The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Preface.
• The ShÛ King Or Book of Historical Documents.
• Introduction.
• Chapter I.: The Nature and History of the Shû.
• Chapter II.: The Credibility of the Records In the Shû.
• Chapter III.: On the Chronology of China, and the Principal Eras In the Shû.
• The Use of the Chart.
• Part I.: The Book of Thang.
• The Canon of Yâo.
• Part II.: The Books of YÜ.
• Book I.: The Canon of Shun.
• Book II.: The Counsels of the Great Yü.
• Book III.: The Counsels of Kâo-yâo.
• Book IV.: The Yî and K î.
• Part III.: The Books of HsiÂ.
• Book I.: The Tribute of Yü.
• Book II.: The Speech At Kan.
• Book III.: The Songs of the Five Sons.
• Book IV.: The Punitive Expedition of Yin.
• Part IV.: The Books of Shang.
• Book I.: The Speech of Thang.
• Book II.: The Announcement of K Ung-hui.
• Book III.: The Announcement of Thang.
• Book IV.: The Instructions of Î.
• Book V.: The Thâi K Iâ.
• Book VI.: The Common Possession of Pure Virtue.
• Book VII.: The Pan-kĂng.
• Book VIII.: The Charge to Yüeh.
• Book IX.: The Day of the Supplementary Sacrifice to Kâo Ȝung.
• Book X.: The Chief of the West’s Conquest of Lî.
• Book XI.: The Count of Wei.
• Part V.: The Books of K Âu.
• Book I.: The Great Declaration.
• Book II.: The Speech At Mû.
• Book III.: The Successful Completion of the War.
• Book IV.: The Great Plan.
• Book V.: The Hounds of Lü.
• Book VI.: The Metal-bound Coffer.
• Book VII.: The Great Announcement.
• Book VIII.: The Charge to the Count of Wei.
• Book IX.: The Announcement to the Prince of Khang.
• Book X.: The Announcement About Drunkenness.
• Book XI.: The Timber of the Rottlera.
• Book XII.: The Announcement of the Duke of Shâo.
• Book XIII.: The Announcement Concerning Lo.
• Book XIV.: The Numerous Officers.
• Book XV.: Against Luxurious Ease.
• Book XVI.: The Prince Shih.
• Book XVII.: The Charge to K Ung of Ȝhâi.
• Book XVIII.: The Numerous Regions.
• Book XIX.: The Establishment of Government.
• Book XX.: The Officers of K âu.
• Book XXI.: The K ün- Kh Ăn.
• Book XXII.: The Testamentary Charge.
• Book XXIII.: The Announcement of King Khang.
• Book XXIV.: The Charge to the Duke of Pî.
• Book XXV.: The K ün-yâ.
• Book XXVI.: The Charge to Kh Iung.
• Book XXVII.: The Marquis of Lü On Punishments.
• Book XXVIII.: The Charge to the Marquis WĂn.
• Book XXIX.: The Speech At Pî.
• Book XXX.: The Speech of (the Marquis Of) Kh In.
• The Shih King Or Book of Poetry: All the Pieces and Stanzas In It Illustrating the Religious Views and Practices of the Writers and Their Times.
• Introduction.
• Chapter I.: The Name and Contents of the Classic.
• Chapter II.: The Shih Before Confucius, and What, If Any, Were His Labours Upon It.
• Chapter III.: The Shih From the Time of Confucius Till the General Acknowledgment of the Present Text.
• Chapter IV.: The Formation of the Collection of the Shih; How It Came to Be So Small and Incomplete; the Interpretation and Authors of the Pieces; One Point of Time Certainly Indicated In It; and the Confucian Preface.
• Odes of the Temple and the Altar.
• I.: The Sacrificial Odes of Shang.
• II.: The Sacrificial Odes of K âu.
• III.: The Praise Odes of Lû.
• The Minor Odes of the Kingdom. Pieces and Stanzas Illustrating the Religious Views and Practices of the Writers and Their Times.
• The Major Odes of the Kingdom. Pieces and Stanzas Illustrating the Religious Views and Practices of the Writers and Their Times.
• Lessons From the States. Odes and Stanzas Illustrating the Religious Views and Practices of the Writers and Their Times.
• The HsiÂo King Or Classic of Filial Piety.
• Introduction.
• Chapter I.: The Name of the Classic; Its Existence Before the Han Dynasty; Its Contents, and By Whom It Was Written.
• Chapter II.: The Recovery of the Hsiâo King Under the Han Dynasty, and Its Preservation Down to the Publication of the Commentary of the Thang Emperor Hsüan Ȝung.
• Chapter III.: Criticism of the Hsiâo Since the Thang Dynasty.
• Note On the Translation.
• Chapter I.: The Scope and Meaning of the Treatise.
• Chapter II.: Filial Piety In the Son of Heaven.
• Chapter III.: Filial Piety In the Princes of States.
• Chapter IV.: Filial Piety In High Ministers and Great Officers.
• Chapter V.: Filial Piety In Inferior Officers.
• Chapter VI.: Filial Piety In the Common People.
• Chapter VII.: Filial Piety In Relation to the Three Powers 2 .
• Chapter VIII.: Filial Piety In Government.
• Chapter IX.: The Government of the Sages 1 .
• Chapter X.: An Orderly Description of the Acts of Filial Piety.
• Chapter XI.: Filial Piety In Relation to the Five Punishments.
• Chapter XII.: Amplification of ‘the All-embracing Rule of Conduct’ In Chapter I.
• Chapter XIII.: Amplification of ‘the Perfect Virtue’ In Chapter I.
• Chapter XIV.: Amplification of ‘making Our Name Famous’ In Chapter I.
• Chapter XV.: Filial Piety In Relation to Reproof and Remonstrance.
• Chapter XVI.: The Influence of Filial Piety and the Response to It.
• Chapter XVII.: The Service of the Ruler.
• Chapter XVIII.: Filial Piety In Mourning For Parents.
• Transliteration of Oriental Alphabets Adopted For the Translations of the Sacred Books of the East.

Book X.

The Chief of the West’s Conquest of Lî.

The Chief of the West having subdued Lî, Ȝû Î was afraid, and hastened to report it to the king.

He said, ‘Son of Heaven, Heaven is bringing to an end the dynasty of Yin;* the wisest men and the shell of the great tortoise do not presume to know anything fortunate for it.* It is not that the former kings do not aid us, the men of this later time;* but by your dissoluteness and sport you are bringing on the end yourself. On this account Heaven has cast us off, and there are no good harvests to supply us with food.* Men have no regard to their heavenly nature, and pay no obedience to the statutes (of the kingdom). (Yea), our people now all wish (the dynasty) to perish, saying, “Why does not Heaven send down its indignation? Why does not (some one with) its great appointment make his appearance? What has the present king to do with us?” ’

The king said, ‘Oh! was not my birth in accordance with the appointment of Heaven (in favour of my House)?’ (On this) Ȝû Î returned (to his own city), and said, ‘Your crimes, which are many, are registered above, and can you still appeal to the appointment of Heaven in your favour?* Yin will perish very shortly. As to all your deeds, can they but bring ruin on your country?’