University of Virginia Library

3[1]

Of old, in the time of King Wên of Chou, when he had ruled
the country for eight years, in summer, the sixth month,[2] he took
to his bed with illness. After five days there was an earthquake,
which, to the east, west, south, and north, did not extend beyond
the outskirts of the capital. The functionaries all said, "We have
heard that earthquakes occur because of the ruler. Now Your
Majesty has been sick in bed for five days, and there has been an
earthquake that did not extend beyond the outskirts of the capital
in any direction. Your subjects are all frightened and we request
that it may be averted."

King Wên said, "How are we going to avert it?"

They replied, "Undertake a [public] work and put the masses
in motion so as to add to the city's walls: perhaps we can thereby
avert it."

King Wên said, "It will not do. The Way of Heaven, in causing
an evil omen to appear, is thereby to punish the guilty.[3] I must

be guilty, and hence this is to punish me. Now to go out of my
way to undertake a [public] work and to put the masses in motion
so as to add to the city's walls, would be to double my guilt. It
cannot be done.[4] I wish to reform my conduct and multiply good
acts to avert it; I believe it can be avoided."

Thereupon he took pains with li and [rules of] precedence,[5] and
with [gifts of] furs made friends with the feudal lords.[6] He made
his speech elegant and presented capable officers with gifts of silk.
He apportioned titles and rank; he measured out fields to confer
on those who were deserving. Not long after he and his ministers
had put these into practice, his illness was cured.[7] King Wên had
been on the throne for eight years when the earthquake occurred.
After [the earthquake][8] he ruled for forty-three years [longer];
altogether he governed the country for fifty-one years before his
death.

This was how King Wên dealt with an evil omen. The Ode
says,[9]