Wang ch‘ung lun-hêng philosophical essays Traduits et annotés par Alfred forke

Great scholars will never give up researches of the above mentioned kind, and common people will always dislike them. And so will the savants enjoy and appreciate books, which bewilder the masses, and which the narrow-minded will flee.

*

Wang Ch‘ung’s book cannot be free from imperfection. Some say that in speaking he does not choose the words, nor in writing, the phrases. Compositions must be tastefully written, and discussions _p1.075 ingeniously conducted. When such words strike the ear, they cause a pleasant feeling in the heart, and when the eye fans on writing, the hand does not lay the book aside again. Such disputations are always listened to, and excellent compositions always appreciated. Now, since this new book chiefly consists of comparisons and strictures on the depravity of the age, and does not praise what is good, it does not please the reader. The tunes played by the music-master K‘uang ¹ were always full of feeling, and the delicacies prepared by Yi Ti and Yi Ya were never tasteless. When a clever man writes a book, it is without a flaw. Lü Shih ² and Huai Nan made an advertisement on the market gates, and the readers did not find fault with one word in their books ³. Now the Lun-hêng does not possess the beauties of these two books. It is long enough, but open to objections in many respects.

In reply I beg to state that he who cherishes veracity does not trouble much about beauty, and that regulating the conduct, he does not polish his words. Luxuriant grass has often abundance of blossoms, and mighty forests have many dry branches. The purport of words is to clearly show the nature of things, how can they be polished and above all censure ? Saving a man from fire or out of water, we do not care, whether we do it in a beautiful style or not, and, when we debate on a question, our words must not necessarily be ingenious. Plunging into a lake to seize turtles, we have no time to think, whether we place our feet right, and catching dragons in deep water, we have no time to care for the position of our hands.

In spite of bad style and faulty terms the meaning may be excellent and far reaching sometimes, and sweet words and beautiful expressions give often a very poor sense. When a thousand chung of grain are cleansed, more than half are husks, and examining a hundred thousand cash, one finds that the broken coins exceed ten thousand. Fine soups are often insipid, and the best jewels have their flaws. A slip-shod production may possess great beauties, and a great artist do very second-rate work. Every discussion has its weak points, and in the ablest production some deficiencies can be detected.

_p1.076 Golden words come from noble houses, and foul productions from poor families, they think. — Huai Nan Tse and Lü Shih ¹ did not encounter any difficulties, because they were descendants of rich houses and of high rank. Since they were noble, they could well advertise on the market place, and being so wealthy, they could easily make the alternate promise of a thousand chin. Their readers were intimidated and in awe, and would never have ventured to criticise one character, even if it had been quite out of place.

*

When Wang Ch‘ung’s book was completed, it was compared by some with the works of the ancients, and found to be quite different from the writings of previous authors. Some hold that the book may be said to be written partly in a slovenly style. Sometimes it is terse, at others diffuse, sometimes concise, sometimes prolix. When a problem is being discussed or a question investigated, the author is too summary or too loquacious, half sweet, half sour. The Classics he does not resemble, with the semi-classics he does not agree, nor does he harmonize with either Yang Ch‘êng Tse Chang or Yang Tse Yün ². Since he is unlike the ancient authors, how can he be considered a good writer, or his book be reputed an able production ?

All literary men have their own specialties. The one polishes his phrases to produce an elegant composition, the other combats all errors to establish the truth. Their ultimate aims are the same, and the words follow of themselves. Thus the deeds of the Five Emperors were not different, and there was no conflict between the actions of the Three Rulers. Beautiful looks are not _p1.077 the same, but their aspect is always pleasing to the eye ; sentimental airs are not identical, but their music is always gratifying to the ear. Wines have different flavours, but they all inebriate, the tastes of various cereals vary, but they all appease our hunger. If conformity to old standard be required of a literary production, then we would be entitled to expect that Shun also should have eye-brows with eight colours ¹ and Yü eyes with double pupils ².

