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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75878 ***
+
+
+
+
+
+  Transcriber’s Note
+  Italic text displayed as: _italic_
+
+
+
+
+  The Wisdom of the East Series
+
+  EDITED BY
+  L. CRANMER-BYNG
+  Dr. S. A. KAPADIA
+
+
+  THE BOOK OF FILIAL DUTY
+
+
+
+
+  WISDOM OF THE EAST
+
+  THE BOOK OF
+  FILIAL DUTY
+
+  TRANSLATED FROM THE CHINESE
+  OF THE HSIAO CHING
+
+  BY IVAN CHÊN
+
+  FIRST SECRETARY TO THE CHINESE LEGATION
+
+
+  WITH THE TWENTY-FOUR EXAMPLES
+  FROM THE CHINESE
+
+  [Illustration]
+
+  LONDON
+  JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET
+  1908
+
+
+
+
+  PRINTED BY
+  HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD.,
+  LONDON AND AYLESBURY.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+                                                                    PAGE
+  INTRODUCTION                                                         7
+
+  THE DOCTRINE OF FILIAL DUTY                                         16
+
+  THE TWENTY-FOUR EXAMPLES                                            33
+
+
+
+
+EDITORIAL NOTE
+
+
+The object of the Editors of this series is a very definite one. They
+desire above all things that, in their humble way, these books shall be
+the ambassadors of goodwill and understanding between East and West—the
+old world of Thought and the new of Action. In this endeavour, and in
+their own sphere, they are but followers of the highest example in the
+land. They are confident that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals
+and lofty philosophy of Oriental thought may help to a revival of that
+true spirit of Charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of
+another creed and colour. Finally, in thanking press and public for
+the very cordial reception given to the “Wisdom of the East” Series,
+they wish to state that no pains have been spared to secure the best
+specialists for the treatment of the various subjects at hand.
+
+  L. CRANMER-BYNG.
+  S. A. KAPADIA.
+
+  NORTHBROOK SOCIETY,
+  185 PICCADILLY, W.
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION
+
+
+I. THE ORIGIN OF THE BOOK
+
+The _Hsiao Ching_, or _Book of Filial Duty_, is generally held to be
+the work of an unknown pupil of Tsêng Ts‘an, the disciple of Confucius,
+to whom is attributed the famous Confucian classic known as _The
+Greater Learning_. Certainly it can be traced back as far as 400 B.C.,
+within a century from the death of Confucius. The preservation of
+the text in its present form is due to the Emperor Ming Huang (A.D.
+685-762), one of the most fascinating characters in Chinese history,
+who had it engraved, together with eleven other of the Confucian
+writings, on tablets of stone and set up in his capital of Chang-an. He
+afterwards added a commentary of his own, which is still extant, and
+has proved invaluable to all commentators of a later period. _The Book
+of Filial Duty_ is often found in China bound up with another treatise
+called the _Hsiao Hsüeh_, or _Teaching for the Young_, of which the
+following is a specimen: “The way to become a student is with meekness
+and humility, receiving with confidence every word spoken by the
+master. The pupil, when he sees men of virtue, should try to follow
+in their steps; when he hears wise sayings, he should try to conform
+to them. He must not harbour evil designs, but always act honourably.
+Whether at home or abroad, he must have a fixed abode, and resort with
+those who are well disposed, regulating his demeanour with care, and
+curbing the passions.”
+
+Few books have enjoyed greater popularity amongst all classes in
+China than _The Book of Filial Duty_. It may be called _The Book of
+Emperors_, from the fact that so many Emperors, both before and after
+Ming Huang, have commentated upon it. Equally it is _The Book of
+Youth_, being the first treatise of importance placed in the hands of
+children, after the horn books of elementary instruction. The reason
+for its survival after so many centuries is not hard to seek. Family
+life has always been, from time immemorial, the foundation-stone
+of the Chinese Empire, and filial piety is the foundation-stone of
+family life. Nor does this duty of son to father merely extend to
+the living. The living head of the family pays due reverence to the
+countless ancestors who have preceded him. A witty Chinese writer
+once remarked that in the West family life only began after death—in
+the family vault. Here, at any rate, after years of separation and
+divided interests, the members met to enjoy a common oblivion. I cannot
+but think that there is some exaggeration in this; yet not even the
+greatest apologist of Western methods will venture to deny that the
+Chinese and indeed most Oriental ideals of family life are superior to
+his own. Whilst living, only the calls of Empire, or the demands of
+their profession, may keep relations apart; but the interests of the
+family are always greater than the interests of the individual, and no
+exile is without hope of return to the home of his fathers. The dead
+will not be forgotten, for it will be the duty of their sons to offer
+sacrifice to their shades. The death-days of two generations of parents
+are kept sacred with solemn festival, and the nameless and unnumbered
+dead have their special days of ceremony and remembrance in the spring
+and autumn. Every house has its family shrine, every village its hall
+of ancestors. Thus the filial piety of the survivors honours those who
+have gone.
+
+As regards the living, respect is the great essential of daily
+intercourse. The subject respects his emperor, the son his father,
+the wife her husband, and the younger brother his elder brother. But
+respect is not only for those older than ourselves, or of superior
+station. The wisdom of Confucius is nowhere more clearly shown than in
+his utterance concerning the respect to be paid to youth: “A youth is
+to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not
+be equal to our present? If he reach the age of forty or fifty, and
+has not made himself heard of, then he will indeed not be worthy of
+respect.”
+
+_Maxima debetur pueris reverentia!_
+
+The Chinese national spirit is a spirit of continuity; the spirit of
+the Confucian philosophy is a spirit of harmony with the environment of
+daily life. “Confucius,” says Tzŭ-ssŭ, “possessed, as if by hereditary
+transmission, the virtues of Yao and Shun [Emperors of the Golden Age],
+and modelled himself on Wên and Wu [first King of the Chou dynasty,
+1133 B.C.] as his exemplars. Above all, he kept in unison with the
+seasons of the sky; below, he conformed to the water and the land.
+
+“We may liken him unto the sky and earth in respect of the universality
+with which they uphold and sustain things, the universality with which
+they overspread and enfold things. We may liken him unto the four
+seasons in respect of their varied march; unto the sun and moon in
+respect of their alternate shining.
+
+“All things are kept in train together without their injuring one
+another; their ways go on together without interfering one with
+another: the smaller forces in river streams, the greater forces in
+ample transformations. It is this that makes the sky and earth so
+great.”[1]
+
+The first environment of the human soul is that of the family. Before
+we can become good subjects, before we can aspire to study nature and
+mould ourselves upon the laws of heaven and earth, we must first of
+all learn to become good sons, to complete the unity of family life.
+All things will be added in their due course. To the Chinese mind the
+successful policy in life is a policy of adjustment. This policy runs
+from highest to lowest, and back again from lowest to highest. The
+Emperor adjusts himself to the requirements of his great Ministers,
+they in their turn to the provincial governors, they in their turn to
+the local magistrates, and so on down the scale of social order. So
+this policy of adjustment works equally upwards from the youngest son
+of the meanest family to the Emperor himself, who adjusts his methods
+to those employed by his August Father. As _The Book of Odes_ says:
+
+    That great and noble Prince displayed
+    The sense of right in all he wrought;
+    Adjusting justly, grade by grade,
+    The spirit of his wisdom swayed
+    Peasant and peer; the crowd, the court.
+
+It is for this reason that _The Book of Filial Duty_ commences with
+a chapter on “Filial Piety in the Son of Heaven.” The Emperor is, the
+Emperor always has been, the father of the greatest family on earth—the
+Chinese nation.
