Classic of Documents

Examining into antiquity, we find that the emperor Shun was called Ch‘ung-hwa. He corresponded to the former emperor; was profound, wise, accomplished, and intelligent. He was mild and respectful, and entirely sincere. The report of his mysterious virtue was heard on high, and he was appointed to occupy the imperial Seat.

Shun carefully set forth the beauty of the five cardinal duties; and they came to be universally observed. Being appointed to be General Regulator, the affairs of each department were arranged in their proper seasons. Having to receive the princes from the four quarters of the empire, they all were docilely submissive. Being sent to the great plains at the foot of the mountains, amid violent wind, thunder, and rain, he did not go astray.

The emperor said, “Come, you Shun. I have consulted you on all affairs, and examined your words, and found that your words can be carried into practice;—now for three years. Do you ascend the imperial throne. Shun wished to decline in favour of some one more virtuous, and not to consent to be successor.

On the first day, of the first month, however, he received Yaou’s retirement from the imperial duties in the temple of the Accomplished ancestor.

He examined the gem-adorned turning sphere, and the gem transverse tube, that he might regulate the seven Directors.

Thereafter, he sacrificed specially, but with the ordinary forms, to God; sacrificed purely to the six Honoured ones; offered their appropriate sacrifices to the hills and rivers; and extended his worship to the host of spirits.

He called in all the five tokens of gem; and when the month was over, he gave daily audience to the chief of the four Mountains, and all the Pastors, finally returning the tokens to the several nobles.

In the second month of the year, he made a tour of inspection eastwards, as far as Tae-tsung, where he presented a burnt-offering to Heaven, and sacrificed in order to the hills and rivers. Thereafter he gave audience to the nobles of the East, putting in accord their seasons and months, and rectifying the days; he made uniform the standard tubes, the measures of length and of capacity, and the steelyards; he regulated the five classes of ceremonies. As to the several articles of introduction,—the five instruments of gem, the three kinds of silk, the two living animals, and the one dead one, when all was over, he returned the five instruments. In the fifth month, he made a similar tour to the south, as far as the southern mountain, observing the same ceremonies as at Tae. In the same way, in the eighth month, he travelled westwards, as far as the western mountain; and in the eleventh month he travelled northwards, as far as the northern mountain. When he returned to the capital, he went to the temple of the Cultivated ancestor, and offered a single bullock.

In five years there was one tour of inspection, and four appearances of the nobles at court. They set forth a report of their government in words. This was clearly tested by their works. They received chariots and robes according to their services.

Shun instituted the division of the empire into twelve provinces, raising altars upon twelve hills in them. He likewise deepened the rivers.

He gave delineations of the statutory punishments, enacting banishment as a mitigation of the five great inflictions; with the whip to be employed in the magistrates’ courts, the stick to be employed in schools, and money to be received for redeemable crimes. Inadvertent offences and those which might be caused by misfortune were to be pardoned, but those who offended presumptuously or repeatedly were to be punished with death. “Let me be reverent; let me be reverent,” he said to himself. “Let compassion rule in punishment.”

He banished the minister of Works to Yew island; confined Hwan-tow on mount Tsung; drove the chief of San-meaou and his people into San-wei, and kept them there; held K‘wăn till death a prisoner on mount Yu. These four criminals being thus dealt with, universal submission prevailed throughout the empire.

After twenty-eight years the emperor demised, when the people mourned for him as for a parent for three years. All within the four seas, the eight instruments of music were stopped and hushed.

On the first day of the first month, Shun went to the temple of the Accomplished Ancestor.

He deliberated with the chief of the four Mountains, how to throw open all the doors of communication between the court and the empire, and sought to see with the eyes and hear with the ears of all.

He consulted with the twelve Pastors, and said, “The food!—it depends on observing the seasons. Be kind to the distant, and cultivate the ability of the near. Give honour to the virtuous, and your confidence to the good, while you discountenance the artful:—so shall the barbarous tribes lead on one another to make their submission.”

