conducted them to the four seas. I deepened, moreover, the channels and canals, and conducted them to the streams, sowing grain, at the same time, along with Chi, and showing the multitudes how to procure the food of toil, in addition to the flesh meat. I urged them further to exchange what they had for what they had not, and to dispose of their accumulated stores. In this way all the people got grain to eat, and the myriad regions began to come under good rule." Kao-yao said, "Yes, we ought to model ourselves after your excellent words."

Yu said, "Oh! carefully maintain, O Ti, the throne which you occupy." The Ti replied, "Yes"; and Yu went on, "Find your repose in your proper resting-point. Attend to the springs of things; study stability; and let your assistants be the upright; then shall your movements be grandly responded to, as if the people only waited for your will. Thus you will brightly receive the favor of God; will not Heaven renew its appointment of you, and give you blessing?"

The Ti said, "Alas! what are ministers? - are they not my associates? What are associates? - are they not my ministers?" Yu replied, "Yes"; and the Ti went on, "My ministers constitute my legs and arms, my ears and eyes. I wish to help and support my people; you give effect to my wishes. I wish to spread the influence of my government through the four quarters; you act as my agents. I wish to see the emblematic figures of the ancients—the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountain, the dragons, and the flowery fowl (the pheasant), which are depicted on the upper garment; the temple cups, the pondweed, the flames, the grains of rice, the hatchet, and the symbol of distinction, which are embroidered on the lower garment- I wish to see all these fully displayed in the five colors, so as to form the ceremonial robes; it is yours to see them clearly for me. I wish to hear the six pitch-tubes, the five notes determined by them, and the eight kinds of musical instruments regulated again by these, examining thereby the virtues and defects of government, according as the odes that go forth from the court, set to music, and come in from the people, are

ordered by those five notes; it is yours to hear them for me. When I am doing wrong, it is yours to correct me; do not follow me to my face, and, when you have retired, have other remarks to make. Be reverent, ye associates, who are before and behind and on each side of me! As to all the obstinately stupid and calumniating talkers, who are found not to be doing what is right, are there not — the target to exhibit their true character, the scourge to make them recollect, and the book of remembrance? 3 Do we not wish them to live along with us? There are also the masters of music to receive their compositions, set them to music, and continually publish them as corrected by themselves. If they become reformed they are to be received and employed; if they do not, let the terrors of punishment overtake them."

Yu said, "So far, good! But let your light shine, O Ti, all under heaven, even to every grassy corner of the seashore, and throughout the myriad regions the most worthy of the people will all wish to be your ministers. Then, O Ti, you may advance them to office. They will set forth, and you will receive, their reports; you will make proof of them. according to their merits; you will confer chariots and robes according to their services. Who will then dare not to cultivate a humble virtue? who will dare not to respond to you with reverence? If you, O Ti, do not act thus, all your ministers together will daily proceed to a meritless character."

"Be not haughty like Chu of Tan, who found his pleasure only in indolence and dissipation, and pursued a proud, oppressive course. Day and night without ceasing he was

2 Archery was anciently made much of in China, and supposed to be a test of character. Unworthy men would not be found hitting frequently, and observing the various rules of the exercise. Confucius more than once spoke of archery as a discipline of virtue; see "Analects."

3 In the Official Book of Chau, the heads of districts are required to keep a register of the characters of the people. Shun's Book of Remembrance would be a record on wood or cloth. The reference implies the use of writing.

4 This was the son of Yao. He must have been made lord of some principality, called Tan.

6

thus. He would make boats go where there was no water. He introduced licentious associates into his family. The consequence was that he brought the prosperity of his house to an end. I took warning from his course. When I married in Thu-shan,5 I remained with my wife only the days hsin, tsan, kwei, and chia. When my son Chi was wailing and weeping, I did not regard him, but kept planning with all my might my labor on the land. Then I assisted in completing the five Tenures, extending over 5000 li; in appointing in the provinces twelve Tutors, and in establishing in the regions beyond, reaching to the four seas, five Presidents. These all pursue the right path, and are meritorious; but there are still the people of Miao, who obstinately refuse to render their service. Think of this, O Ti." The Ti said, "That my virtue is followed is the result of your meritorious services so orderly displayed. And now Kao-yao, entering respectfully into your arrangements, is on every hand displaying the various punishments, as represented, with entire intelligence."

