THOU SHALT NOT ROB OR STEAL.
Remark.—Riches and poverty are determined by the great God; but whosoever robs or plunders the property of others transgresses this command.
The Hymn says:—
Rest contented with your station, however poor, and do not steal.
Robbery and violence are low and abandoned practices.
Those who injure others really injure themselves.
Let the noble-minded among you immediately reform.
Robbery and violence are low and abandoned practices.
Those who injure others really injure themselves.
Let the noble-minded among you immediately reform.
THE NINTH COMMAND.
THOU SHALT NOT UTTER FALSEHOOD.
Remark.—All those who tell lies, and indulge in devilish deceits, with every kind of coarse and abandoned talk, offend against this command.
The Hymn says:—
Lying discourse and unfounded stories must all be abandoned.
Deceitful and wicked words are offences against Heaven.
Much talk will, in the end, bring evil on the speakers.
It is then much better to be cautious, and regulate one's own mind.
Deceitful and wicked words are offences against Heaven.
Much talk will, in the end, bring evil on the speakers.
It is then much better to be cautious, and regulate one's own mind.
THE TENTH COMMAND.
THOU SHALT NOT CONCEIVE A COVETOUS DESIRE.
Remark.—When a man looks upon the beauty of another's wife and daughters with covetous desires, or when he regards the elegance of another man's possessions with covetous desires, or when he engages in gambling, he offends against this command.
The Hymn says:—
In your daily conduct do not harbour covetous desires.
When involved in the sea of lust the consequences are very serious.
The above injunctions were handed down on Mount Sinai;
And to this day the celestial commands retain all their force.
When involved in the sea of lust the consequences are very serious.
The above injunctions were handed down on Mount Sinai;
And to this day the celestial commands retain all their force.
"Note.—The expression 'corrupt spirits' in the remarks upon the second commandment, rendered by the translator 'gods,' refers probably to the numerous malevolent spirits whom all uneducated Chinese believe to have power over all things noxious to the human race. The gods of thunder, lightning, wind, &c., are the principal of these, but there are also hundreds of inferior spirits whom poor householders believe to be abroad at night, with power, if they so will, to spread pestilence, disaster, and fire, and who consequently receive daily and nightly offerings of prayer and incense from the timid and trembling poor, who dread the exercise of their malevolence."—(The Taepings in China.)
THE TRIMETRICAL CLASSIC.
EACH LINE IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINING THREE WORDS,
AND EACH VERSE FOUR LINES.
AND EACH VERSE FOUR LINES.
The Great God
Made heaven and earth,
Both land and sea,
And all things therein.
In six days
He made the whole;
Man, the lord of all,
Was endowed with glory and honour.
Every seventh day worship,
In acknowledgment of Heaven's favour;
Let all under Heaven
Keep their hearts in reverence.
It is said that in former times
A foreign nation was commanded
To honour God;
The nation's name was Israel.
Their twelve tribes
Removed into Egypt;
Where God favoured them,
And their posterity increased.
Then a king arose
Into whose heart the devil entered;
He envied their prosperity,
And inflicted pain and misery.
Ordering the daughters to be preserved,
But not allowing the sons to live;
Their bondage was severe
And very difficult to bear.
The Great God
Viewed them with pity,
And commanded Moses
To return to his family.
He commanded Aaron
To go and meet Moses;
When both addressed the king,
And wrought divers miracles.
The king hardened his heart
And would not let them go;
Wherefore God was angry
And sent lice and locusts.
He also sent flies,
Together with frogs,
Which entered their palaces
And crept into their ovens.
When the king still refused,
The river was turned into blood!
And the water became bitter
Throughout all Egypt.
God sent boils and blains,
With pestilence and murrain;
He also sent hail,
Which was very grievous.
The king still refusing,
He slew their first-born;
When the King of Egypt
Had no resource,
But let them go
Out of his land;
The Great God
Upheld and sustained them.
By day in a cloud,
By night in a pillar of fire;
The Great God
Himself saved them.
Made heaven and earth,
Both land and sea,
And all things therein.
In six days
He made the whole;
Man, the lord of all,
Was endowed with glory and honour.
Every seventh day worship,
In acknowledgment of Heaven's favour;
Let all under Heaven
Keep their hearts in reverence.
It is said that in former times
A foreign nation was commanded
To honour God;
The nation's name was Israel.
Their twelve tribes
Removed into Egypt;
Where God favoured them,
And their posterity increased.
Then a king arose
Into whose heart the devil entered;
He envied their prosperity,
And inflicted pain and misery.
