Some Ethical Ideals of the Tso-chuan

Extract

The reader of the Tso-chuan cannot but be impressed by the number of suicides it records. Two instances at least are given of suicide because of the loss of wealth, both by men who had no claim to be considered virtuous—Fu-ch'ai, King of Wu (xn, xxii, 2), and King Ling of Oh'u (x, xiii, 2). I Chiang, marchioness of Wei, preferred death to the disgrace of being superseded in her husband's house (II, xvi, 5). Tsang Chien died on a point of honour. Taken prisoner to Ch'i, the marquis of which State sent a eunuch to condole with him and promise protection, he bowed in acknowledgement, but said: “I thank your master's condescension; the favour, however, is not complete, for why has he sent a castrated servant on a visit of courtesy to an officer ?” Then he drove a stake into his wound and died (IX, xvii, 4). When Wu made its great invasion of Ch'u, the plan of defence drawn up by Marshal Hsü was wrecked through the self-seeking of the Chancellor, and all the marshal's efforts could not retrieve the disaster. After repeated battles he fell wounded, but not mortally. “In each of these three battles,” he said, “I have been wounded, and now I am of no more use. Which of you officers will carry off my head ?” One of low rank at length offered his service, and the marshal, referring to the courage which would face the obloquy of having killed his superior, said: “It is my fault that I did not recognize your worth earlier” (XI, iv, 15).