1823.] 
an extensive genius, but such as will not 
neglect little things; a firmness, with 
nothing in it, harsh or ferocious; and, 
lastly, a magnanimify and force that 
will yield only to justice. 
The kings from whom these. rare 
qualities were demanded were the 
Suzerein monarchs of the whole em- 
pire of China, which was then a 
feudal, government. As to the tribu- 
_ tary princes, that governed particular 
kingdoms under them, six qualities 
were expected from them, and three 
only from the great lords of the court. 
Some fragments of the ‘‘ Chouking” 
may be introduced here, as characte- 
ristic of the wisdom and sublimity 
that pervade its contents :—‘ What 
careand circumspection are called for, 
in the administration of a good govern- 
ment. The eye of heaven views and 
penetrates into every action, but kings 
are to be judged by the voice of the 
people. ‘The wrath of heaven is terri- 
ble; but_a people oppressed and mal- 
treated are the instruments of its 
vengeance. A dispensation of divine 
justice will often chastise great and 
little without distinction, but kings 
have a thousand times more to dread 
than other men.” And elsewhere we 
read :—* O thou, who art the heir of 
Tching-tang, rely not too much on the 
present protection of heaven; whether 
that favour shall continue or not, de- 
pends in some measure on thyself. 
Thy present good fortune may not be 
durable. By the constant practice of 
virtue, thy crown shall be secured to 
thee; if thou forsakest the path of 
wisdom, expect to be deprived of 
whatever heaven has given thee. An 
evident example of this has occurred 
in King Kié: he persevered not ina 
virtuous course, but became impious 
and cruel; .whereupon the Supreme 
Tien rejected him, and sought through 
all the land some one worthy of reign- 
ing, in the place of that unhappy 
prince. O thou heir of Tching-Tang, 
the empire which thou possessest is a 
new acquisition to thee, let thy virtues 
be renewed with it. Constantly reno- 
vate thysclf, so that no difference be 
found between the last days of thy 
reign, and the. first. In offices of 
government employ only those who 
combine wisdom with talents; but for 
thy first minister, seek out a man 
accomplished at all points, one quali- 
fied to form thee to rectitude and vir- 
tue, and who shall give a virtuous 
career to all thy people.” 
Canonical and Moral Books of the Chinese. 
419 
These counsels are, no doubt, just 
and apposite; but as ministers every 
way accomplished, and kings with the 
nine qualities, are not easy to find, the 
“‘Chouking” would have been, more 
acceptable if, in lieu of its rigid pre- 
cepts, it had sketched out a good 
legislative constitution, obligatory on 
kings and minisiers, as well as on the 
citizens. 
- The following speech was addressed, 
by the Emperor Kao-Tsong, to. his 
minister :—‘‘ Fail not to give me daily 
instructions and reproof, that I may 
acquire true wisdom. Let me be con- 
sidered as rough, unpolished iron, to 
be formed and fashioned by you. I 
have a broad, rapid, and dangerous, 
torrent to pass; you must be my bark 
or vessel, and my oar. Let me be 
considered as lean, sterile, and bare 
Jand; you must be like the husband- 
man and the soft showers, to cool and 
refresh, to manure and till it well.” 
But we may well be distrustful of the 
severity of ministers, to act in contra- 
riety to the humours of sovereigns. 
The Jaw, when strictly enforced, is the 
best hammer to smooth the rough iron, 
the finest manure to husband arid 
soils, the best oar and rudder to guide 
in dangerous torrents, 
The ‘Chiking” is a collection of 
300 odes, or small pieces of poetry, 
forming all together 9234 characters, 
extracted by Confucius from the large 
collection deposited in the imperial 
library of the Tcheou. It appears 
that, from the. earliest times, poetry 
has been held in great honour by the 
Chinese ; their language is altogether 
figurative and metaphorical; the word 
for poetry denotes, ‘‘ Words of the 
Hallor Temple.” It was intermingled 
with the public instructions of the 
priests and magistrates; indeed, the 
profound veneration with which the 
““Chiking” is regarded, affords suffi- 
cient proof of this. Manners, how- 
ever, change in time, and. we learn 
from Father Cidot, in the notes of his 
Memoir, that poetry is at present. but 
little considered by the government, 
and that it is not unusual in China 
to say, ‘‘ A man of letters makes many 
verses,” just as it would be said, in 
Vrance, ‘A captain of infantry plays 
well on the violin.” The public man- 
ners having undergone a change, with 
respect to energy and simplicity, the 
credit of poetry has decayed in pro- 
portion. But, under, the old patri- 
archal dynasties, poetry had a very 
powerful 