I admit that there is such a saying. Concise language is not long, but beautiful language must not be concise. If they are useful to the world, a hundred chapters do no harm, while one paragraph, if useless, may be superfluous. If there are several things, all useful, the longer rank before the shorter. Who is richer, he who has piled up a thousand chin, or he who possesses a hundred ?

Longer works are preferable to shorter ones, and a small amount of wealth is better than poverty. Most people have not a single book, I possess a hundred chapters : others have not one character, I have more than ten thousand sentences. Who is the cleverer ?

Now they do not say that my words are wrong, but that they are too many ; they do not say that the world does not like good things, but that it cannot take them all in. The reason why my book cannot be so concise is that for building many houses a small ground would not be sufficient, and that for the registration of a large populace few registers would be inadequate. At present, the errors are so many, that the words necessary to point out the truth, show what is right, and controvert what is false, cannot well be brief and succinct.

My book may be voluminous, but the subjects treated are manifold. T‘ai Kung Wang ³ in ancient times and recently Tung Chung Shu ¹ produced books containing more than a hundred chapters. My book also contains more than a hundred chapters. Those who contend that they are too many, only mean to say that the author is of low origin, and that the readers cannot but take exception to it.

When we compare a river, whose waters overflow the banks, with others, which is the biggest ? And, when the cocoons of a certain species of worms are especially heavy and big, which worms yield most silk ?

*

Wang Ch‘ung was not lucky in his official career, and only wrote books and this autobiography. Some one might find fault with him, arguing thus :

« The important thing is always that a man of great talent should make a good career. When he finds employment, and his words are listened to, he can distinguish himself by his work, and thus rise to high honour. Now, you are living in misery, and your career has been spoiled. You had no opportunity of trying your talents in practice, or using your strength in the fulfilment of official duties. Therefore you only committed your speculations to writing and made your notes. What use are your beautiful words to yourself, and what aim are you pursuing with your extensive writings ?

Nobody was ever more talented than Confucius, and yet his talents were not appreciated. He was expelled, and a tree felled over him. He had to hasten the washing of his rice ² and was _p1.079 surrounded. His traces were obliterated, he was tormented by hunger between Ch‘ên and T‘sai, and his disciples looked starved ³. Now, my talents do not come near those of Confucius, but my hardships do not equal his. Am I to be despised therefore ?

Besides the successful are not always clever, or the distressed, simpletons. The lucky win, and the unlucky lose. With a liberal fate and good fortune, even a vulgar person becomes noble and genteel, with a niggardly fate and bad fortune, the most remarkable man remains wretched and miserable. If talents and virtue were to be measured by success, then the great lords invested with the domain of a town, and living on the soil, would all be wise men.

Confucius and Mê Ti were noble of themselves, but their rank was low. If, therefore, people are living in pure spheres, but do black deeds, or if they have a yearly income of a thousand chung to live upon, but not a single accomplishment, we can only smile. Provided that our virtue be high and our name untarnished; then our office may be low and our income meagre, it is not the fault of our talents, and we should not feel oppressed by it.

Scholars would like to share the hut with Hsien ¹, but not to be put on a level with T‘se ², they would gladly wander about with Po Yi, but decline to associate with robber Chê. Great scholars have other ambitions than their people. Therefore their fame is not that of the world. Their bodies decay like grass and trees, but their glory shines as long as the sun and the moon send their rays. Their condition may be as poor as that of Confucius, provided only that their writings rank with those of Yang Hsiung. That is my ideal. Outward success, but a limited knowledge, a high post, but little virtue that is the ambition of others, I would consider it a bondage.

If somebody has the luck to be heard with his advice, and lives in honour and well being, all this is gone after a hundred years like other things. His name does not come down to the next generation, and not a word from his hand is left in any document. He has had stores full of emoluments perhaps, in the _p1.080 realms of literature and virtue he leaves no riches. That is not what I prize. Vast virtue of the highest excellence, abundance of extensive knowledge, a pencil dripping with characters like rain, and an overflowing spring of words, rich talents, a wonderful erudition, generous deeds, and a noble mind, with such qualities a man’s body may belong to one generation, his name will be transmitted for a thousand years. That seems extraordinary and desirable to me.

