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SECT. 11. PT. III.
THE THAN KUNG.
187
with your gift of a robe).' The men of La (who were with him) said, “The thing is contrary to propriety' They of Kha, however, obliged him to do what they asked; and he first employed a sorcerer with his reed-brush to brush (and purify) the bier. The people of King then regretted what they had done!
26. At the mourning rites for duke Khăng of Thăng?, ¿ze-shd King-shd was sent (from La) on a mission of condolence, and to present a letter (from duke Âi), Zze-fd Hui-po being assistant-commissioner. When they arrived at the suburbs (of the capital of Thăng), because it was the anniversary of the death of 1-po, (Hui-po's uncle), King-shû hesitated to enter the city. Hui-po, however, said, “We are on government business, and should not for the private affair of my uncle's (death) neglect the duke's affairs.' They forthwith entered.
PART III.
1. Duke Åi sent a message of condolence to Khwâi Shang, and the messenger met him (on the way to the grave). They withdrew to the way-side, where Khwâi drew the figure of his house, (with the coffin in it), and there received the condolences :.
Zăng-gze said, 'Khwai Shang's knowledge of the
1 King was another name for Khu. Duke Hsiang went from LQ in B.C. 545; and it was in the spring of the next year, probably, that the incident occurred. The sorcerer and his reed-brush were used when a ruler went to the mourning for a minister (see Part i. 42), so that Kho intending to humiliate LQ was itself humiliated.
• Duke King of Thăng died in B. C. 539.
. This must have been a case for which the rule is given in Part i. 12.
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