+
+
+II. THE TWENTY-FOUR EXAMPLES OF FILIAL DUTY
+
+Instead of the _Hsiao Hsüeh_, or _Teaching for the Young_, which is
+usually grouped with _The Book of Filial Duty_, I have chosen _The
+Twenty-four Examples of Filial Duty_ by way of illustration to the
+_Hsiao Ching_. They are naïve and terse, and yet not without their
+simple charm. Even where they lend themselves to exaggeration, as in
+the story of the old gentleman who dressed himself in gay garments
+and frisked in front of his very venerable parents, they are not
+meaningless nor devoid of humanity. The lesson to be drawn is that our
+duty towards our parents is the first obligation in life, and that we
+should go, if necessary, to all lengths to fulfil it. Nothing is known
+of the authorship of these stories, or the time in which they are
+written. Each story is accompanied by its commentary, and probably the
+stories themselves originated during the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644),
+the commentaries belonging mostly to the latter years of that dynasty.
+The period dealt with in these tales is a very wide one, and ranges
+from the time of the great Emperor Shun (_circa_ 2300 B.C.) down to
+the Sung dynasty (A.D. 900-1200). There have been many editions of
+_The Twenty-four Examples_ in Chinese, mostly embellished with quaint
+and original woodcuts, of which the figure on the cover of the present
+volume, kindly supplied by Mrs. Lionel Giles, is an example.
+
+
+III. FILIAL DUTY AND PARENTAL LOVE
+
+In conclusion, I hope none of my readers will imagine, from these
+examples and the treatise that precedes them, that Chinese family life
+is cold and repellent, and devoid of mutual love. The moment a tiny
+life enters the circle it is guarded by the triple walls of kinship.
+In the children our parents return to us; in the children we survive.
+All through Chinese history the exile longs for return to wife and
+children. All through Chinese literature you will find allusion to the
+love of little ones which has been the heritage of the Chinese from
+time unknown. _The Book of Odes_, quoted in Mr. Ku Hung-ming’s eloquent
+translation of the _Chung Yung_, or _Conduct of Life_, for this Series,
+says:
+
+    When wives and children and their sires are one,
+    ’Tis like the harp and lute in unison.
+    When brothers live in concord and in peace,
+    The strains of harmony shall never cease.
+    The lamp of happy union lights the home,
+    _And bright days follow when the children come_.
+
+With the Chinese the natural joys of life have always been the most
+sought after. Home, family, friendship, landscape, and flowers—these
+are the pleasures which they delight in. The religion of Confucius
+is the religion of daily life. On the side of the parent there is
+responsibility; on the side of the child, obedience, but not a blind
+one. Of the responsibility of parents there is no question. Confucius
+himself laid down the law when he sentenced a father, who had brought
+an accusation against his son, to be imprisoned with him. On being
+remonstrated with, he made this memorable reply: “Am I to punish for
+a breach of filial piety one who has never been taught to be filially
+minded? Is not he who neglects to teach his son his duties equally
+guilty with the son who fails in them? Crime is not inherent in human
+nature, and therefore the father in the family and the government in
+the State are responsible for the crimes committed against filial piety
+and the public laws.”
+
+On the other hand, the obedient son must be able to discriminate and
+not follow blindly, when the father is at fault. In the _Li Chi_, or
+_Book of Rites_, it is written: “When his parents are in error, the
+son must remonstrate with them with respect and gently. If they do not
+receive his reproof, he must strive more and more to be dutiful and
+respectful towards them till they are pleased, and then he must again
+point out their fault.”
+
+The Chinese give respect to the living, and also reverence the dead.
+It is from the past that they have tried to learn, and the past is a
+pathway which the feet of spirits have trodden and made luminous. And,
+moreover, no man can escape from his ancestors, even if he go to the
+uttermost parts of the earth and dwell among strangers. Over the heads
+of the family the politician, ancient and modern, looks to the State.
+But China, from the shelter and security of her myriad bulwarks, has
+watched the sun of many empires rise and set.
+
+
+NOTE
+
+In preparing this little book for the press, I am indebted to Mr.
+Lionel Giles and Mr. L. Cranmer-Byng for their kind assistance. Mr.
+Giles has revised the English spelling of Chinese names according to
+the system almost universally adopted by sinologues to-day; while Mr.
+Cranmer-Byng has made himself responsible for the Introduction. As
+regards _The Twenty-four Examples of Filial Duty_, due acknowledgment
+must be made to Vol. VI. of _The Chinese Repository_, which contains
+the only complete translation of these stories, and has been
+extensively drawn upon for the present work.
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[1] Translated by John Carey Hall in _Chinese Civilisation_, by Pierre
+Laffitte.
+
+
+
+
+THE DOCTRINE OF FILIAL DUTY
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE MEANING OF FILIAL DUTY
+
+
+Once upon a time Confucius was sitting in his study, having his
+disciple Tsêng Ts‘an to attend upon him. He asked Tsêng Ts‘an: “Do
+you know by what virtue and power the good Emperors of old made the
+world peaceful, the people to live in harmony with one another, and
+the inferior contented under the control of their superiors?” To this
+Tsêng Ts‘an, rising from his seat, replied: “I do not know this, for
+I am not clever.” Then said Confucius: “The duty of children to their
+parents is the fountain whence all other virtues spring, and also the
+starting-point from which we ought to begin our education. Now take
+your seat, and I will explain this. Our body and hair and skin are all
+derived from our parents, and therefore we have no right to injure any
+of them in the least. This is the first duty of a child.
+
+“To live an upright life and to spread the great doctrines of humanity
+must win good reputation after death, and reflect great honour upon our
+parents. This is the last duty of a son.
+
+“Hence the first duty of a son is to pay a careful attention to every
+want of his parents. The next is to serve his government loyally; and
+the last to establish a good name for himself.
+
+“So it is written in the _Ta Ya_[2]: ‘You must think of your ancestors
+and continue to cultivate the virtue which you inherit from them.’”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+THE FILIAL DUTY OF AN EMPEROR
+
+
+In order to prevent the people from treating their parents with
+cruelty, the Emperor first sets an example to them by showing a dear
+love to his mother; and in order to teach them not to treat their
+parents with rudeness, he first treats his parents with respect. Having
+loved and respected his own parents, his good conduct will influence
+the minds of his people, and his good example will be followed by them.
+
+So it is written in the _Fu Hsing_[3]: “When the Emperor has done a
+good act, millions will be benefited.”
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[2] A section of the _Canon of Poetry_.
+
+[3] The 27th of the books of Chou in the _Canon of History_.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+THE FILIAL DUTY OF FEUDAL PRINCES
+
+
+Any man will be secure in his position, however high it may be, if he
+does not behave himself in a haughty manner; and will be ever able to
+keep his wealth if he is frugal and careful in his expenses.
+
+When he is able to secure himself in his high position, he can, of
+course, remain unimpaired in his dignity; and where he can keep his
+wealth, he will always remain rich. Having placed himself in a position
+of honour, and secured the possession of his wealth, he will be able to
+protect his country and further the welfare of his people. This is the
+filial duty of a feudal Prince.
+
+In the _Shih Ching_ it is thus written: “Be careful as though you were
+standing upon the brink of a high precipice or treading on thin ice.”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+THE FILIAL DUTY OF HIGH OFFICERS
+
+
+If we do not put on such dress as our good Emperors of old would
+forbid, if we do not speak such words as they would forbid, and if
+we do not behave ourselves in such a way as they would forbid, then
+we shall be always right in what we say and what we do. If so, then
+nobody will be able to find fault with our words or with our deeds,
+and therefore we shall be able to keep our family from being visited
+with any serious misfortune, and to offer sacrifices to our ancestors
+for ever. This is the filial duty of a high officer.
