THE SHE KING; OR, THE BOOK OF ANCIENT POETRY

186 THE BOOK OF POETET. [PAET I. XV. VI.] THE BOOK OF POETET. 187
4 To the hills of the east we went,
And long had we there to remain.
When the word of recall was sent,
Thick and fast came the drizzling rain.
With its wings now here, and now there,
Is the oriole sporting in flight.
Those brides to their husbands repair,
Their steeds red and bay, flecked with white.
Each mother has fitted each sash;
Their equipments are full and complete;
But fresh unions, whatever their dash,
Can ne'er with reunions compete.
IV.
The P'ofan; narrative. KESPONSIVE TO THE LAST ODE. His SOL-
DIBES PKA1SE THE DUKE OF CHOW FOR HIS MAGNANIMITY AND
SYMPATHY WITH THE PEOPLE.
1 We splintered our axes, and brought
Our hatchets all to the same plight.
But the duke of Chow meant, when eastward he went,
What was wrong in those four States to right.
Oh ! the pity was great
Which he felt for their state !
2 Our axes and chisels we broke
To pieces, and splintered aud rent.
But the duke of Chow meant, when eastward he went,
The four States all reformed to present.
Oh! the pity was good
That on them he bestowed !
3 Our axes we broke, and our clubs
To fragments were splintered and split.
But the duke of Chow meant, when eastward he went,
The four States in close union to knit.
Oh ! the pity was rare
That he showed for them there !
V.
The Fall ko; metaphorical. WHILE THERE is A PEOPEB AND
NECESSARY WAY FOE EVERYTHING, MEN NKED NOT GO FAR TO FIND
WHAT IT IS.
Confucius quotes the first two lines of the second stanza in " the Doc
trine of the Mean," xiii. 2, to illustrate the principle that the rule for
man's way of life is in himself. Both the old interpreters and the new
say that the piece is in praise of the duke of Chow, while they differ in
the ways which they take to make out the point. 1 am myself unable to
follow either school.
1 In hewing an axe-shaft, how must you act ?
Another axe take, or you'll never succeed.
In taking a wife, be sure 'tis a fact,
That with no go-between you never can speed.
2 In hewing an axe-shaft, hewing a shaft,
For a copy you have the axe in your hand.
In choosing a wife, you follow the craft,
And forthwith on the mats the feast-vessels stand.
VI.
The Kern yih; allusive aud narrative. THE PEOPLE OF THE EAST
EXPRESS THEIR ADMIRATION OF THE DUKE OF CHOW, AND SOEKOW AT
HIS RETURNING TO THE WEST.
I have never seen a net with "nine enclosures," or "nine bags," as
I have rendered the original terms in my larger work, nor come across a
description of it in any Chinese book. Very probably, the net in question
was woven or constructed—say of bamboo, with nine compartments ; or
nine " nets for small fish " may have been placed in the water near one
another.
The "dragon robe," or "robe with dragons," was worn by the king,
with the blazonry of the " nine figures " on it. The " court dukes," of
whom the duke of Chow was one, were also entitled to wear it, with a
slight difference in the blazonry. The royal robe showed two dragons
on it, " one ascending and one descending ; " the ducal, a single dragon
descending.
1 The nine enclosures of the net
The-rud and bream keep tight.
Our prince in dragon robe we see,
And skirt with figures bright.
2 The geese brief time fly round the isles;
Home bends the duke his way.
'Twas only for two passing nights
He deigned with us to stay.