ABSTRACT
I WILL begin with a comparison. This is a passage from the Book of History: 'In the second year after the conquest of the Shang,1 the king of Chou fell ill. . . • The two dukes said "let us reverently consult the tortoise on the king's behalf". But the king's other brother, the duke of Chou, said: "That is not the way to move the hearts of our ancestors, the former kings", and so saying the duke of Chou pledged his own life to ransom the king. He built three mounds on the same clearing; and for himself he made a mound to the south of these, and stood upon it, looking north. He set before him a disc of jade and in his hand he .held a tablet of jade. Then he called upon the three dead kings, T'ai, Chi and Wen, and the scribe wrote his prayer upon a tablet. The duke said: "Your descendant Such-a-one2 has met with a sharp and violent sickness. If this means that you three dead kings need some one to cherish and foster you in heaven, then take me instead of Such-a-one. For I am ready and well able to be very serviceable to ghosts and spirits; whereas your descendant the king is versed in few such arts, and would not be at all serviceable to ghosts and spirits. You, O kings, were charged by the Court of Ancestors to succour the four quarters of the land from end to end and to
establish as best you might your sons and grandsons here on earth below. The people of the four quarters all worship and fear you. Do not frustrate the treasured mission that Heaven put upon you, and you too, O former kings, shall for ever find shelter and support.1 I shall now ask the Great Tortoises2 to tell me your decision. If you accept me instead of the king, I will dedicate3 to you this disc of jade and this tablet of jade, and go home to await your command. But if you do not accept me, I shall hide away the tablet and the disc." He then consulted the three tortoises4 and each was doubly favourable. He opened the locked-place and inspected the book of omens. This too was favourable. Then the duke of Chou said: " A l l is well! The king will come to no harm. I have secured a fresh mandate from the three former kings; we may make plans for an age-long futurity. Only wait; and you will see that to me they have certainly given heed." The duke of Chou went home and deposited the record of his prayer in a casket with metal clamps. By next day the king had recovered.'