+
+In the _Shih Ching_ it is thus written: “Be diligent every minute to
+attend upon the one person” (meaning the Emperor).
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+THE FILIAL DUTY OF THE LITERARY CLASS
+
+
+From the manner in which we should treat our father we learn how to
+treat our mother. The love toward them is the same. From the manner
+in which we should treat our father we also learn how to serve our
+August Master. The respect shown to them is the same. To our mother
+we show love, to our August Master respect, while to our father, both
+love and respect. If we can serve our August Master with such feelings
+as we have toward our father, then loyalty is shown; and if we treat
+venerable persons with respect, then harmony will reign in the circle
+of our life. Not failing to treat the August Master with loyalty and
+the venerable with respect, we shall be able to make ourselves secure
+in our high position and to offer sacrifices to our ancestors for ever.
+
+This is the filial duty of the Literati. So in the _Shih Ching_ it is
+written: “Do not do anything in the course of a day which will reflect
+dishonour upon your ancestors.”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+THE FILIAL DUTY OF COMMON PEOPLE
+
+
+To do the necessary in every season (such as growing crops in spring
+and reaping harvest in autumn), to do the utmost to make lands as
+fertile as possible, and to be frugal in their expense, in order to
+keep their parents in comfort, is the filial duty of the common people.
+
+From the Emperor downwards to the common people, every one has the same
+duty imposed upon him, and there is no instance in which we can find
+that a man cannot fulfil this duty.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+THE “THREE POWERS”[4]
+
+
+On hearing what Confucius said about filial duty, Tsêng Tzŭ remarked:
+“How great is the use of filial duty!” Here Confucius continued:
+“Filial duty is the constant doctrine of Heaven, the natural
+righteousness of Earth, and the practical duty of man. Every member of
+the community ought to observe it with the greatest care. We do what
+is dictated by Heaven and what is good for the general public in order
+to organise the community. On this account our education is widespread,
+though it is not compulsory, and our government is sound, though it
+is not rigorous. The effect of education upon the minds of the people
+was well known to the good Emperors of old. They made every person
+love his parents by loving their own parents first. They induced every
+person to cultivate his virtue by expounding the advantages of virtue
+to him. They behaved themselves respectfully and humbly, so that the
+people might not quarrel with one another. They trained the people
+with ceremonial observances, and educated them with music so that they
+might live in harmony. They told the people what things they liked or
+disliked to see done, so that they might understand what they were
+forbidden to do.
+
+In the _Shih Ching_ it is thus written: “The dignified statesman is
+always the subject of the attention of the people.”
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[4] _I.e._ Heaven, Earth, and Man.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+FILIAL DUTY IN GOVERNMENT
+
+
+The good Emperors of old ruled the Empire by means of filial duty, and
+dared not neglect the ministers of their vassal states. How much less
+the dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons! They thereby gained
+the goodwill of all their vassal states, which sent their deputies
+to represent them in any sacrifice offered to the ancestors of their
+Supreme Master. This is what we mean by saying that the good Emperors
+of old governed the world by filial duty.
+
+As to the vassal states, their rulers dared not treat widowers and
+widows with insolence; how then could they dare act so towards the
+literary class and the people? Hence they gained the goodwill of their
+subjects, and the latter would join them in offering sacrifices to
+their ancestors.
+
+Now we may say a word about a family. If the head of a family do not
+act haughtily towards his servant, he cannot act so to his wife and
+children. Hence he will gain the goodwill of all his people, and they
+will help him in the fulfilment of his filial duty. In such a family
+the parents must feel happy when they are living, and their spirits
+must come to enjoy the sacrifice when they are dead. By the principle
+of filial duty the whole world can be made happy and all calamities and
+dangers can be averted. Such was the government of the Empire by the
+enlightened rulers of old, in accordance with the principle of filial
+duty.
+
+In the _Shih Ching_ it is thus written: “If you adorn yourself with the
+highest virtue, the whole world will follow you.”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+GOVERNMENT BY THE SAGE
+
+
+Tsêng Tzŭ asked: “Is filial piety the highest of all the virtues
+possessed by a great sage?” To this Confucius replied: “There is
+nothing so great in the world as man, and there is nothing so great
+in a man as filial piety. The first duty of a son is to venerate his
+parent, and in order to show reverence for his dead father he has to
+offer him sacrifice when he offers sacrifices to Heaven. A man who had
+done this was the Duke of Chou. When he offered sacrifices to Heaven
+in a suburban district, he also offered a sacrifice to his deceased
+ancestor Hou Chi, and when he offered sacrifice to Heaven at the temple
+named Ming Tang, he also made one to his deceased father Wên Wang.
+His good action produced such an effect that all the feudal barons at
+that time came to assist him in performing the ceremony of offering
+sacrifice to Heaven. It is therefore evident that there is nothing so
+great in human nature as filial piety. The feeling of affection is
+fostered during the time of infancy, and from that affection springs
+reverence. Since every man has a natural reverence, the great sages
+of the time teach him how and when to show it; and since he has a
+natural feeling of affection, they teach him when and how to cultivate
+it. As the teachings of these sages are based on the principle of
+filial piety, their doctrine is propagated without effort, and their
+government is effectual without resorting to force. The affection
+between a father and a son is natural, and also a source from which
+springs the reverence which a minister ought to show to his sovereign.
+When parents have a son born to them, the regular line of descent in
+the family is thereby secured. This is the greatest duty in family
+life. We must treat our parents with the same reverence as is shown
+to our sovereign, because we receive boundless kindness from them and
+are under a natural obligation to do so. If any one does not love his
+parents, but others, he is a rebel against virtue; and if any one
+does not respect his parents, but others, he is also a rebel against
+the standard of rites. Any action which is against the law of nature
+will certainly not be an example for the public; and any one who gets
+a high position, such as that of a ruler, by undue influence instead
+of by good actions, will be despised by good men. As to the latter,
+they say what they ought to say, and do what they think is good for
+the public. Their virtue and justice are estimable, their actions are
+worthy of being followed, their behaviour is creditable, and their
+manner is correct in every way. If such persons are rulers of a state,
+they will afford to the people a good example to follow and will also
+inspire them with reverence and affection. This is principally the
+cause of their being successful in propagating their doctrines, and
+in effectually carrying on their government. Do you not remember what
+is said in the _Shih Ching_?—‘Look at that good man. How correct his
+behaviour is!’”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+THE FILIAL DUTY OF A SON
+
+
+Confucius said: “A filial son has five duties to perform to his
+parents: (1) He must venerate them in daily life. (2) He must try to
+make them happy in every possible way, especially when the meal is
+served. (3) He must take extra care of them when they are sick. (4) He
+ought to show great sorrow for them when they are dead. (5) He must
+offer sacrifices to his deceased parents with the utmost solemnity. If
+he fulfils these duties, then he can be considered as having done what
+ought to be done by a son.”
+
+A son ought not to feel proud of the high position he occupies, ought
+not to show dissatisfaction with his inferior position to that of
+others, and ought not to act against the natural feeling of the public.
+If he is proud and haughty when he is a high official, he will soon
+bring ruin upon himself and his family; if he feels dissatisfied with
+his lower position, he may be led to do illegal acts; and if he does
+anything contrary to the public feeling, he will probably be the
+object of attacks. Having thus wronged himself, he cannot be considered
+as a filial son, although he treats his parents every day to luxurious
+meals.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+THE FIVE PUNISHMENTS
+
+
+The criminal law consists principally of five punishments, which are
+directed against three thousand offences. Of them, disobedience to
+one’s parents is considered the most heinous crime.
