CHAPTER II
1. On the bathing-tub of T'ang, the following words were engraved:—"If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation."
2. In the Announcement to K'ang, it is said, "To stir up the new people."
3. In the Book of Poetry, it is said, "Although Chowwas an ancient state, the ordinance which lighted on it was new."
4. Therefore, the superior man in every thing uses his utmost endeavours.
the great T'ang. Choo He understands by 明命, the Heaven-given, illustrious nature of man. The other school take the phrase more generally,=the 显道,'displayed ways' of Heaven.
3. See the Shoo-king, I. 2. It is of the emperor Yaou that this is said.
4. The 皆 must be referred to the three quotations.
CHAPTER 2. THE RENOVATION OF THE PEOPLE.
Here the character 新, 'new', 'to renovate', occurs five times, and it was to find something corresponding to it at the commencement of the work, which made the Ch'ing change the 亲 of 亲民, into 新. But the 新 here have nothing to do with the renovation of the people.This is self-evident in the 1st and 3d par. The heading of the chapter, as above, is a misnomer.
1. This fact about T'ang's bathing tub had come down by tradition. At least, we do not now find the mention of it anywhere but here. It was customary among the ancients, as it is in China at the present day, to engrave, all about them, on the articles of their furniture, such moral aphorisms and lessons.
2. See the K'angKaou , p.7, where K'ang-shuh is exhorted to assist the emperor 'to settle the decree of Heaven, and 作新民', which may mean to make the bad people of Yin into good people, or to stir up the new people, i.e., new, as recently subjected to Chow.
3. See the She-king, III. i. Ode I. st. 1.
The above second chapter of commentary explains the renovating of the people.