 | Hau Kiou choaan |  |
INTRODUCTION.
THE following extract from the works
of CONFUCIUS[12]
, will be no
improper introduction to the succeeding
pages, as it bears such honourable testimony
to the morul cast of the ancient
CHINESE POETRY, and contains
an argument in favour of the utility
and respectableness of that fine art in
general. It is much to the honour of
Poesy, that she hath been in all ages,
the first conductress to wisdom and virtue.
"CONFUCIUS exciting his disciples
to the study of the ancient
not you study the book of ODES[13] ?
"For if we grovel on the earth, if
we lie useless and inglorious: by
the instructions in the Odes, we may
as it were be erected again, and rise
up to true and perfect honour.
"In the Odes, as in a mirrour, we
may behold what becomes us, as
which we may be strongly
affected with a wholesome indignation.
"Under the influence of the Odes
we may come forth sociable, and
affable, and pleasant: for as Music[14]
aptly tempereth sounds, even so doth
Poesy our passions and appetites.
"We may hate without anger, we
and gratify it without vice[15] .
"The Odes teach us how at home
we may serve our parent: how abroad
[we may serve] our prince.
In another place, CONFUCIUS
addressing himself to his son Pe-yu, says,
"Dost thou exercise thyself in the
first chapters of the Odes, called
Cheu-nan and Chao-nan? He who
doth not exercise himself in those
his face to a wall; he is rendered
totally insignificant and useless, for
he can neither move a step forward,
nor contemplate any object."
The Odes here so highly applauded, are elsewhere
called by Confucius, THE THREE HUNDRED
ODES OF THE ANCIENT SAGES
[Confuc. lib. 3. p. 9.] They appear to have been
the first vehicles of morality among the Chinese,
and are every where quoted by Confucius as oracles
of wisdom and virtue.
The collection, which Confucius made of them,
is still extant, and regarded by the Chinese with
all the reverence due to inspired writings. P.
Du Halde hath given us translations of some of
them: See the note above p. 216.
It may not be amiss to note here what attention
this great philosopher thought due to music,
and what influence he supposed it might have
on morality: in which his sentiments coincide
with those of the ancient Greek philosophers.
"I hate, says he, the music of the kingdom
of Ching: for it disturbs and enervates with
pleasure that music of the ancients called, Ya,
which is the mistress of modesty, gravity and
temperance."
Vid. Confuc. lib. 3. p. 129.
This "of hating without anger, &c." is a
remarkable position of Confucius, and occurs in
other parts of his writings. His meaning is,
that we ought to hate the vices of men, though
at the same time we may shew all imaginable
kindness to their persons. See this point cleared
up in the preface to a little tract called, The
morals of Confucius, Lond. 1691. 12mo.
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