Ordering the daughters to be preserved,
But not allowing the sons to live;
Their bondage was severe
And very difficult to bear.
The Great God
Viewed them with pity,
And commanded Moses
To return to his family.
He commanded Aaron
To go and meet Moses;
When both addressed the king,
And wrought divers miracles.
The king hardened his heart
And would not let them go;
Wherefore God was angry
And sent lice and locusts.
He also sent flies,
Together with frogs,
Which entered their palaces
And crept into their ovens.
When the king still refused,
The river was turned into blood!
And the water became bitter
Throughout all Egypt.
God sent boils and blains,
With pestilence and murrain;
He also sent hail,
Which was very grievous.
The king still refusing,
He slew their first-born;
When the King of Egypt
Had no resource,
But let them go
Out of his land;
The Great God
Upheld and sustained them.
By day in a cloud,
By night in a pillar of fire;
The Great God
Himself saved them.
The king hardened his heart,
And led his armies in pursuit;
But God was angry
And displayed his majesty.
Arrived at the Red Sea,
The waters were spread abroad;
The people of Israel
Were very much afraid.
The pursuers overtook them,
But God stayed their course;
He himself fought for them,
And the people had no trouble.
He caused the Red Sea
With its waters to divide;
To stand up as a wall,
That they might pass between.
The people of Israel
Marched with a steady step
As though on dry ground,
And thus saved their lives.
The pursuers attempting to cross,
Their wheels were taken off,
When the waters closed upon them,
And they were all drowned.
The Great God
Displayed his power,
And the people of Israel
Were all preserved.
When they came to the desert
They had nothing to eat;
But the Great God
Bade them not be afraid.
He sent down manna,
For each man a pint;
It was as sweet as honey,
And satisfied their appetites.
The people lusted much,
And wished to eat flesh,
When quails were sent
By the millions of bushels.
At the Mount Sinai
Miracles were displayed,
And Moses was commanded
To make tables of stone.
The Great God
Gave his celestial commands,
Amounting to ten precepts,
The breach of which would not be forgiven.
He himself wrote them,
And gave them to Moses;
The celestial law
Cannot be altered.
In after ages
It was sometimes disobeyed,
Through the devil's temptations
When men fell into misery.
But the Great God,
Out of pity to mankind,
Sent his first-born Son
To come down into the world.
His name is Jesus,
The Lord and Saviour of men,
Who redeems them from sin
By the endurance of extreme misery.
Upon the cross
They nailed his body,
Where he shed his precious blood
To save all mankind.
Three days after his death
He rose from the dead,
And during forty days
He discoursed on heavenly things.
When he was about to ascend,
He commanded his disciples
To communicate his gospel
And proclaim his revealed will.
Those who believe will be saved
And ascend to heaven;
But those who do not believe
Will be the first to be condemned.
Throughout the whole world
There is only one God,
The Great Lord and Ruler
Without a second.
And led his armies in pursuit;
But God was angry
And displayed his majesty.
Arrived at the Red Sea,
The waters were spread abroad;
The people of Israel
Were very much afraid.
The pursuers overtook them,
But God stayed their course;
He himself fought for them,
And the people had no trouble.
He caused the Red Sea
With its waters to divide;
To stand up as a wall,
That they might pass between.
The people of Israel
Marched with a steady step
As though on dry ground,
And thus saved their lives.
The pursuers attempting to cross,
Their wheels were taken off,
When the waters closed upon them,
And they were all drowned.
The Great God
Displayed his power,
And the people of Israel
Were all preserved.
When they came to the desert
They had nothing to eat;
But the Great God
Bade them not be afraid.
He sent down manna,
For each man a pint;
It was as sweet as honey,
And satisfied their appetites.
The people lusted much,
And wished to eat flesh,
When quails were sent
By the millions of bushels.
At the Mount Sinai
Miracles were displayed,
And Moses was commanded
To make tables of stone.
The Great God
Gave his celestial commands,
Amounting to ten precepts,
The breach of which would not be forgiven.
He himself wrote them,
And gave them to Moses;
The celestial law
Cannot be altered.
In after ages
It was sometimes disobeyed,
Through the devil's temptations
When men fell into misery.
But the Great God,
Out of pity to mankind,
Sent his first-born Son
To come down into the world.
His name is Jesus,
The Lord and Saviour of men,
Who redeems them from sin
By the endurance of extreme misery.
Upon the cross
They nailed his body,
Where he shed his precious blood
To save all mankind.
