The Books of Chow

Book XIX: The Establishment of Government

In this book, the duke of Chow once again stresses the importance of good governing. He stresses the importance of filling the top three positions (officers of business, pastoral oversight and law) with good, loyal men. Once these “proper” men are in place, an apposite imperial government will be established.

The duke of Chow spoke to the following effect, “With our heads to our hands and then to the ground, we make our declarations to the new emperor, our king.” In such manner accordingly all the other ministers cautioned the king, saying, “In close attendance on your Majesty there are the regular presidents, the regular high officers, and the officers of the laws; the keepers of the robes also, and the guards.” The duke of Chow said, “Oh! admirable are these officers. Few, however, know to be sufficiently anxious about them.”

“Among the ancients who exemplified this anxiety there was the founder of the Hea dynasty. When his House was at its strength, he sought for able men to honour God. His advisers, when they knew of men thoroughly proved and trustworthy in the practice of the nine virtues, would then presume to inform and instruct their sovereign, saying, ‘With our heads to our hands and then to the ground, O sovereign, we would say, Let such an one occupy one of your high offices: Let such an one be one of your pastors: Let such an one be one of your law-officers. By such appointments you will discharge your royal duty. If you judge by the face only, and therefrom deem men well schooled in virtue and appoint them, then those three appointments will all be occupied by unrighteous people.’ The way of Kee, however, was not to observe this precedent. Those whom he employed were cruel men; and he had no successors.

“After him there was T’ang the Successful, who rising to the throne, greatly administered the bright ordinances of God. He employed to fill the three high positions those who were equal to those positions; and those who were called possessors of the three grades of ability could display that ability. He then studied then severely and greatly imitated them, making the utmost use of them in their three positions and with their three grades of ability. The people in the cities of Shang were hereby all brought to harmony, and those in the different quarters of the empire were brought greatly under the influence of the virtue thus displayed. Oh! when the throne of T’ang came to Show, his character was all violence. He preferred men of severity, princes of States who deemed cruelty a virtue, to share with him in the government of the empire; and at the same time, the host of his associates, men who counted idleness a virtue, shared the offices of his court. God then sovereignly punished him, and caused us to possess the great empire, enjoy the favouring decree which Shang had afore received, and govern all the people in their myriad realms.

“Subsequently there were king Wan and king Woo, who knew well the minds of those whom they put in the three positions, and clearly saw the minds of those who had the three grades of ability. Thus they could employ them reverently to serve God, and appointed them as presidents and chiefs of the people. To establish their government, they had the men of office, the officers of law, and the pastors, and these appointments were their three concerns. They had also their guards; their officers of the robes; their equerries; their heads of petty officers; their personal attendants; their various overseers; and their treasurers. They had their governors of larger assigned cities and of the smaller; their men of arts; the overseers whose offices were beyond the court; their grand historiographers; and their chiefs of direction: all, good men of constant virtue.

“In the various States there were the minister of Instruction, the minister of War, and the minister of Works; with the many officers subordinate to them.

“Among the wild tribes of the Wei, the Loo, and the Ching; in the three Po; and in dangerous places: they had wardens.

“King Wan was able to have in himself the minds of those in the three high positions, and so it was that he established those regular officers and superintending pastors, so that they were men of ability and virtue. He would not himself appear in the various notifications, in litigations, and in precautionary measures of government. There were the officers and pastors to attend to them, whom he simply required to be obedient and not disobedient. Yea, as to litigations and precautionary measures he would seem as if he did not presume to know about them. He was followed by king Woo, who carried out his work of settlement, and did not dare to supersede his righteous and virtuous men; who entered also into his plans, employing as before his forbearing and virtuous men. It was thus that they unitedly received this vast inheritance.

“Oh! young son, the king, from this time forth be it ours to establish the government, appointing the high officers, the officers of the laws, and the pastors; be it ours clearly to know what courses are natural to them, and then greatly to employ them in the government, that they may aid us in the management of the trust of the people, and harmoniously conduct all litigations and precautionary measures. And let us never allow others to some between us and them. Yea, in our every word and speech, let us be thinking of officers of complete virtue, to regulate the people whom we have received.

“Oh! I, Tan, have received these excellent words from others, and tell them all to you, young son, the king. From this time forth, O accomplished son of Woo, accomplished grandson of Wan, do not err in regard to the litigations and precautionary measures; let the proper officers regulate them. From of old to the founder of Shang, and the downwards to king Wan of our Chow, in establishing government, when they appointed high officers, pastors, and officers of the laws, they settled them in their positions and unfolded their talents. It was thus that they gave the government into their hands. In the empire never has there been the establishment of government in the employment of artful-tongued men; with such men, unlessoned in virtue, never can a government be distinguished in the world. From this time forth, in establishing government, make no use of artful-tongued men, but seek for good officers, and get them to use all their powers in aiding the government of our empire. Now, O accomplished son of Woo, accomplished grandson of Wan, young son, the king, do not err in the matter of litigations. There are the officers and pastors to attend to them.

“Have well arranged also your military accoutrements and weapons, so that you may go forth beyond the steps of Yu, and be able to travel over all beneath heaven, even to beyond the seas, everywhere meeting with submission: so shall you display the bright glory of king Wan, and render more illustrious the great achievements of king Woo.

“Oh! from this time forth, may you and your successors, in establishing the government, seek to employ men of constant virtue.”

The duke of Chow spake to the following effect, “O grand historiographer, the minister of Crime, the duke of Soo, dealt reverently with all the criminal matters which came before him, thereby to perpetuate the fortunes of our empire. Here was an example of careful anxiety for other ministers, to rank with him in the ordering of the appropriate punishments.”