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390
THE SHIH KING.
DECADE 1.
state, raised up a proper ruler for it,—From the time of Thai-po and king Kl (this was done) ? Now this king Ki In his heart was full of brotherly duty, Full of duty to his elder brother, He gave himself the more to promote the prosperity (of the country), And secured to him the glory (of his act) 2. He accepted his dignity and did not lose it, And (ere long his family) possessed the whole kingdom.
This king Ki Was gifted by God with the power of judgment, So that the fame of his virtue silently grew. His virtue was highly intelligent,-Highly intelligent, and of rare discrimination; Able to lead, able to rule, To rule over this great country; Rendering a cordial submission, effecting a cordial union . When (the sway) came to king Wăn, His
King Wăn is the proper ruler' intended here, and the next line intimates that this was determined before there was any likelihood of his becoming the ruler even of the territory of Kâu; - another instance of the foreseeing providence ascribed to God. Thai-po was the eldest son of king Thâi, and king Kî was, perhaps, only the third. The succession ought to have come 10 Thái-po; but he, seeing the sage virtues of Khang (afterwards king Wăn), the son of Kì, and seeing also that king Thai was anxious that this boy should ultimately become ruler of Kâu, voluntarily withdrew from Kâu altogether, and left the state to Ki and his son. See the remark of Confucius on Thai-po's conduct, in the Analects, VIII, i.
• The lines from six to ten speak of king Ki in his relation to his elder brother. He accepted Thậi-po's act without any failure of his own duty to him, and by his own improvement of it, made his brother more glorious through it. His feeling of brotherly duty was simply the natural instinct of his heart. Having accepted the act, it only made him the more anxious to promote the good of the state, and thus he made his brother more glorious by showing what advantages accrued from his resignation and withdrawal from Kâu.
* This line refers to Ki's maintenance of his own loyal duty
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