Wang Ch‘ung is from a simple family, in which he stands quite alone. A caviller might say :

— Your ancestors have not left you a treasure of pure virtue, nor a collection of literary works. You may yourself write the most brilliant essays, you have no basis to stand upon, and therefore no claim to our admiration.

When a force bursts upon us quite suddenly, not by degrees, we call it a phenomenon. When a creature is born from quite dissimilar parents, we call it a wonder. When something quite unusual appears all at once, it is regarded as a supernatural appearance, and when something different from anything else quite abruptly comes forth, it is termed a miracle.

Who are your ancestors ? Their names have not been recorded in former times. You did not spring from a learned family, whose members have already walked the path of literature, and you write disquisitions of several thousand or ten thousand sentences. This must be considered a supernatural phenomenon. How could we appreciate such writings, or think them able productions ? ¹

I beg to reply that a bird without a pedigree is a phœnix, an animal without a family, a unicorn, a man without an ancestry, a sage, and a thing without a peer, a jewel. And so it is with men of great talents, who are browbeaten and viewed with disfavour by their age. Scholars of worth appear single, and precious things grow solitary. How could literature be inherited ? If a man could learn to become a sage, then the water of the Fêng river ² would have a source, and auspicious grain an old stem.

_p1.081 When a remarkable scholar appears and puts forward his noble doctrines, he does not fall under the general rule, and his capacity cannot be measured by the bushel. Therefore events which seldom happen are recorded on tablets and books, and rare things engraved on bronze vases. The Five Emperors did not rise in one generation, and Yi Yin ³ and T‘ai Kung Wang ⁴ did not issue from one family. There was a distance of thousand Li between them, and one lived several hundred years after the other. When scholars of note quietly develop their marvellous faculties, they do not become famous as descendants of noble lines.

The calf of a black cow may be brown, this does not affect the nature of the animal. The ancestors of a scholar may be coarse, provided that he himself is pure, it has no influence upon his character. Kun ⁵ was wicked, and Yü a sage, Sou ⁶ was perverse, and Shun divine. Po Niu ⁷ was visited with a horrible disease, and Chung Kung ⁸ was clean and strong. Yen Lu ⁹ was vulgar and mean, and Yen Hui outvied all his companions. Confucius and Mê Ti had stupid ancestors, and they themselves were sages. The Yang family had not been successful, when Yang Tse Yün rose like a star, and the house of Huan had been tolerably well off, until Huan Chün Shan ¹⁰ took his brilliant flight. A man must have been imbued with more than the ordinary dose of the original fluid to become an able writer.

*

In the third year of Yuan-ho ¹, Wang Ch‘ung emigrated to Tan-yang ², Chiu-chiang ³, and Lu-chiang ⁴ in the province of Yang-Chou ⁵, and was appointed sub-prefect. His abilities were small, and his office _p1.082 was important. His chief duties were in connection with official correspondence. All plans of writing anything he had given up for many years. In the second year of Chang-ho ⁶, his business in the province ceased. He lived at home, and gradually advanced in age, till he reached about seventy years. Then he gave up his official carriage, and his official career was definitely closed. He could not help it. He had many annoyances, and his body felt the infirmities of age. His hair grew white, his teeth fell out, he became older from day to day, and his comrades dispersed. He had nothing to rely upon, was too pour to nurse himself, and had no joy left. But time went slowly on, the kêng and hsing years ⁷ came to an end, but though he was afraid that his death was near at hand, he was still full of silly ideas. Then he wrote a book on Macrobiotics ⁸ in sixteen chapters.

This book was left as a guide to posterity. But the duration of human life is limited. Men like animals live for a while and die. We can only remember the years gone by, who can order them to stand still ? We must go down to the yellow sources, and become earth and ashes. From Huang Ti and T‘ang down to the Ch‘in and Han many have been guided by the holy doctrine and have found the truth by their genius, just like a scales and bright like a mirror, yet young and old they have lived and died, of old and now all have been included. Life cannot be prolonged, alas !