Three days after his death
He rose from the dead,
And during forty days
He discoursed on heavenly things.
When he was about to ascend,
He commanded his disciples
To communicate his gospel
And proclaim his revealed will.
Those who believe will be saved
And ascend to heaven;
But those who do not believe
Will be the first to be condemned.
Throughout the whole world
There is only one God,
The Great Lord and Ruler
Without a second.
The Chinese in early ages
Were regarded by God;
Together with the foreign states
They walked in one way.
From the time of Pwan-koo,[88]
Down to the three dynasties,[89]
They honoured God,
As history records.
Were regarded by God;
Together with the foreign states
They walked in one way.
From the time of Pwan-koo,[88]
Down to the three dynasties,[89]
They honoured God,
As history records.
T'hang of the Shang dynasty,[90]
And Wan of the Chow,[91]
Honoured God
With the intensest feeling.
The inscription on T'hang's bathing-tub
Inculcated daily renovation of mind;
And God commanded him
To assume the government of the empire.
Wan was very respectful
And intelligently served God;
So that the people who submitted to him
Were two out of every three.
When Tsin obtained the empire[92]
He was infatuated with the genii,
And the nation has been deluded by the devil
For the last two thousand years.
Suen and Woo of the Han dynasty[93]
Both followed this bad example,
So that the mad rebellion increased
In imitation of Tsin's misrule.
When Woo arrived at old age,
He repented of his folly,
And lamented that from his youth up
He had always followed the wrong road.
Ming of the Han dynasty[94]
Welcomed the institutions of Buddha,
And set up temples and monasteries
To the great injury of the country.
But Hwang of the Sung dynasty
Was still more mad and infatuated,
For he changed the name of Shang-te (God)
Into that of Yuh-hwang (the pearly emperor).[95]
But the Great God
Is the supreme Lord
Over all the world,
The Great Father in heaven.
His name is most honourable,
To be handed down through distant ages;
Who was this Hwuy,
That he dared to alter it?
It was meet that this same Hwuy
Should be taken by the Tartars,
And together with his son
Perish in the northern desert.
From Hwuy of the Sung dynasty
Up to the present day,
For these seven hundred years
Men have sunk deeper and deeper in error.
With the doctrine of God
They have not been acquainted,
While the king of Hades
Has deluded them to the utmost.
And Wan of the Chow,[91]
Honoured God
With the intensest feeling.
The inscription on T'hang's bathing-tub
Inculcated daily renovation of mind;
And God commanded him
To assume the government of the empire.
Wan was very respectful
And intelligently served God;
So that the people who submitted to him
Were two out of every three.
When Tsin obtained the empire[92]
He was infatuated with the genii,
And the nation has been deluded by the devil
For the last two thousand years.
Suen and Woo of the Han dynasty[93]
Both followed this bad example,
So that the mad rebellion increased
In imitation of Tsin's misrule.
When Woo arrived at old age,
He repented of his folly,
And lamented that from his youth up
He had always followed the wrong road.
Ming of the Han dynasty[94]
Welcomed the institutions of Buddha,
And set up temples and monasteries
To the great injury of the country.
But Hwang of the Sung dynasty
Was still more mad and infatuated,
For he changed the name of Shang-te (God)
Into that of Yuh-hwang (the pearly emperor).[95]
But the Great God
Is the supreme Lord
Over all the world,
The Great Father in heaven.
His name is most honourable,
To be handed down through distant ages;
Who was this Hwuy,
That he dared to alter it?
It was meet that this same Hwuy
Should be taken by the Tartars,
And together with his son
Perish in the northern desert.
From Hwuy of the Sung dynasty
Up to the present day,
For these seven hundred years
Men have sunk deeper and deeper in error.
With the doctrine of God
They have not been acquainted,
While the king of Hades
Has deluded them to the utmost.
The Great God displays
Liberality deep as the sea;
But the devil has injured man
In a most outrageous manner.
God is therefore displeased
And has sent his Son[96]
With orders to come down into the world
Having first studied the classics.
In the Ting-yeu year (1837)
He was received up into Heaven,
Where the affairs of Heaven
Were clearly pointed out to him.
The great God
Personally instructed him,
Gave him odes and documents,
And communicated to him the true doctrine.
God also gave him a seal,
And conferred upon him a sword
Connected with authority
And majesty irresistible.
He bade him, together with the elder brother,
Namely Jesus,
To drive away impish fiends
With the co-oporation of angels.
Liberality deep as the sea;
But the devil has injured man
In a most outrageous manner.