+
+To threaten the sovereign with force is an act which shows that the
+wrongdoer does not know the duty of an inferior to a superior; to
+say anything against the government founded by the wise men of many
+generations gone by is an act which shows that the speaker does not
+know what law is; and to say that a son need not be filial to his
+parents is also an act which shows that the speaker does not know what
+is the natural relation and duty between a son and parents. Such acts
+will no doubt lead the man to a wrong course of life.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+AMPLIFICATION OF THE “IMPORTANT DOCTRINE”
+
+
+Confucius said: “The best way to teach the people to love their
+sovereign is for the sovereign first to love his own parents; to teach
+them to be polite to each other is for the sovereign himself first to
+be polite to all his elders; and to improve bad manners and customs is
+for him first to pay attention to the composition of the music played
+in the country.
+
+“What is etiquette? It is simply due respect to one’s elders. If I
+respect the parents, the son will be pleased; if I respect the elder
+brothers, the younger ones will be pleased; and if I respect the
+sovereign, all the ministers will be pleased. I respect only one
+person, but I please thousands upon thousands. Those to whom the
+respect is paid are few, and those whom I please are many. This is what
+is called an ‘important doctrine.’”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+AMPLIFICATION OF “THE HIGHEST VIRTUE”
+
+
+Confucius said: “When a ruler wishes to teach his people to love their
+parents, he does not go to their family every day to teach them. He
+teaches them by his showing reverence to all old people. In the same
+manner he teaches his people to show respect to their elders by doing
+so first; and to be loyal to their ruler by his doing duty to his
+superiors first.
+
+“The _Shih Ching_ says, ‘The behaviour of the ruler is so good that he
+is loved by the people as their parent.’ A ruler could not have been
+so loved by his people had he not possessed the highest virtue.”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+AMPLIFICATION OF “RAISING THE REPUTATION”
+
+
+Confucius said: “A true gentleman is always filial to his parents, and
+in order to fulfil his duty to them to the fullest extent, he also
+serves his August Master with patriotism. He always shows reverence
+to his elder brothers, and in order to fulfil his duty to them to the
+fullest extent, he does the same towards every one who is older than he.
+
+“As he can maintain order in his family affairs, so he can do the same
+in the government. He bases the principle of the government of a State
+upon that of a ruling family, and the consequent success will make his
+name to be remembered throughout generations to come.”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+THE QUESTION OF REMONSTRANCE IN CONNECTION WITH FILIAL DUTY
+
+
+Tsêng Tzŭ said: “I have heard all that you said about parental love,
+filial love, reverence to elders, how to treat parents every day, and
+how to please them by making oneself known for good conduct; and now
+I will venture to ask you whether it is filial that a son should obey
+every command of his father, whether right or wrong?”
+
+“What do you say?—what do you say?” replied Confucius. “Once upon a
+time there was a certain Emperor who would have lost his empire through
+his wickedness, but that he had seven good ministers who often checked
+his illegal actions by strong protests; there was also a feudal baron
+who would have lost his feudal estate through wantonness, but for the
+fact that he had five good men who often made strong remonstrances to
+him; and there was also a statesman who would have brought frightful
+calamity upon his family, but for the fact that he had three good
+servants who often strongly advised him not to do what he ought not.
+
+“If a man has a good friend to resist him in doing bad actions, he will
+have his reputation preserved; so if a father has a son to resist his
+wrong commands, he will be saved from committing serious faults.
+
+“When the command is wrong, a son should resist his father, and a
+minister should resist his August Master.
+
+“The maxim is, ‘Resist when wrongly commanded.’ Hence how can he be
+called filial who obeys his father when he is commanded to do wrong?”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+THE INFLUENCE AND FRUIT OF FILIAL PIETY
+
+
+The good Emperors of old were not only filial to their parents, but
+also to the Supreme Father and Mother—that is, Heaven and the Earth.
+When an Emperor can live in harmony with his elders, there will be
+harmony throughout his dominion between superiors and inferiors; and
+when he is filial to the Supreme Father and Mother, he will be blessed
+by them.
+
+Although the Emperor is the highest of all ranks, yet he still has some
+one to respect. He has his father and elder brothers.
+
+Why do we offer sacrifices to our ancestors in our family shrine?
+Because we ought not to forget them. Why must we cultivate our minds
+and be circumspect in our actions? Because we do not wish to bring
+disgrace upon the name of our ancestors. If we can show respect to them
+when we offer them sacrifices in our family shrine, we shall be blessed
+by the Supreme Father and Mother. Filiality to parents and reverence to
+elders will be known to the Supreme Being, and will be followed by the
+people in every part of the world; no place can remain unaffected by
+their influence. In the _Shih Ching_ it is said that “from east to west
+and from north to south there is no one who does not submit to rule.”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+SERVING THE SOVEREIGN
+
+
+Confucius said: “A good man always endeavours, while he is in the
+service of his sovereign, to express the utmost loyalty during
+audience with his August Master, and thinks at his leisure how to
+repair any wrong his August Master may have done. He will carry out
+any praiseworthy schemes projected by his master, and will correct
+any fault which he may commit. In this way a great affection will be
+fostered between them.
+
+“Thus in the _Shih Ching_ it is written: ‘Although the minister may be
+far away from his master, yet his affection will not be affected by the
+distance. He is so attached to him that he thinks of him every day.’”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+MOURNING FOR ONE’S PARENTS
+
+
+Confucius said: “When a filial son loses his parent, he, of course,
+cannot help crying piteously. He cannot feel happy when he hears music.
+He will have no appetite for food, however tempting a savoury. He will
+greet no visitor, have no regard for elegance of speech, and will put
+on a mourning-dress instead of a beautiful one. All these tell us
+the extent of his sorrow for his lost parent. What is meant by the
+saying that he must try to eat something after three days from the
+death of his parent, though he has no appetite for it? It teaches us
+that although we have to show great sorrow for the dead, yet we must
+not sacrifice ourselves on their account, and that we must not carry
+self-mortification so far as to destroy our life. This is the doctrine
+laid down by good men of old. That mourning only extends to the period
+of three years shows that there is a limit for our sorrow.
+
+“For the corpse we make a coffin and some clothes. We set forth the
+sacrificial vessels, and at the sight of them grief breaks forth
+afresh. The women beat their breasts, the men stamp their feet, and
+with weeping and wailing escort the coffin to its resting-place. For
+its burial we buy a well-drained ground. In memory of our deceased
+parent we build a shrine. For the purpose of showing our remembrance we
+offer sacrifices every spring and autumn.
+
+“When our parents are alive, we should treat them with love and
+respect. When they are dead, we should have sorrow for them. By doing
+so we shall have performed the duty of mankind, and have done what
+ought to be done by a filial son, and by the living to the dead.
+
+
+
+
+THE TWENTY-FOUR EXAMPLES
+
+
+No. I
+
+_The Filial Piety that influenced Heaven_
+
+Yü Shun, the son of Ku Sou, had an exceedingly filial disposition;
+his father, however, was stupid, his mother perverse, and his younger
+brother, Hsiang, very conceited. His actions are related in the _Shang
+Shu_, in the _Chung Yung_, and in the works of Mencius. Those who speak
+of him say that Shun cultivated the hills of Li (in the province of
+Shansi), where he had elephants to plough his fields and birds to weed
+the grain. So widespread was the renown of his virtue that the Emperor
+Yao heard of him, and sent his nine sons to serve him, and gave to him
+two of his daughters in marriage, and afterwards resigned to him the
+imperial dignity.
