threefold business (of government)[1], and ye great officers, reverently attend to your departments, and conduct well the affairs under your government, so as to assist your sovereign, and secure the lasting happiness of the millions of the people;—so shall there be no dissatisfaction throughout the myriad states.'
Book XXI. The Kün-khăn.
Kün-khăn was the successor in 'the eastern capital' of the duke of Kâu, who has now passed off the stage of the Shû, which he occupied so long. Between 'the Officers of Kâu' and this Book, there were, when the Shû was complete, two others, which are both lost. We must greatly deplore the loss of the second of them, for it contained an account of the death of the duke of Kâu, and an announcement made by king Khăng by his bier.
Who Kün-khan, the charge to whom on entering on his important government is here preserved, really was, we are not informed. Some have supposed that he was a son of the duke of Kâu; but we may be sure, from the analogy of other charges, that if he had been so, the fact would have been alluded to in the text. Kün-khăn might be translated 'the prince Khăn,' like Kün Shih in the title of Book xvi, but we know nothing of any territory with which he was invested.
The following summary of the contents is given by a Chinese critic:—'The whole Book may be divided into three chapters. The first relates Kün-khăn's appointment to the government of the eastern capital. The concluding words, "Be reverent,"
- ↑ 'The threefold business of government' is the appointment of the men of office, the officers of law, and the pastors, 'the three concerns of those in the three highest positions,' as described in the last Book, ch. 4. The king, probably, intends the Kung, the Kû, and the six ministers, whose duties he has spoken of. The 'great officers' will be all the officers inferior to these in their several departments.