God is therefore displeased
And has sent his Son[96]
With orders to come down into the world
Having first studied the classics.
In the Ting-yeu year (1837)
He was received up into Heaven,
Where the affairs of Heaven
Were clearly pointed out to him.
The great God
Personally instructed him,
Gave him odes and documents,
And communicated to him the true doctrine.
God also gave him a seal,
And conferred upon him a sword
Connected with authority
And majesty irresistible.
He bade him, together with the elder brother,
Namely Jesus,
To drive away impish fiends
With the co-oporation of angels.
There was one who looked on with envy,
Namely, the king of Hades,
Who displayed much malignity
And acted like a devilish serpent.
But the great God,
With a high hand,
Instructed his Son
To subdue this fiend,
And having conquered him,
To show him no favour;
And in spite of his envious eye
He damped all his courage.
Having overcome the fiend,
He returned to Heaven,
Where the great God
Gave him great authority.
The celestial mother was kind
And exceedingly gracious,
Beautiful and noble in the extreme,
Far beyond all compare.
The celestial elder brother's wife
Was virtuous and very considerate,
Constantly exhorting the elder brother
To do things deliberately.
The great God,
Out of love to mankind,
Again commissioned his Son
To come down into the world.
And when he sent him down,
He charged him not to be afraid;
I am with you, said he,
To superintend everything.
In the Mow-shin year (1848)
The Son was troubled and distressed,
When the great God
Appeared on his behalf.
Bringing Jesus with him,
They both came down into the world,
Where he instructed his Son
How to sustain the weight of government.
God has set up his Son
To endure for ever,
To defeat corrupt machinations
And to display majesty and authority.
Also to judge the world,
To divide the righteous from the wicked,
And consign them to the misery of hell,
Or bestow on them the joys of heaven.
Heaven manages everything,
Heaven sustains the whole;
Let all beneath the sky
Come and acknowledge the new monarch.
Little children,
Worship God,
Keep his commandments,
And do not disobey.
Let your minds be refined,
And be not depraved,
The great God
Constantly surveys you.
You must refine yourselves well,
And not be depraved:
Vice willingly practised
Is the first step to misery.
To insure a good end,
You must make a good beginning:
An error of a hair's breadth
May lead to a discrepancy of a thousand li.
Be careful about little things,
And watch the minute springs of action:
The great God
Is not to be deceived.
Little children,
Arouse your energies:
The laws of high heaven
Admit not of infraction.
Upon the good blessings descend,
And miseries on the wicked;
Those who obey Heaven are preserved,
And those who disobey perish.
The great God
Is a spiritual Father;
All things whatever
Depend on him.
The great God
Is the Father of our spirits:
Those who devoutly serve him
Will obtain blessings.
Those who obey the fathers of their flesh
Will enjoy longevity;
Those who requite their parents
Will certainly obtain happiness.
Do not practise lewdness,
Nor any uncleanness;
Do not tell lies,
Do not kill and slay.
Do not steal,
Do not covet:
The great God
Will strictly carry out his laws.
Those who obey Heaven's commands
Will enjoy celestial happiness;
Those who are grateful for divine favours
Will receive divine support.
Namely, the king of Hades,
Who displayed much malignity
And acted like a devilish serpent.
But the great God,
With a high hand,
Instructed his Son
To subdue this fiend,
And having conquered him,
To show him no favour;
And in spite of his envious eye
He damped all his courage.
Having overcome the fiend,
He returned to Heaven,
Where the great God
Gave him great authority.
The celestial mother was kind
And exceedingly gracious,
Beautiful and noble in the extreme,
Far beyond all compare.
The celestial elder brother's wife
Was virtuous and very considerate,
Constantly exhorting the elder brother
To do things deliberately.
The great God,
Out of love to mankind,
Again commissioned his Son
To come down into the world.
And when he sent him down,
He charged him not to be afraid;
I am with you, said he,
To superintend everything.
In the Mow-shin year (1848)
The Son was troubled and distressed,
When the great God
Appeared on his behalf.
Bringing Jesus with him,
They both came down into the world,
Where he instructed his Son
How to sustain the weight of government.
God has set up his Son
To endure for ever,
To defeat corrupt machinations
And to display majesty and authority.
Also to judge the world,
To divide the righteous from the wicked,
And consign them to the misery of hell,
Or bestow on them the joys of heaven.
Heaven manages everything,
Heaven sustains the whole;
Let all beneath the sky
Come and acknowledge the new monarch.
Little children,
Worship God,
Keep his commandments,
And do not disobey.