+
+Of all those whose virtue and filial duty deserve to be illustrated,
+Shun is pre-eminent; and his example, in obeying his parents, is worthy
+of being handed down to posterity, through myriads of ages. Once he was
+in great danger in a well, into which he was commanded by his father to
+descend, and his brother cast down stones upon him; again, he was in a
+granary, when it was set on fire; but from these, as well as from many
+other dangers, he escaped unhurt. He fished, burned pottery, ploughed
+and sowed, with great toil on the hills of Li. He laboriously performed
+all these duties, but his parents were not affected, while his brother
+Hsiang became more insolent and overbearing. His parents alleged crimes
+against him, but Shun could not find that he had done wrong; he loved
+and revered them, though they did not requite him with affection. His
+feelings were grieved at these manifold troubles, and with strong
+crying and tears he invoked Heaven.
+
+His perfect sincerity was effectual to renovate his family; his parents
+became pleasant, and his brother more conciliatory and virtuous.
+Heaven also considered his excellency to be great, and regarded him
+as truly good, thus establishing his reputation so firmly that it was
+perpetuated to, and influenced, succeeding ages. Even Confucius is
+regarded as elevated but a little above Shun, and I would praise and
+extol them both to coming generations.
+
+
+No. II
+
+_Affection shown in tasting Soups and Medicines_
+
+The Emperor Wên of the Han dynasty, the third son of his father, Kao
+Tsu, was appointed Prince over the country of Tai. His own mother,
+Po, was Queen-dowager, and Wên was constant in his attendance on her.
+She was ill for three years, during which time his eyelids did not
+close, nor was the girdle of his dress unloosed; and she took none of
+the soups and medicines prepared for her till he had tasted them. This
+benevolence and filial affection was heard of throughout the empire.
+
+Wên received direction to go and arrange the imperial sacrifices, and
+requested his mother to accompany him to the royal domains. Morning
+and evening he visited her in her own apartments, and handed her the
+fragrant dishes. If the provisions had lost their flavour, he was
+vexed; and when tasting the medicines he commanded perfect silence. The
+live-long night his girdle was not loosed, nor for three years were
+his eyelids closed. By as much as his animal spirits were exhausted,
+by so much the more did his heart become fixed on the subject of its
+affection; and for a long time his thoughts were not distracted. Such
+filial love and virtue so moved upon Heaven’s kind regard, that it
+wrought upon his father to confer the throne upon him as his patrimony.
+
+
+No. III
+
+_Gnawing her Finger pained his Heart_
+
+During the Chou dynasty there lived a lad named Tsêng Ts‘an, a disciple
+of Confucius, who served his mother very dutifully. Tsêng was in the
+habit of going to the hills to collect faggots; and once, while he was
+thus absent, many guests came to his house, towards whom his mother was
+at a loss to know how to act. She, while expecting her son, who delayed
+his return, began to gnaw her fingers. Tsêng suddenly felt a pain in
+his heart, and took up his bundle of faggots in order to return home;
+and when he saw his mother, he kneeled and begged to know what was the
+cause of her anxiety. She replied: “There have been some guests here
+who came from a great distance, and I bit my finger in order to arouse
+you to return to me.”
+
+The faculties of mind and body in both mother and son sprang originally
+from the same source, and are alike; but in common men this connection
+is broken and interrupted, and they are dull and stupid. Those sages
+whose nature is heavenly differ from the rest of mankind; and virtue,
+as in a breath, permeates their whole souls. At a certain time, when
+Tsêng was absent to collect faggots, visitors came and knocked at his
+door in great haste; and as there was no man at home ready to receive
+them, his mother was much grieved. He had entered the dense fog on the
+hills and did not know where he was, when his mother leaned against the
+door-post and gnawed her fingers as if she would go in quest of him.
+Her son in the hills is suddenly seized with a pain in his heart, and
+quickly takes up his bundle of faggots to return; although distant,
+he sympathises with his mother’s grief and complaint. The hearts of
+mother and son are mutually affected, one influencing the other, in the
+same manner as the amber draws small straws and the loadstone attracts
+the slender needle. From the remotest period sages have been able to
+control their dispositions, and in the deepest silence have revolved
+their actions as in a breath. The moving influence that such minds have
+on each other the generality of men cannot understand. The devotedness
+with which they serve their parents and the respect with which they
+cherish them—who can comprehend.
+
+
+No. IV
+
+_Clad in a Single Garment, he was obedient to his Mother_
+
+During the Chou dynasty lived Min Sun, a disciple of Confucius, who in
+early life lost his mother. His father subsequently married another
+wife, who bore him two children, but disliked Sun. In winter she
+clothed him in garments made of rushes, while her own children wore
+cotton clothes. Min was employed in driving his father’s chariot,
+and his body was so cold that the reins dropped from his hands, for
+which carelessness his father chastised him; yet he did not vindicate
+himself. When his father knew the circumstances, he determined to
+divorce his second wife; but Sun said, “Whilst mother remains, one
+son is cold; if mother departs, three sons will be destitute.” The
+father desisted from his purpose; and after this the mother was led to
+repentance, and became a good and virtuous parent.
+
+The filial piety of the renowned Shun influenced Heaven, whilst that of
+Min renovated mankind. If Heaven be influenced, all below it will be
+transformed; if men be renovated, from them will spring a power able
+to cause their families to become good. In all ages men have exhibited
+a great love for their wives; but dutiful children have often met with
+unkindness. Min carefully concealed all his grievances, and refused to
+indulge in any complaint; even while suffering severely from cold and
+hunger, he maintained his affection unabated. During the long period
+which he endured this oppressive treatment, his good disposition became
+manifest; and by his own conduct he was able to maintain the harmony
+of the family unimpaired. His father and mother were influenced by his
+filial devotion; and his brothers joined in extolling his virtues.
+All his friends and acquaintances, with united voice, celebrated his
+merits; and the men of his native village joyfully combined to spread
+the fame of his actions. The memory of his agreeable countenance and
+pleasing manners was perpetuated to the remotest ages; and his example
+was in many respects like that of Shun, whose parents were equally
+perverse.
+
+
+No. V
+
+_He carried Rice for his Parents_
+
+In the Chou dynasty lived Chung Yu, also a disciple of Confucius, who,
+because his family was poor, usually ate herbs and coarse pulse; and
+he also went more than a hundred li to procure rice for his parents.
+Afterwards, when they were dead, he went south to the country of Ch‘u,
+where he was made commander of a hundred companies of chariots. There
+he became rich, storing up grain in myriads of measures, reclining
+upon cushions, and eating food served to him in numerous dishes; but,
+sighing, he said: “Although I should now desire to eat coarse herbs and
+bring rice for my parents, it cannot be!”
+
+“Alas!” said Chung Yu, “although I was a scholar, yet my parents were
+poor; and how was I to nourish them?” Exhausted he travelled the long
+road and cheerfully brought rice for his parents. Pleasantly he endured
+the toil, and exerted his utmost strength without any commendation.
+At that time his lot in life was hard and unfortunate, and he little
+expected the official honours he afterwards enjoyed. But when his
+parents were dead, and he had become rich and honourable, enjoying
+all the luxuries of life, then he was unhappy and discontented; not
+cheerful as in the days of his poverty, nor happy as when he ministered
+to his parents’ wants.
+
+
+No. VI
+
+_With Sports and Embroidered Robes he amused his Parents_
+
+In the Chou dynasty there flourished Lao Lai Tzŭ, who was very obedient
+and reverent towards his parents, manifesting his dutifulness by
+exerting himself to provide them with every delicacy. Although upwards
+of seventy years of age, he declared that he was not yet too old, and,
+dressed in gaudy-coloured garments, would frisk and cut capers like a
+child in front of his parents. He would also take up buckets of water
+and try to carry them into the house; but, feigning to slip, would fall
+to the ground, wailing and crying like a child; and all these things he
+did in order to divert his parents.