CHAPTER II

Replies in Self-Defense

84. XXIX, II. Tui-tso

Our reply is that the sages wrote the Classics, and the worthies composed their records. They rectified the depraved customs, and enjoined upon the people to revert to truth and sincerity. The thirteen thousand chapters of the Six Departments of Literature ² increased the good and diminished the evil, sometimes restricting, sometimes expanding, and urging on the stragglers, with a view to leading them back from their by-paths into the right way.

If the doctrines of Yang Chu and Mê Ti ³ had not perverted the traditions, the records of Mencius would not have been published. Had the Han State not been small and weak, and its system of government corrupt, Han Fei Tse’s book would not have appeared ⁴. Had Kao Tsu not contested that the conquerors of _p1.084 empires had not alighted from their horses nor changed their martial habits, Lu Chia would not have written his memorials ⁵. If the truth had not been lost everywhere, and scientific researches not been in a state of great confusion, the discussions of Huan Tan would not have come forth.

Ergo, when worthies and sages write something, they do not do so for nothing, but have their good reasons. Thus their writings are by no means purposeless, but conducive to reforms, and their reforms to re-establish the right principles.

Accordingly the Han created the censorate to review books and examine their contents. Tung Chung Shu wrote a book on magical arts, in which he spoke much about calamitous events as being caused by the faults of the government. When the book was complete, and the text revised, it was presented to the Imperial Court of the Han. Chu Fu Yen from jealousy slandered the book in a memorial to the throne. The emperor handed Tung Chung Shu over to the tribunal, and the judges declared that he was very stupid, and deserved to die, but the emperor pardoned him. Hsiao Wu Ti did not punish Tung Chung Shu for his remarks on calamities, on the contrary, he honoured him. How much more would he have done so for Tung Chung Shu’s inoffensive utterances, for his researches into the nature of the fundamental principles and his collection of old and true sayings ?

As long as a wise man holds an official position in this world, he is perfectly loyal to his sovereign, and propagates his reforms to enlighten the government. When he has retired, he still teaches and criticises to rouse the simple-minded who have gone astray. They cannot find their way back to the right path, their principles are shallow, and their doings wrong. Unless we scholars hurry to their rescue, they come to perdition, and do not awake from their slumber. This has prompted me to write the Lun-hêng.

_p1.085 In a great many books reality has no place left : falsehood and immorality triumph over truth and virtue. Therefore, unless such lies be censured, specious arguments cannot be suppressed, and, as long as they spread, truth does not reign. For this reason the Lun-hêng weighs the words, whether they be light or heavy, and holds up a balance for truth and falsehood. It does not trouble about polishing the phrases and embellishing the style, or consider this of great importance.

It has its raison d^’être in the innate human weakness. Consequently it criticises the common people most vigorously. By nature these people are very prone to strange words and to the use of falsehoods. Why ? Because simple truisms do not appeal to the imagination, whereas elegant inventions puzzle the hearers, and impress their minds. Therefore, men of genius, who are fond of discussions, will magnify and exaggerate the truth, and use flowery language. Masters of style, they simply invent things, and tell stories, which never happened. Their hearers believe in them, and are never tired of repeating them. Their readers take these stories for facts, and one transmits them to the other in an unbroken chain so, that at last the words are engraved on bamboo and silk. Being repeated over and over again, these stories impose even upon the wise. May be that even His Majesty honours such a man as a teacher, and spreads his forgeries, and that magistrates and wearers of red girdle pendants ¹ all read these inventions.

He who knows how to discriminate between truth and falsehood, must feel a pang at it ; why should he not speak ? Mencius was grieved that the discussions of Yang Chu and Mê Ti did great harm to the cause of Confucianism, therefore he used plain and straight-forward language to recommend what was right, and to reject what was wrong. People fancied that he was a controversialist, but Mencius replied,