Let your minds be refined,
And be not depraved,
The great God
Constantly surveys you.
You must refine yourselves well,
And not be depraved:
Vice willingly practised
Is the first step to misery.
To insure a good end,
You must make a good beginning:
An error of a hair's breadth
May lead to a discrepancy of a thousand li.
Be careful about little things,
And watch the minute springs of action:
The great God
Is not to be deceived.
Little children,
Arouse your energies:
The laws of high heaven
Admit not of infraction.
Upon the good blessings descend,
And miseries on the wicked;
Those who obey Heaven are preserved,
And those who disobey perish.
The great God
Is a spiritual Father;
All things whatever
Depend on him.
The great God
Is the Father of our spirits:
Those who devoutly serve him
Will obtain blessings.
Those who obey the fathers of their flesh
Will enjoy longevity;
Those who requite their parents
Will certainly obtain happiness.
Do not practise lewdness,
Nor any uncleanness;
Do not tell lies,
Do not kill and slay.
Do not steal,
Do not covet:
The great God
Will strictly carry out his laws.
Those who obey Heaven's commands
Will enjoy celestial happiness;
Those who are grateful for divine favours
Will receive divine support.
Heaven blesses the good
And curses the bad:
Little children!
Maintain correct conduct.
The correct are men,
The corrupt are imps:
Little children!
Seek to avoid disgrace.
God loves the upright,
And he hates the vicious:
Little children!
Be careful to avoid error.
The great God
Sees everything;
If you wish to enjoy happiness,
Refine and correct yourselves.
And curses the bad:
Little children!
Maintain correct conduct.
The correct are men,
The corrupt are imps:
Little children!
Seek to avoid disgrace.
God loves the upright,
And he hates the vicious:
Little children!
Be careful to avoid error.
The great God
Sees everything;
If you wish to enjoy happiness,
Refine and correct yourselves.
ODE FOR YOUTH.
EACH LINE IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINING FIVE WORDS,
AND EACH VERSE FOUR LINES.
AND EACH VERSE FOUR LINES.
ON THE WORSHIP OF GOD.
Let the true Spirit, the great God,
Be honoured and adored by all nations;
Let all the inhabitants of the world
Unite in his worship, morning and evening.
Above and below, look where you may,
All things are imbued with the Divine favour.
At the beginning, in six days,
All things were created, perfect and complete.
Whether circumcised or uncircumcised,
Who is not produced by God?
Reverently praise the Divine favour
And you will obtain eternal glory.
Be honoured and adored by all nations;
Let all the inhabitants of the world
Unite in his worship, morning and evening.
Above and below, look where you may,
All things are imbued with the Divine favour.
At the beginning, in six days,
All things were created, perfect and complete.
Whether circumcised or uncircumcised,
Who is not produced by God?
Reverently praise the Divine favour
And you will obtain eternal glory.
ON REVERENCE FOR JESUS.
Jesus, his first-born Son,
Was in former times sent by God:
He willingly gave his life to redeem us from sin;
Of a truth his merits are pre-eminent.
His cross was hard to bear;
The sorrowing clouds obscured the sun.
The adorable Son, the honoured of heaven,
Died for you, the children of men.
Died for you, the children of men.
Was in former times sent by God:
He willingly gave his life to redeem us from sin;
Of a truth his merits are pre-eminent.
His cross was hard to bear;
The sorrowing clouds obscured the sun.
The adorable Son, the honoured of heaven,
Died for you, the children of men.
Died for you, the children of men.
After his resurrection he ascended to heaven;
Resplendent in glory, he wields authority supreme.
In him we know that we may trust
To secure salvation and ascend to Heaven.
Resplendent in glory, he wields authority supreme.
In him we know that we may trust
To secure salvation and ascend to Heaven.
ON THE HONOUR DUE TO PARENTS.
As grain is stored against a day of need,
So men bring up children to tend their old age;
A filial son begets filial children,—
The recompense here is truly wonderful.
Do you ask how this our body
Is to attain to length of years?
Keep the fifth command, we say,
And honour and emolument will descend upon you.
So men bring up children to tend their old age;
A filial son begets filial children,—
The recompense here is truly wonderful.
Do you ask how this our body
Is to attain to length of years?
Keep the fifth command, we say,
And honour and emolument will descend upon you.
ON THE COURT.
The imperial court is an awe-inspiring spot,
Let those about it dread celestial majesty;
Life and death emanate from Heaven's son,
Let every officer avoid disobedience.
Let those about it dread celestial majesty;
Life and death emanate from Heaven's son,
Let every officer avoid disobedience.