2. Khwei said, "When the sounding-stone is tapped or struck with force, and the lutes are strongly swept or gently touched, to accompany the singing, the progenitors of the Ti come to the service, the guest of Yu8 is in his place, and all the princes show their virtue in giving place to one another. In the court below the hall there are the flutes and handdrums, which join in at the sound of the rattle, and cease at that of the stopper, when the organ and bells take their place. This makes birds and beasts fall moving. When the nine parts of the service, as arranged by the Ti, have all been performed, the male and female phoenix come with their measured gambolings into the court."

Khwei said, "Oh! when I smite the sounding-stone, or gently strike it, the various animals lead on one another to 5 Yu married the daughter of the lord of Thu-shan, a principality in the present department of Fang-yung, An-hui.

See in the Tribute of Yu.

7 The li is what is called the Chinese mile, generally reckoned to be 360 paces.

8 Chu of Tan.

dance, and all the chiefs of the official departments become truly harmonious."

3. The Ti on this made a song, saying, "We must deal cautiously with the favoring appointment of Heaven, at every moment and in the smallest particular." He then sang,

"When the members work joyfully,

The head rises grandly;

And the duties of all the offices are fully discharged!"

Kao-yao did obeisance with his head to his hands and then to the ground, and with a loud and rapid voice said, "Think, O Ti. It is yours to lead on and originate things. Pay careful attention to your laws in doing so. Be reverential! and often examine what has been accomplished by your officers. Be reverential!" With this he continued the song, "When the head is intelligent,

The members are good;

And all affairs will be happily performed!

Again he continued the song,

"When the head is vexatious, The members are idle;

And all affairs will go to ruin!

The Ti said, "Yes, go and be reverently attentive to your duties."

These last words of Khwei have already appeared in Book i, 5. They are more in place here, though this second chapter has no apparent connection with what precedes. "The stone" is the sonorous stone formed, often in the shape of a carpenter's square, into a musical instrument, still seen everywhere in China.

1. Yu divided the land.

Following the course of the hills, he cut down the trees. He determined the highest hills and largest rivers in the several regions.

2. With respect to Chi Chau,3 he did his work at Hu-khau, and took effective measures at the mountains Liang and Chi. Having repaired the works on Thai-yuan, he proceeded on X

Hsia is the dynastic designation under which Yu and his descendants held the throne for 439 years (2205-1767 B.C.). On the conclusion of his labors, according to what was the universally accepted tradition in the Chau period, Yu was appointed by Yao to be earl of Hsia, a small principality in Ho-nan, identified with the present Yu-chau, department of Khai-fang, which thus still retains the name of Yu.

2 The word "Tribute" in the name of this first Book is not to be understood only in the sense of a contribution paid by one nation to another in acknowledgment of subjection, but also as the contribution of revenue paid by subjects to their proper ruler. The term, moreover, gives a very inadequate idea of the contents, which describe generally the labors of Yu in remedying the disasters occasioned by the inundation with which he had to cope, and how he then defined the boundaries of the different provinces, made other important territorial divisions, and determined the quality of the soil in each province, and the proportion of revenue it should pay, with other particulars. The Book, if we could fully credit it, would be a sort of domesday book of China in the twenty-third century B.C., in the compass of a few pages.

8 Chi Chau embraced the present provinces of Shan-hsi, Chih-li, the three most northern departments of Ho-nan, and the western portion of Liao-tung. It had the Ho - what we call the Yellow river - on three sides of it. On the west was all that part of the Ho which forms the dividing line between Shen-hsi and Shan-hsi. At the southwestern corner of Shan-hsi, the Ho turns to the east: and in Yu's time it flowed eastward to about the place where Chih-li, Shan-tung, and Ho-nan all touch, forming the southern boundary of Chi Chau. Thence it ran north and east, till its waters entered the present gulf of Chih-li, forming, so far, the eastern boundary of the province. The northern boundary must be left undefined.