+
+In the country of Ch‘u lived Lao Lai Tzŭ, who, when so old that he had
+lost nearly all his teeth, made every effort to rejoice and comfort his
+parents, constantly endeavouring to gladden their hearts. At times he
+imitated the playfulness of a little child, and arraying himself in
+gaudy and variegated clothes, amused them by his strutting and gambols.
+He would likewise purposely fall on the ground, kicking and wailing
+to the utmost of his power. His mother was delighted, and manifested
+her joy in her countenance. Thus did Lai forget his age in order to
+rejoice the hearts of his parents; and affection, harmony, and joy
+prevailed among the family. If this ardent love for his parents had
+been insincere and constrained, how could it be referred to as worthy
+of imitation?
+
+
+No. VII
+
+_With Deer’s Milk he supplied his Parents_
+
+In the time of the Chou dynasty lived Yen, who possessed a very filial
+disposition. His father and mother were aged, and both were afflicted
+with sore eyes, to cure which they desired to have some deer’s milk.
+Yen concealed himself in the skin of a deer, and went deep into the
+forests, among the herds of deer, to obtain some of their milk for his
+parents. While amongst the trees the hunters saw him, and were about
+to shoot at him with their arrows, when Yen disclosed to them his true
+character and related the history of his family, with the reasons for
+his conduct.
+
+Do his parents desire some milk from the deer? He is not deterred by
+the obstacles in the way of procuring it; but clothing himself in a
+hairy garment, he goes carefully seeking for it among the multitudes
+of wild beasts. He closely imitated the cry, _yew, yew_, of the fawns,
+watching for the tracks of the herds. By this mode he obtained the
+sweet secretion; he also surprised the hunters whom he met in the deep
+and lonely forest.
+
+
+No. VIII
+
+_He sold himself to bury his Father_
+
+During the Han dynasty lived Tung Yung, whose family was so very poor
+that when his father died, he was obliged to sell himself in order to
+procure money to bury his remains. After this he went to another place
+to gain the means of redeeming himself; and on his way he met a lady
+who desired to become his wife, and go with him to his master’s house.
+She went with Tung, and wove three hundred pieces of silk, which being
+completed in two months, they returned home; and on the way, having
+reached the shade of the cassia-tree where they met before, the lady
+bid him adieu and vanished from his sight.
+
+Tung could not endure to behold his father’s bones lying exposed, but
+had not sufficient means to bury them. He saw that his household goods
+were not sufficient, and he said: “This little body of mine, what is
+the use of it? If I sell it, I can redeem it again, and thus bury
+my father, who will be saved from dishonour.” His filial piety moved
+Heaven to direct a female spirit in human form to come and help him in
+fulfilling his engagement; she wove three hundred pieces of silk, and
+thus procured the redemption of a man of truly filial heart.
+
+
+No. IX
+
+_He hired himself out as a Labourer to support his Mother_
+
+In the time of the Han dynasty lived Chiang Ko, who, when young, lost
+his father, and afterwards lived alone with his mother. Times of
+trouble arising, which caused them much distress, he took his mother
+on his back, and fled. On the way he many times met with companies of
+robbers, who would have compelled him to go with them and become a
+bandit, but Chiang entreated them with tears to spare him, saying that
+he had his aged mother with him; and the robbers could not bear to
+kill him. Altering his course, he came into the district of Hsia-p‘ei,
+extremely impoverished and reduced, where he hired himself out and
+supported his mother; and such was his diligence that he was able to
+supply her with whatever she personally required.
+
+Passing over the hills and wading through the streams, he carried his
+mother with much difficulty. It was during a year of famine, when
+all the inhabitants of the land were in confusion from the scarcity
+of food, and engagements were frequent between the soldiers and the
+bandits, and signal fires were lighted on the high hills. Chiang was
+fearful lest the robbers should meet him on the road and plunder him;
+and they did seize him, regardless of his cries and tears, and were
+about to rob him; but when they knew of his filial piety and affection
+for his mother, they permitted him to proceed. While journeying, he was
+too poor to procure any food beyond the bare necessaries of life; and
+because he could not provide comforts and delicacies for his mother,
+he was grieved as if it had been his fault. He went and hired himself
+for labour; with the greatest diligence he adhered to his purpose to
+maintain his mother; and soon the stranger obtained an abundance of
+food and clothing. This success caused his mother to rejoice, and they
+were both delighted, she forgetting her former hardships in the joy
+that filled her breast.
+
+
+No. X
+
+_He fanned the Pillow and warmed the Bedclothes_
+
+In the Han dynasty lived Huang Hsiang, who when only nine years old
+lost his mother, whom he loved so ardently and remembered so well that
+all the villagers praised his filial duty. He was employed in the
+severest toil, and served his father with entire obedience. In summer,
+when the weather was warm, he fanned and cooled his father’s pillow
+and bed; and in winter, when it was cold, he warmed the bed-clothes
+with his body. The magistrate sent him an honorary banner, as a mark of
+distinction.
+
+When the heat of summer made it difficult to sleep quietly, the lad
+knew what would be for the comfort of his venerated parent. Taking a
+fan, he slowly waved it about the silken curtains, and the cool air,
+entering, enveloped and filled the pillows and bed. In winter, when
+the snow threatened to crush in the roof and the fierce wind shook the
+fences, and the cold penetrated to the bones, making it hazardous to
+unloose the girdle, then Hsiang warmed his father’s bed that he might
+not fear, because of the cold, to enter the “place of dreams.”
+
+
+No. XI
+
+_The Gushing Fountain and the Frisking Carp_
+
+In the Han dynasty lived Chiang Shih, who served his mother
+with perfect obedience; and his wife P‘ang also fulfilled her
+mother-in-law’s commands without the least reluctance. The old lady
+loved to drink of the water from the river six or seven li away from
+her cottage, and P‘ang used to go to draw it and hand it to her.
+She was also fond of carp, and when it was obtained, deeming herself
+unable to consume alone what her children with great toil and trouble
+continually prepared for her, usually invited some of the neighbours
+to feast with her. By the side of the cottage there suddenly gushed a
+fountain, the taste of whose waters was like that of the river, and
+it also produced two living fishes daily. These were taken out and
+prepared by Chiang Shih for his mother.
+
+The fish from the river were fresh and delicious, and the water was
+sweet; the mother of Chiang Shih wished to taste of both daily. Her
+son went to purchase the fish and her daughter-in-law to bring the
+water; as constantly as the revolution of morning and evening did they
+exert themselves in this arduous labour. Having obtained the fish and
+water, her countenance brightened, and, laughing, she invited in one
+of the neighbours to rejoice and partake of them with her. Sitting
+opposite at the table, together they ate them, she foolishly not even
+regarding, but totally forgetting, her son and daughter, who with so
+much trouble had prepared them for her. Heaven took pity on these two
+filial children, and employed its divine power to assist them, sending
+a spirit to strike the earth with an axe which caused a perennial
+spring to bubble forth. The taste of the water from the fountain was
+like that from the river, and two fish continually sported about in
+it, which henceforth Chiang Shih took out for their sustenance, nor
+was there any fear of the supply failing. To procure the fish now no
+money was needed, to obtain the water no long and weary walk was to
+be taken. It was as if the productions of this river and of the water
+were transferred into the midst of the cottage; and Chiang Shih could
+support his family with ease for many years.
+
+
+No. XII
+
+_He carved Wood and served his Parents_
+
+During the Han dynasty lived Ting Lan, whose parents both died when he
+was young, before he could obey and support them; and he reflected that
+for all the trouble and anxiety he had caused them, no recompense had
+yet been given. He then carved wooden images of his parents, and served
+them as if they had been alive. For a long time his wife would not
+reverence them; and one day, taking a bodkin, she pricked their fingers
+in derision. Blood flowed immediately from the wound; and seeing Ting
+coming, the images wept. He inquired into the circumstances, and
+forthwith divorced his wife.