ON THE DUTIES OF THE SOVEREIGN.
When one man presides over the government,
All nations become settled and tranquillized:
When the sovereign grasps the sceptre of power,
Calumny and corruption sink and disappear.
All nations become settled and tranquillized:
When the sovereign grasps the sceptre of power,
Calumny and corruption sink and disappear.
ON THE DUTIES OF MINISTERS.
When the prince is upright, ministers are true;
When the sovereign is intelligent, ministers will be honest.
E and Chow are models worthy of imitation:
They acted uprightly and aided the government.
When the sovereign is intelligent, ministers will be honest.
E and Chow are models worthy of imitation:
They acted uprightly and aided the government.
ON THE DUTIES OF FAMILIES.
The members of one family being intimately related,
They should live in joy and harmony;
When the feeling of concord unites the whole,
Blessings will descend upon them from above.
They should live in joy and harmony;
When the feeling of concord unites the whole,
Blessings will descend upon them from above.
ON THE DUTIES OF A FATHER.
When the main beam is straight, the joists will be regular;
When a father is strict, his duty will be fulfilled:
Let him not provoke his children to wrath,
And a delightful harmony will pervade the dwelling.
When a father is strict, his duty will be fulfilled:
Let him not provoke his children to wrath,
And a delightful harmony will pervade the dwelling.
ON THE DUTIES OF A MOTHER.
Ye mothers, beware of partiality,
But tenderly instruct your children in virtue;
When you are a fit example to your daughters,
The happy feeling will reach to the clouds.
But tenderly instruct your children in virtue;
When you are a fit example to your daughters,
The happy feeling will reach to the clouds.
ON THE DUTIES OF SONS.
Sons, be patterns to your wives;
Consider obedience to parents the chief duty;
Do not listen to the tattle of women,
And you will not be estranged from your own flesh.
Consider obedience to parents the chief duty;
Do not listen to the tattle of women,
And you will not be estranged from your own flesh.
ON THE DUTIES OF DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW.
Ye that are espoused into other families,
Be gentle and yielding, and your duty is fulfilled;
Do not quarrel with your sisters-in-law,
And thereby vex the old father and mother.
Be gentle and yielding, and your duty is fulfilled;
Do not quarrel with your sisters-in-law,
And thereby vex the old father and mother.
ON THE DUTIES OF ELDER BROTHERS.
Elder brothers, instruct your juniors;
Remember well your common parentage;
Should they commit a trifling fault,
Bear with it and treat them indulgently.
Remember well your common parentage;
Should they commit a trifling fault,
Bear with it and treat them indulgently.
ON THE DUTIES OF YOUNGER BROTHERS.
Disparity in years is ordered by Heaven;
Duty to seniors consists in respect.
When younger brothers obey Heaven's dictates,
Happiness and honour will be their portion.
Duty to seniors consists in respect.
When younger brothers obey Heaven's dictates,
Happiness and honour will be their portion.
ON THE DUTIES OF ELDER SISTERS.
Elder sisters, instruct your younger sisters,
Study improvement and fit yourselves for Heaven.
Should you occasionally visit your former homes,
Get the little ones around you and tell them what is right.
Study improvement and fit yourselves for Heaven.
Should you occasionally visit your former homes,
Get the little ones around you and tell them what is right.
ON THE DUTIES OF YOUNGER SISTERS.
Girls, obey your elder brothers and sisters,
Be obliging and avoid arrogance,
Carefully give yourselves to self-improvement,
And mind and keep the Ten Commandments.
Be obliging and avoid arrogance,
Carefully give yourselves to self-improvement,
And mind and keep the Ten Commandments.
ON THE DUTIES OF HUSBANDS.
Unbending firmness is natural to the man,
Love for a wife should be qualified by prudence;
And should the lioness roar,
Let not terror fill the mind.
Love for a wife should be qualified by prudence;
And should the lioness roar,
Let not terror fill the mind.
ON THE DUTIES OF WIVES.
Women, be obedient to your three male relatives,
And do not disobey your lords:
When hens crow in the morning,
Sorrow may be expected in the family.
And do not disobey your lords:
When hens crow in the morning,
Sorrow may be expected in the family.
ON THE DUTIES OF ELDER BROTHERS' WIVES.
What is the duty of an elder brother's wife,
And what her most appropriate deportment?
Let her cheerfully harmonize with younger brothers' wives,
And she will never do amiss.
And what her most appropriate deportment?
Let her cheerfully harmonize with younger brothers' wives,
And she will never do amiss.