Shun said, “Ah! chief of the four Mountains, is there any one who can vigorously display his merits, and give wide development to the undertakings of the emperor, whom I may make General Regulator, to aid me in all affairs, and manage each department according to its nature?” All in the court said, “There is baron Yu, the superintendent of Works.” The emperor said, “Yes. Ah! Yu, you have regulated the water and the land. In this new office exert yourself.” Yu did obeisance with his head to the ground, and wished to decline in favour of the minister of Agriculture, or Sëĕ, or Kaou-yaou. The emperor said, “Yes; but do you go, and undertake the duties.”

The emperor said, “K‘e, the black-haired people are still suffering the distress of hunger. It is yours, O prince, the minister of Agriculture, to sow for them these various kinds of grain.”

The emperor said, “Sëĕ, the people continue unfriendly with one another, and do not observe docilely the five orders of relationship. It is yours, as the minister of Instruction, reverently to set forth the lessons of duty belonging to those five orders. Do so with gentleness.”

The emperor said, “Kaou-yaou, the barbarous tribes disturb our bright great land. There are also robbers, murderers, insurgents, and traitors. It is yours, as the minister of Crime, to employ the five punishments for the treatment of offences, for the infliction of which there are the three appointed places; and the five banishments, with their several places of detention, for which three localities are assigned. Perform your duties with intelligence, and you will secure a sincere submission.”

The emperor said, “Who is equal to the duty of superintending my workmen?” All in the court said, “There is Suy.” The emperor said, “Yes. Ah! Suy, you must be minister of Works.” Suy did obeisance, with his head to the ground, and wished to decline in favour of Shoo, Ts‘eang, or Pih-yu. The emperor said, “Yes; but do you go and undertake the duties. Effect a harmony in all the departments.”

The emperor said, “Who is equal to the duty of superintending the grass and trees, with the birds and beasts, on my mountains and in my marshes.” All in the court said, “There is Yih.” The emperor said, “Yes. Ah! Yih, do you be my Forester.” Yih did obeisance, with his head to the ground, and wished to decline in favour of Choo, Hoo, Heung, or Pe. The emperor said, “Yes; but do you go, and undertake the duties. You must manage them harmoniously.”

The emperor said, “Ah! chief of the four Mountains, is there any one who can direct my three religious ceremonies?” All in the court said, “There is the baron E.” The emperor said, “Yes. Ah! baron, you must be the Arranger of the ancestral temple. Morning and night you must be respectful. Be upright, be pure.” The baron did obeisance with his head to the ground, and wished to decline in favour of K‘wei or Lung. The emperor said, “Yes; but do you go, and undertake the duties. Be reverential.”

The emperor said, “K‘wei, I appoint you to be Director of music, and to teach our sons, so that the straightforward may yet be mild, the gentle may yet be dignified, the strong not tyrannical, and the impetuous not arrogant. Poetry is the expression of earnest thought; singing is the prolonged utterance of that expression. The notes accompany that utterance, and they are harmonized themselves by the pitch pipes. In this way the eight different kinds of instruments can all be adjusted so that one shall not take from or interfere with another, and spirits and men will thereby be brought into harmony.” [K‘wei said, “Oh! I smite the stone; I smite the stone. The various animals lead on one another to dance.” ].

The emperor said, “Lung, I abominate slanderous speakers, and destroyers of right ways, who agitate and alarm my people. I appoint you to be the minister of Communication. Early and late give forth my orders and report to me, seeing that every thing is true.”

The emperor said, “Ah! you, twenty and two men, be reverent, and so shall you aid me in performing the service of Heaven.”

Every three years there was an examination of merits, and after three examinations the undeserving were degraded, and the deserving promoted. By this arrangement the duties of all the departments were fully discharged. The people of San-meaou were discriminated and separated.

In the thirtieth year of his life Shun was called to employment. Thirty years he was on the throne with Yaou. Fifty years after, he went on high and died.