142 A CASE OF RITUALISM 



with the request for the Chiao sacrifice of God. And there- 

 fore it is unthinkable that Lu ever made such a request. For 

 though the times of Emperor Ping (811 B.C.) and Duke Hui 

 were decadent — the royal house being weak and the Feudal 

 lords strong and arrogant — yet they had not sunk to the 

 barbaric deterioriaticn of later times. There was yet enough 

 self respect left to prevent Lu asking for the use of such a 

 great ritual. Ordinarily Lu was a most correct state, 

 punctiliously observing the rites of Chow. The Master once 

 remarked that if or when it made a reform of minor blemishes 

 it would reach the perfect way. Thus it is unreasonable to 

 think that the Duke Hui would make the request alleged. 

 The Emperor being alive, it would be impossible for him to 

 try and supplant him in the great rites, or to duplicate 

 them. 



An explanation of this case of Bitualism of Lu is made 

 by Chang Heng Ch'u in this way. Ch'eng Wang was loath 

 to look upon the Duke of Chow, his uncle, as an ordinary 

 minister. Therefore looking round for a way of honouring 

 him in a special way he bestowed on Lu the royal privileges 

 enjoyed by the feudatory states of Ch'i and Sung. Ma says 

 this explanation is most likely the correct one. 



"Now," says Ma, "as to the claim made that the duke 

 should be worshipped with rites and music of the King: 

 that is to say the Kung Hsien in Music and the Eight 

 Dancers in the dancing : this might be permissible purely 

 in honour of the Duke of Chow personally. But the claim 

 made to celebrate the Chiao stood on a very different footing. 

 To this they were not entitled nor could the Duke gain any 

 benefit even though Lu were to celebrate the Chiao. 

 Because he could not share in it : that is to say he could not 

 be made the Associate for he was not a King. Only a 

 deceased King could partake in such a function, after all he 

 was only a minister of great merit. The duke himself, 

 being a person of great sense would never condescend to 

 accept such an illicit honour." 



"But I am quite convinced," says Ma, "that Ch'eng 

 Wang bestowed this unusual honour on Lu and the general 

 verdict is that Lu was guilty of the crime : and did observe 

 functions which could lawfully be done by the Emperor 

 alone. " 



Conclusion . 



Arising out of this case of ritualism and sacrilege on the 

 part of Lu are certain thoughts that bear on the whole 

 question of ritualism. It is often stated that the spirit of 

 ritualism is inherent in human nature, and that it is useless 



