5. 太甲

上

惟嗣王不惠于阿衡。伊尹作書，曰：「先王顧諟天之明命，以承上下神只。社稷宗廟，罔不只肅。天監厥德，用集大命，撫綏萬方。惟尹躬，克左右厥辟，宅師。肆嗣王丕承基緒。惟尹躬先見于西邑夏，自周有終，相亦惟終。其後嗣王，罔克有終，相亦罔終。嗣王戒哉，祗爾厥辟，辟不辟，忝厥祖。」

王惟庸，罔念聞。伊尹乃言曰：「先王昧爽丕顯，坐以待旦。旁求俊彥，啟迪後人。無越厥命以自覆。慎乃儉德，惟懷永圖。若虞機張，往省括于度，則釋。欽厥止，率乃祖攸行。惟朕以懌，萬世有辭。」

王未克變。伊尹曰：「茲乃不義，習與性成。予弗狎于弗順，營于桐宮，密邇先王其訓，無俾世迷。」王徂桐宮居憂。克終允德。

中

惟三祀，十有二月朔。伊尹以冕服，奉嗣王歸于亳。作書曰：「民非後，罔克胥匡以生；後非民，罔以辟四方，皇天眷佑有商，俾嗣王克終厥德，實萬世無疆之休。」

王拜手稽首曰：「予小子不明于德，自底不類。欲敗度，縱敗禮，以速戾于厥躬。天作孽，猶可違；自作孽，不可逭。既往背師保之訓，弗克于厥初，尚賴匡救之德，圖惟厥終。」

伊尹拜手稽首，曰：「修厥身，允德協于下，惟明後。先王子惠困窮，民服厥命，罔有不悅，并其有邦厥鄰，乃曰：『徯我後，後來無罰。』王懋乃德，視乃厥祖，無時豫怠，奉先思孝，接下思恭，視遠惟明，聽德惟聰。朕承王之休無斁。」

下

伊尹申誥于王曰：「嗚呼！惟天無親，克敬惟親，民罔常懷，懷于有仁；鬼神無常享，享于克誠；天位艱哉！德惟治，否德亂；與治同道，罔不興！與亂同事，罔不亡！終始慎厥與，惟明明後；先王惟時懋敬厥德，克配上帝。今王嗣有令緒，尚監茲哉！

若升高必自下，若陟遐必自邇；無輕民事惟難，無安厥位惟危，慎終于始。有言逆于汝心，必求諸道；有言遜于汝志，必求諸非道。嗚呼！弗慮胡獲，弗為胡成，一人元良，萬邦以貞，

君罔以辯言亂舊政，臣罔以寵利居成功。邦其永孚于休！」

BOOK V. THE THÂI KIÂ.

¹

Section 1.

I. The king, on succeeding to the throne, did not follow (the advice of) -hang ². (-hang or) Î Yin then made the following writing ³:--'The former king kept his eye continually on the bright requirements of Heaven, and so he maintained the worship of the spirits of heaven and earth, of those presiding over the land and the grain, and of those of the ancestral temple;--all with a sincere reverence.* Heaven took notice of his virtue, and caused its great appointment to light on him, that he should soothe and tranquillize the myriad regions.* I, Yin, then gave my assistance to my sovereign in the settlement of the people; and thus it is that you, O heir-king, have received the great inheritance. I have seen it myself in Hsiâ with its western capital ⁴, that when its rulers went through a prosperous course to the end, their ministers also did the same, and afterwards, when their successors could not attain to such a consummation, neither did their ministers. Take warning, O heir-king. Reverently use your sovereignty. If you do not play the sovereign, as the name requires, you will disgrace your grandfather.'

The king would not think (of these words), nor listen to them. On this Î Yin said, 'The former king, before it was light, sought to have large and clear views, and then sat waiting for the dawn (to carry them into practice). He (also) sought on every side for men of ability and virtue, to instruct and guide his posterity. Do not frustrate his charge (to me), and bring on yourself your own overthrow. Be careful to strive after the virtue of self-restraint, and cherish far-reaching plans. Be like the forester, who, when he has adjusted the spring, goes to examine the end of the arrow, whether it be placed according to rule, and then lets go; reverently determine your aim, and follow the ways of your grandfather. Thus I shall be delighted, and be able to show to all ages that I have discharged my trust.'