ON THE DUTIES OF YOUNGER BROTHERS' WIVES.
Younger brothers' wives should respect their elder brothers' wives,
In humility honouring their elder brothers;
In all things yielding to their senior sisters-in-law,
Which will result in harmony superior to music.
In humility honouring their elder brothers;
In all things yielding to their senior sisters-in-law,
Which will result in harmony superior to music.
ON THE DUTIES OF THE MALE SEX.
Let every man have his own partner
And maintain the duties of the human relations
Firm and unbending; his duties lie from home,
But he should avoid such things as cause suspicion.
And maintain the duties of the human relations
Firm and unbending; his duties lie from home,
But he should avoid such things as cause suspicion.
ON THE DUTIES OF THE FEMALE SEX.
The duty of woman is to maintain chastity;
She should shun proximity to the other sex;
Sober and decorous, she should keep at home:
Thus she can secure happiness and felicity.
She should shun proximity to the other sex;
Sober and decorous, she should keep at home:
Thus she can secure happiness and felicity.
ON CONTRACTING MARRIAGES.
Marriages are the result of some relation in a former state
The disposal of which rests with Heaven.
When contracted, affection should flow in a continued stream,
And the association should be uninterrupted.
The disposal of which rests with Heaven.
When contracted, affection should flow in a continued stream,
And the association should be uninterrupted.
ON MANAGING THE HEART.
For the purpose of controlling the whole body,
God has given to man an intelligent mind;
When the heart is correct, it becomes the true regulator
To which the senses and members are all obedient.
God has given to man an intelligent mind;
When the heart is correct, it becomes the true regulator
To which the senses and members are all obedient.
ON MANAGING THE EYES.
The various corruptions first delude the eye;
But if the eye be correct, all evil will be avoided:
Let the pupil of the eye be sternly fixed,
And the light of the body will shine up to heaven.
But if the eye be correct, all evil will be avoided:
Let the pupil of the eye be sternly fixed,
And the light of the body will shine up to heaven.
ON MANAGING THE EAR.
Whatever sounds assail my ear,
Let me listen to all in silence:
Deaf to the entrance of evil,
Pervious to good, in order to be eminently intelligent.
Let me listen to all in silence:
Deaf to the entrance of evil,
Pervious to good, in order to be eminently intelligent.
ON MANAGING THE MOUTH.
The tongue is a prolific source of strife,
And a multitude of words leads to mischief;
Let me not be defiled by lying and corrupt discourse,
Careful and cautious, let reason be my guide.
And a multitude of words leads to mischief;
Let me not be defiled by lying and corrupt discourse,
Careful and cautious, let reason be my guide.
ON MANAGING THE HAND.
To cut off the hand whereby we are dragged to evil
Appears a determination worthy of high praise;
The duty of the hand is to manifest respect,
But for improper objects move not a finger.
Appears a determination worthy of high praise;
The duty of the hand is to manifest respect,
But for improper objects move not a finger.
ON MANAGING THE FEET.
Let the feet walk in the path of rectitude,
And ever follow it, without treading awry;
For the countless by-paths of life
Lead only to mischief in the end.
And ever follow it, without treading awry;
For the countless by-paths of life
Lead only to mischief in the end.
THE WAY TO GET TO HEAVEN.
Honour and disgrace come from a man's self;
But men should exert themselves
To keep the Ten Commandments,
And they will enjoy bliss in Heaven.
But men should exert themselves
To keep the Ten Commandments,
And they will enjoy bliss in Heaven.
FOOTNOTES:
[88] Pwan-koo, the first man, was, according to Chinese mythology, the offspring of Chaos, and the creator of the earth, sun, moon, and stars.
[89] The period of the three dynasties began B.C. 2207, and ended B.C. 247.
[90] B.C. 1766.
[91] B.C. 1121. Both these emperors (T'hang and Wan) are stated by Du Halde to have worshipped Heaven.
[92] B.C. 247.
[93] B.C. 74—A.D. 25.
[94] A.D. 58. The emperor Ming, having heard that the true religion was to be found in the west, despatched (A.D. 66) ambassadors into Northern India, who, finding the majority of the people in that region to be worshippers of Fo, brought back with them several Bonzes in order to spread the faith; and thus Buddhism was introduced into China.
[95] This emperor (Hwuy) was a firm believer in the superstitions of the Taouists. A.D. 1101—1126.
[96] Hung-siu-tsuen.
APPENDIX B.
EXPORT OF TEA AND SILK FROM CHINA,
Showing the State of the Trade before, during, and after the
Occupation of the producing Districts by the Ti-pings.