+
+He remembers his parents, but cannot see them; so he carves wood to
+represent their persons. He believes that their spirits are now the
+same as when they were alive, and his quietless heart trusts that
+their spirits have entered the carved images. He cannot rest until
+he has made their statues, so strong is his desire to nourish and
+reverence them. He now reveres them, although dead, as if they were
+alive; and hopes they will condescend to dwell in his ancestral hall.
+
+
+No. XIII
+
+_For his Mother’s Sake he would bury his Child_
+
+In the days of the Han dynasty lived Kuo Chü, who was very poor. He had
+one child three years old; and such was his poverty that his mother
+usually divided her portion of food with this little one. Kuo says to
+his wife: “We are so poor that our mother cannot be supported, for the
+child divides with her the portion of food that belongs to her. Why
+not bury this child? Another child may be born to us, but a mother,
+once gone, will never return.” His wife did not venture to object to
+the proposal, and Kuo immediately digs a hole about three cubits deep,
+when suddenly he lights upon a pot of gold, and on the metal reads the
+following inscription: “Heaven bestows this treasure upon Kuo Chü, the
+dutiful son; the magistrate may not seize it, nor shall the neighbours
+take it from him.”
+
+What a foolish action, that the sage Kuo should be willing to bury his
+own child! Fearing lest his mother should not have enough to eat, he
+is willing to resign his child to death; but when it is dead, what
+relief will there be for the grief of its affectionate grandmother?
+When a number of cares come at some future time, who then will be able
+to disperse them if the child is dead? But at this time the reflection
+that his mother would be in want filled his breast with grief, and
+he had no time to think of the future when he would be childless.
+Heaven having given him a dutiful mind, caused him to take a light hoe
+for digging the earth. Together Kuo and his wife went, sorrowing and
+distressed, by the way, until they came to a very hilly place, where
+they stopped. Having dug into the ground, suddenly a gleam of light
+shot forth, and the pot of yellow gold which Heaven had deposited there
+was seen. Taking it up, they clasped their child with ecstasy in their
+arms and returned home; for now they had sufficient to support their
+whole family in plenty.
+
+
+No. XIV
+
+_He seized the Tiger and saved his Father_
+
+In the Han dynasty lived Yang Hsiang, a lad of fourteen, who was in the
+habit of following his father to the fields to cut grain. Once a tiger
+seized his father, and was slowly carrying him off, when Yang, anxious
+for his father and forgetting himself, although he had no iron weapon
+in his hand, rushed forward and seized the tiger by the neck. The beast
+let the prey fall from his teeth, and fled, and Yang’s father was thus
+saved from injury and death.
+
+A tiger suddenly appears in the borders of the field, and seizes the
+man as lightly as he catches a sheep, and drags him off. Yang Hsiang,
+seeing the sudden peril of his father, was vexed that he had no weapon
+with an iron head; but being strongly excited and his feelings roused,
+he ran forward in the path, crying with a loud voice, and grasped the
+tiger by the neck. The frightened animal fled, nor stopped in its rapid
+course until it reached the high hills. Yang then, in a gentle manner,
+raised his father up and led him home, endeavouring to soothe his
+mind and dispel his fears, and also presented him the golden winecup.
+Among the great number of sages whose reputations are famous, how few
+of them have been devoted and filial at the hazard of their lives!
+But this lad, quite young and fair, as soon as he saw his father’s
+danger, risked his own life; surely his fame will spread throughout the
+country. We have heard of the lady T‘i Ying, who saved her father from
+banishment, and of young Chu O, who lost her life in trying to rescue
+her father from drowning; and I think that Yang Hsiang will form a trio
+with them, and the three be celebrated in the same ode.
+
+
+No. XV
+
+_He collected Mulberries to support his Mother_
+
+During the Han dynasty lived Ts‘ai Shun, whose father died when he was
+young, and who served his mother very dutifully. It happened that,
+during the troubles of the time, when Wang Mang was plotting to usurp
+the throne, there were years of scarcity, in which he could not procure
+food, and Ts‘ai was compelled to gather mulberries, which he assorted,
+putting them into two vessels. The red-eyebrowed robber[5] saw him, and
+inquired why he did thus. Ts‘ai replied: “The black and ripe berries I
+give to my mother, the yellow and unripe ones I eat myself.” The bandit
+admired his filial affection, and rewarded him with three measures of
+white rice and the leg of an ox.
+
+Anxious and fearful, he seeks for food; untiring in his toil, he takes
+up his baskets and penetrates the thickets of the distant forests,
+where he finds many mulberry-trees. His hunger now has something
+to satisfy its cravings; he also remembers his mother, and that he
+must carry some to her. The ripe and unripe berries he does not put
+together, but divides them, so that mother and son can each have their
+proper portion. The chieftain heard of his conduct, and highly praised
+him, conferring a gift upon him, and speaking of his filial piety to
+all around. Taking up his rice and flesh, Ts‘ai returned home to his
+mother with the food; and in their joy they even forgot that the year
+was one of dearth.
+
+
+No. XVI
+
+_He laid up the Oranges for his Mother_
+
+Lu Chi, a lad six years old, who lived in the time of Han and in the
+district of Kinkiang, once met the celebrated general Yüan Shu, who
+gave him a few oranges. Two of them the lad put in his bosom, and when
+turning to thank the giver, they fell out on the ground. When the
+general saw this, he said: “Why does my young friend, who is now a
+guest, put the fruit away in his bosom?” The youth, bowing, replied:
+“My mother is very fond of oranges, and I wished, when I returned home,
+to present them to her.” At this answer Yüan was much astonished.
+
+On account of his love for his parent, he would not at first taste the
+present of fruit, but put into his sleeve to carry home the fragrant
+and luscious gift. I think that when he saw his mother, her pleasant
+countenance must have brightened, for the fruit filled his bosom and
+delighted all who came near him. Lu, although so young, had the true
+heavenly disposition; even in the small matter of an orange he did not
+forget his parent’s wishes. Many children are perhaps like this boy,
+and those who requite their parents for the care bestowed upon them, we
+hope, are not few.
+
+
+No. XVII
+
+_On hearing the Thunder he wept at the Tomb_
+
+In the country of Wei lived Wang P‘ou, a very dutiful child, whose
+mother, when alive, was much afraid of thunder. After her death
+her grave was dug in the hilly forest; and whenever it blew and
+rained furiously, and Wang heard the sound of the chariot of the
+Thunder-goddess rolling along, he hastened immediately to the grave,
+and, reverently kneeling, besought her with tears, saying: “I am here,
+dear mother; do not be alarmed.” And afterwards, whenever he read
+in _The Book of Odes_ this sentence, “Children should have deep and
+ardent affection for their parents, who have endured so much anxiety in
+nourishing them,” the tears flowed abundantly at the recollection of
+his mother.
+
+Suddenly the black clouds arise from the wilderness, whirled by the
+wind; he hears the distant mutter of thunder from the southern hills.
+Heedless of the rain, hastily he speeds over the rugged path leading
+to the tomb, and as he goes round the grave his tones of grief and
+entreaty are heard. The roaring of the dreadful thunder affrights the
+ears of men, one clap following another in quick succession. If his
+kind mother, when alive, always dreaded the voice of Heaven’s majesty,
+how much more will she now, when lying alone in the depths of the wild
+forest! If P‘ou was with his mother, he knew she would be comforted;
+and he thinks that if in the green hills she has a companion, she will
+not be terrified. Afterwards, being successful, he refused to take the
+duties of an officer under the Emperor Ssŭ-ma, because he wished to go
+frequently to visit the grave of his parent. And when he was going and
+returning from it, he would weep at the recollection of his mother, and
+ask himself: “If I have not yet recompensed the care and trouble my
+mother endured for me, what more can I do?” And to this day, whenever
+scholars read the pages of the _Liu O_, they remember how tears bedewed
+the cheeks of Wang P‘ou.