The king was not yet able to change (his course). Î Yin said (to himself), 'This is (real) unrighteousness, and is becoming by practice (a second) nature. I cannot bear to be near (so) disobedient (a person). I will build (a place) in the palace at Thung ⁵, where he can be in silence near (the grave of) the former king. This will be a lesson which will keep him from going astray all his life.' The king went (accordingly) to the palace at Thung, and dwelt during the period of mourning. In the end he became sincerely virtuous.

Section 2.

On the first day of the twelfth month of his third year, Î Yin escorted the young king in the royal cap and robes back to Po. (At the same time) he made the following writing:-- 'Without the sovereign, the people cannot have that guidance which is necessary to (the comfort of) their lives; without the people, the sovereign would have no sway over the four quarters (of the kingdom). Great Heaven has graciously favoured the House of Shang, and granted to you, O young king, at last to become virtuous.* This is indeed a blessing that will extend without limit to ten thousand generations.'

The king did obeisance with his face to his hands and his head to the ground, saying, 'I, the little child, was without understanding of what was virtuous, and was making myself one of the unworthy. By my desires I was setting at nought all rules of conduct, and violating by my self-indulgence all rules of propriety, and the result must have been speedy ruin to my person. Calamities sent by Heaven may be avoided, but from calamities brought on by one's self there is no escape." Heretofore I turned my back on the instructions of you, my tutor and guardian;--my beginning has been marked by incompetency. Let me still rely on your correcting and preserving virtue, keeping this in view that my end may be good!"

Î Yin did obeisance with his face to his hands and his head on the ground, and said, 'To cultivate his person, and by being sincerely virtuous, bring (all) below to harmonious concord with him;--this is the work of the intelligent sovereign. The former king was kind to the distressed and suffering, as if they were his children, and the people submitted to his commands,--all with sincere delight. Even in the states of the neighbouring princes, (the people) said, "We are waiting for our sovereign; when our sovereign comes, we shall not suffer the punishments (that we now do)." 'O king, zealously cultivate your virtue. Regard (the example of) your meritorious grandfather. At no time allow yourself in pleasure and idleness. In worshipping your ancestors, think how you can prove your filial piety;* in receiving your ministers, think how you can show yourself respectful; in looking to what is distant, try to get clear views; have your ears ever open to lessons of virtue;--then shall I acknowledge (and respond to) the excellence of your majesty with an untiring (devotion to your service).

Section 3.

Î Yin again made an announcement to the king, saying, 'Oh! Heaven has no (partial) affection;--only to those who are reverent does it show affection.* The people are not constant to those whom they cherish;--they cherish (only) him who is benevolent. The spirits do not always accept the sacrifices that are offered to them;--they accept only the sacrifices of the sincere.* A place of difficulty is the Heaven-(conferred) seat. When there are (those) virtues, good government is realized; when they are not, disorder comes. To maintain the same principles as those who secured good government will surely lead to prosperity; to pursue the courses of disorder will surely lead to ruin. He who at last, as at first, is careful as to whom and what he follows is a truly intelligent sovereign. The former king was always zealous in the reverent cultivation of his virtue, so that he was the fellow of God ⁶.* Now. O king, you have entered on the inheritance of his excellent line;--fix your inspection on him.'

'(Your course must be) as when in ascending high you begin from where it is low, and when in travelling far you begin from where it is near. Do not slight--the occupations of the people;--think of their difficulties. Do not yield to a feeling of repose on your throne;--think of its perils. Be careful for the end at the beginning. When you hear words that are distasteful to your mind, you must enquire whether they be not right; when you hear words that accord with your own views, you must enquire whether they be not contrary to what is right. Oh! what attainment can be made without anxious thought? what achievement can be made without earnest effort? Let the One man be greatly good, and the myriad regions will be rectified by him.'

'When the sovereign does not with disputatious words throw the old rules of government into confusion, and the minister does not, for favour and gain, continue in an office whose work is done,--then the country will lastingly and surely enjoy happiness.'