CHAPTER 22
1. The Master said, "Small indeed was the capacity of Kwan Chung!"
2. Someone said, "Was Kwan Chung parsimonious?"
3. "Kwan," was the reply, "had the San Kwei, and his officers performed no double duties; how can he be considered parsimonious?"
21. A RASH REPLY OF TSAE GO ABOUT THE ALTARS TO THE SPIRITS OF THE LAND, AND LAMENT OF CONFUCIUS THEREON. 哀公, see II.19. Tsae Go. by name予, and styled 子我, was an eloquent disciple of the sage, a native of Loo. His place is the second west among 'the wise ones'. 社, from示, K'e, 'spirit or spirits of the earth', and土, 'the soil', means 土地神主, 'the resting place or altars of the spirits of the land or ground'. Go simply tells the duke that the founders of the several dynasties planted such and such trees about those altars. The reason was that the soil suited such trees, but as 栗, 'the chestnut tree', the tree of the existing dynasty, is used in the sense of 慄, 'to be afraid', he suggested a reason for its planting which might lead the duke to severe measures against his people to be carried into effect at the altars. Comp. Shoo-king, IV.ii.5, 'I will put you to death before the 社'. 夏后氏 is the Great Yu, called 后, to distinguish him from his predecessors, the 帝, and夏氏, to distinguish him from 舜, who was 虞氏, while they were descended from the same ancestor. See ch.1, on 氏. 殷人 and 周人, in parallelism with 夏后氏, must mean the founders of those dynasties; why they are simply styled人, 'man', or 'men', I have not found clearly explained, though comm. feel it necess. to say something on the point.2. This is all directed against Go's reply. He had spoken, and his words could not be recalled.
22. CONFUCIUS' OPINION OF KWAN-CHUNG;—AGAINST HIM. 1. Kwan-chung, by name 夷吾, is one of the most famous names in Chin. history. He was chief minister to the duke 桓 of 齐 (B.C.683-540), the first and greatest of the five p'a (伯 or 霸), leaders of the princes of the empire under the Chow dynasty. In the times of Conf. and Men., people thought more of Kwan, than those ages, no hero-worshippers, would allow. 器 see II.12, but its signif. here is different, and=our measure or capacity. 2. 三归, in the Dict., and the approved comm. of Choo He, was the name of an extravagant tower built by Kwan. There are other views of the phrase, the oldest, and the best supported appar., being that it means 'three wives'. (A woman's marriage is called 归.) The San Kwei and having no pluralists among his officers proved suff. that he could not be parsimonious. 焉, up.1st tone, 'how'. 3. 树 'a tree', here in the sense of 屏, 'a screen', the screen of a prince, usurped by Kwan, who was only entitled to the 簾 of a great officer. 好 up.3d tone,=好会, 'a friendly meeting'. The 坫, from 土 and 占, was a stand, made originally of earth and turf. Kwan usurped the use of it, as he did of the screen. This showed him to be as regardless of prescribed forms, as in par.2 he appears of expense, and he came far short therefore of the Confucian idea of the Keun-tsze.
4. "Then, did Kwan Chung know the rules of propriety?"
5. The Master said, "The princes of states have a screen intercepting the view at their gates. Kwan had likewise a screen at his gate. The princes of states on any friendly meeting between two of them, had a stand on which to place their inverted cups. Kwan had also such a stand. If Kwan knew the rules of propriety, who does not know them?"