+
+
+No. XVIII
+
+_He wept to the Bamboos, and Shoots sprang up_
+
+Mêng Tsung, who lived in the Chin dynasty, lost his father when young.
+His mother was very ill, and one winter’s day she longed to taste a
+soup made of bamboo shoots, but Mêng could not procure any. At last he
+went into the bamboo grove, and, clasping the bamboos with his hands,
+wept bitterly. His filial love moved Nature, and the ground slowly
+opened, sending forth several shoots, which he gathered and carried
+home. He made a soup of them, which his mother tasted, and immediately
+recovered from her malady.
+
+In winter, when the forests are unsightly and bare, and the bamboos
+sombre and gloomy, for plants to send forth their branches is
+surprising and unexpected. But it is impossible to root out the true
+filial nature from men who have it, although senseless and ignorant
+people, not understanding its power, ridicule them, calling them mad.
+The young Mêng Tsung dutifully served his mother, and morning and
+evening waited on her to receive her commands. His mother was ill, and
+desired the delicacy of a soup made from bamboo shoots; but in dreary
+winter, Nature still concealed her fruits awaited. With anxious haste
+he goes to the cheerless forest, which he enters, seeking for them;
+but not finding the shoots, he entreats the bamboos with tears. One
+petition from his inmost heart ascended to the threshold of heaven,
+and the deities were delighted, laughing with pleasure. A miracle is
+wrought, the ordinary course of nature is reversed, and suddenly the
+pearly shoots appear in the forest.
+
+
+No. XIX
+
+_He slept on Ice to procure Carp_
+
+During the Chin dynasty lived Wang Hsiang, who early lost his mother,
+and whose stepmother Chu had no affection for him. His father also,
+hearing many evil reports against him, in course of time ceased to
+regard him with kindness. His mother was in the habit of eating fresh
+fish at her meals, but winter coming, the ice bound up the rivers. Wang
+unloosed his clothes, and went to sleep on the ice in order to seek
+them; when suddenly the ice opened of itself, and two carp leapt out,
+which he took up and carried to his mother. The villagers, hearing of
+the affair, were surprised, and admired one whose filial duty was the
+cause of such an unusual event.
+
+The river is firmly bound up by ice, and the fish are hidden in their
+deep retreats. Perturbed and anxious, Wang goes out to seek the fish,
+apparently forgetting that it was winter. His resolution is fixed, and
+although it is at the risk of his life, he will go. He was not dismayed
+at the coldness of the snow, nor terrified at the fierceness of the
+winds. Even the wicked spirits were deterred from injuring him, and
+dared not molest him. If metals and stones can be opened, shall ice be
+considered too difficult to cleave? The frisking fish came up on the
+surface of the water, obedient to the hand of him who would take them
+out. A thousand ages cannot efface the remembrance of the crack in the
+ice, nor obliterate the fragrant traces of so worthy a deed.
+
+
+No. XX
+
+_Wu Mêng fed the Mosquitoes_
+
+Wu Mêng, a lad eight years of age, who lived in the Chin dynasty, was
+very dutiful to his parents. They were so poor that they could not
+afford to furnish their beds with mosquito-curtains; and every summer
+night myriads of mosquitoes attacked them without restraint, feasting
+upon their flesh and blood. Although there were so many, yet Wu would
+not drive them away from himself, lest they should go to his parents
+and annoy them. Such was his filial affection!
+
+The buzzing of the mosquitoes sounds like _ying, ying_, and their
+united hum is almost equal to thunder. His tired parents are reclining
+on their bed, their countenances already sunk in slumber. Legions of
+mosquitoes fiercely attack them, alternately retreating and advancing.
+The insects disturb the dreaming sleepers, and with annoyance they
+toss from side to side. Wu sees them sucking his parents’ blood,
+which causes his heart to grieve; his flesh, he thinks, can be easily
+pierced, but that of his parents is hard to penetrate. Lying on the
+bed, he threw off his clothes, and soon feeling the pain of their
+attacks, he cried: “I have no dread of you, nor have you any reason to
+fear me; although I have a fan, I will not use it, nor will I strike
+you with my hand. I will lie very quietly, and let you gorge to the
+full.”
+
+
+No. XXI
+
+This story, commemorating Yü Ch‘ien-lou of the southern Ch‘i dynasty,
+is best left out.
+
+
+No. XXII
+
+The same applies to this story, commemorating the Lady T‘ang of the
+T‘ang dynasty.
+
+
+No. XXIII
+
+_He resigned Office to seek his Mother_
+
+In the Sung dynasty lived Chu Shou-ch‘ang, whose mother, Liu, when he
+was seven years of age, left the family because she was hated by his
+father’s wife; and mother and son did not see each other for about
+fifty years. It was during the reign of Shên Tsung that Chu resigned
+his official station and went into the Ch‘in country, and there made an
+engagement with his family “that he would not return until he had found
+his mother.” He then travelled into T‘ung-chou, where he discovered his
+mother, who at that time was over seventy years of age.
+
+Thus Chu exclaimed: “I have a mother; but, alas! separated, we abide in
+different villages. It was not the free will of my mother which led
+her thus to forsake her son, but the envious mistress who compelled her
+to go. Without a mother, on whom shall I rely? to whom shall I pour out
+my sorrows and cares? Now I am grown older and have become an officer,
+but as yet I have been unable to return the kindness of my parent. In
+what place, among all the countries under heaven, does she live? I am
+determined to resign my office and seek her abode, not deterred from
+the trouble of the search. To effect it, I will part from my family and
+no longer be a companion with them; I will not return till I find my
+mother, and they need not await in expectation of me.” Heaven directed
+his way, and he came into T‘ung-chou, where she resided. When the
+mother and the son met each other, joy and grief arose together—joy
+for the meeting after fifty years, sorrow that they had been so long
+apart. But now, in one hour, all their long-accumulated griefs were
+laid aside, and joy and gladness filled their hearts. Chu possesses the
+true heavenly disposition, and honours and riches cannot destroy his
+affection for his mother.
+
+
+No. XXIV
+
+_He watched by his Mother’s Bedside_
+
+In the Yüan-yu period of the Sung dynasty, Huang T‘ing-chien filled the
+office of prefect. He was of a very filial disposition, and although
+honourable and renowned, yet he received his mother’s commands with the
+utmost deference. When his mother was seized with illness, he watched
+her for a whole year without leaving her bedside or even taking off his
+clothes; and at her death he mourned so bitterly that he himself fell
+ill and nearly lost his life.
+
+Well-written poetry flows along like rills meandering among the hills
+and valleys. This instance of a dutiful heart has not as yet been
+brought into much notice. For a whole year he tended his parent in
+her illness; and both she who dwelt in the curtained room (_i.e._ his
+mother) and he who remained in the hall (_i.e._ his father) strove to
+express the merits of their son. It would be difficult to find another
+child who would have done so—all would be dilatory and unwilling; and
+where shall we meet another who would undergo such drudgery himself
+with keenness and pleasure? Although raised to high office, he does
+not hesitate to perform the most troublesome and minute duties, for he
+loves his parents; how then can we suppose that he will change from
+what he was when young and unhonoured?
+
+
+_Printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury._
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[5] That is, the usurper Wang Mang himself.
+
+
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75878 ***