographies, follow the statutes, and have the Inner Recorder hold the red-shafted brush to record good and write down faults, and examine conduct to dismiss or promote, so as to make likes and dislikes plain. When men and women each correct their positions, inside and outside, and the household is set right, the world is settled [the Jiaren hexagram of the Book of Changes says: “The woman rightly takes her place within, the man rightly takes his place without; that men and women are right is the great principle of heaven and earth.” It also says: “When the household is set right, the world is settled.”]. Thus the two modes are established and the great enterprise is completed. The Way of the superior person does not break off, and even in constant haste it must rest on this [this paragraph is what is called honoring inner teaching].