[From the following Figures the Effect of their Presence upon Commerce may be judged.]
[From the following Figures the Effect of their Presence upon Commerce may be judged.]
Total Exports during the Five Years immediately preceding the
Outbreak of the Ti-ping Revolution.
| Date of Export. | Tea. | Raw Silk. | |
| Pounds. | Bales. | ||
| Year | 1845-1846 | 57,580,000 | 18,600 |
| " | 1846-1847 | 53,360,000 | 19,000 |
| " | 1847-1848 | 47,690,000 | 21,377 |
| " | 1848-1849 | 47,240,000 | 17,228 |
| " | 1849-1850 | 53,960,000 | 16,134 |
Remarks. These returns are quoted by Col. Sykes, M.P., in his pamphlet on "The Progress of Trade with China, 1833-1860," and are copied from the Friend of China, which journal, then established at Canton, published a tabular form, showing the total exports (exclusive of Ningpo) from all Treaty Ports, 1843 to 1858.
Total Exports during the First Three Years of the Revolution, while the
Ti-pings were steadily progressing northward.
| Date of Export. | Tea. | Raw Silk. | |
| Pounds. | Bales. | ||
| Year | 1850-1851 | 64,020,000 | 22,143 |
| " | 1851-1852 | 65,130,000 | 23,040 |
| " | 1852-1853 | 72,900,000 | 25,571 |
Remarks. It will be seen that the progress of the rebellion did not interfere with trade, which continued steadily increasing.
Total Exports from date of Capture of Nankin, and many producing
Districts, by the Ti-pings, to 1859.
| Date of Export. | Tea. | Raw Silk. | |
| Pounds. | Bales. | ||
| Year | 1853-1854 | 77,210,000 | 61,984 |
| " | 1854-1855 | 86,500,000 | 51,486 |
| " | 1855-1856 | 91,930,000 | 50,489 |
| " | 1856-1857 | 61,460,000 | 74,215 |
| " | 1857-1858 | 76,740,000 | 60,736 |
Remarks. It will be seen that the exports, although to a certain extent coming from, or passing through, Ti-ping territory, continued regularly increasing, especially in the case of the silk trade.
Total Exports during the Two Years preceding the Capture, of the entire
Silk, and about half of the Tea, Districts.
| Date of Export. | Tea. | Raw Silk. | |
| Pounds. | Bales. | ||
| Year | 1858-1859 | 65,789,792 | 81,136 |
| " | 1859-1860 | 85,938,493 | 69,137 |
Remarks. These returns are carefully copied from the bi-monthly issues of The China Overland Trade Report.
Total Exports during the entire Occupation of the Silk Districts.
| Date of Export. | Tea. | Raw Silk. | |
| Pounds. | Bales. | ||
| Year | 1860-1861 | 87,220,754 | 88,754 |
| " | 1861-1862 | 107,351,649 | 73,322 |
| " | 1862-1863 | 118,692,138 | 83,264 |
Remarks. The Ti-pings captured Soo-chow, the capital of the silk districts (and shortly after the whole of that valuable country), in the month of May, 1860. It will be seen that, instead of injuring the silk trade, at the termination of the next business year season 1860-61, commencing June 1, 1860, and ending 31st May, 1861 they had increased it to 88,754 bales, the greatest number ever exported from China in one year; to 73,322, season 1861-62; and 83,264, season 1862-63; whilst the export of tea, mostly from regions in their possession, was raised from 66,000,000 pounds in 1860, to 119,000,000 in 1863! These figures cover the period of entire occupation of the silk districts by the Ti-pings, and their occupation of the tea districts of Fy-chow, Taeping-hien, and others in the provinces of Ngan-whui, Che-kiang, Kiang-si, and Kiang-su, and extend to the end of May, 1863.
Total Exports since the Ti-pings have been driven from the Silk
Districts.
| Date of Export. | Tea. | Raw Silk. | ||
| Pounds. | Bales. | |||
| Year | 1863-1864 | 119,689,238 | 46,863 | |
| " | 1864-1865 | 121,236,870 | 41,128 | |
Remarks. These returns prove, better than any history or argument, who were the devastators of the former Ti-ping territory. While the revolutionists held and governed the valuable silk districts, that article was produced and exported in larger quantities than had ever been known before. After the British had made the producing districts the theatre of the war, and finally succeeded in driving the Ti-pings out, the supply of silk at once fell to half the export during the Ti-ping dominion, and the second year after to still less.