^{page 81 note 1} There is some difficulty in interpreting this last sentence. See Hsî's, Chû note on it in his Pien Chăng , p. 2Google Scholar. He differs from the view of Wang Yî, and prefers that of Hung Hsing-tsû of our 12th century.

^{page 82 note 1} This is the explanation of the title, accepted by Sze-mâ Ch'ien, Pan Kû, and Yen Sze-Kû, and is preferred by Chû Hsî to that of Wang Yî.

^{page 83 note 1} the first part of the Shih Ching.

^{page 83 note 2} The second part of the Shih .

^{page 83 note 3} I have failed to discover the mention of Tî K'û in the poem, but see stanza 60, and the note on it. Duke Hwan appears in stanza 75.

^{page 83 note 4} The of Ch‘ien’s text should be . See the Shih, I. xiv. 1, and the notes on it.

^{page 84 note 1} The great State of the north-east, and formerly more powerful than either Ch'in or Ch'û.

^{page 84 note 2} “King Hûi,” I suppose, is a mistake of Ch'ien for King Hûi-wăn , who ruled in ch'in from b.c. 336 to 307.

^{page 84 note 3} See Works of Mencius, III., ii. 2.

^{page 84 note 4} Forming the present district of Nêi-hsiang in the department of Nan-yang , Ho-nan.

^{page 85 note 1} These events all appear in the Kang-mû, under the years b.c. 313, 312.

^{page 85 note 2} Meaning “Indigo Fields.” A district of the department of Hsî-an still bears the name.

^{page 85 note 3} This must be king Châo-hsiang , who had come to the throne in b.c. 306, and occupied it till 250.

^{page 86 note 1} This event is given in the Kang-mû as having taken place in b.c. 301. The attacking States are there given as Ch'in, Han, Wei, and Ch'î.

^{page 86 note 2} , called also the Southern Pass to Ch'in. It was in the present Shen Châu of Ho-nan. The capture of king Hwâi when he had entered it was in b.c. 299.

^{page 87 note 1} See the Yî, Hexagram xlviii. 1. 3, or the Symbolism of it, though Ch‘ien’s reading of the Symbolism is slightly varied.

^{page 88 note 1} I extract the following from a note in the Kang-mû under b.c. 299: “Mî-lo is the name of a river in the department of Ch'ang-shâ, Hû-nan. Its source is in Ch'âng-hsî, from which it flows into the district of Hsiang-yin . About 8 lî from the district city it begins its course through the district, after which it divides into two branches. One branch flows south, and is called the Mî stream; the other flows past the old city of Lo, and is called the Lo river. Holding on their separate courses to the pool of Ch'ü , they there again unite, and flow westwards to the great river Hsiang , which is a tributary of the great Chiang.” It is added that Ch'ü Yüan, on the fifth day of the fifth month, threw himself into the Mî-lo river, and that the people of Ch'ü to this day, in lamentation for his death, present offerings of rice to him, in tubes of bamboo. All this appears in the Kang-mû under b.c. 299; but it does not follow that the suicide of our hero took place in that year.

^{page 88 note 2} This fisherman is supposed to have been a recluse living in obscurity because of the badness of the time. In the account of the interview with him, Ch'ien borrows his text from the last of the “Elegies” ascribed to our author. Such is the tradition concerning it, but we may doubt if it be correctly so ascribed.

^{page 89 note 1} is translated by Williams, “He is a man of great clearness and sagacity.” Giles renders, not so happily as he generally does: “How with such jewels of hand and heart could he cause himself to be dismissed.” I render by “jasper” for want of a more exact term.

^{page 89 note 2} The second half of this sentence, , is very difficult. In the “Elegies” we read , which is easy. A note in Wang's edition of the for gives , which I have followed. Giles, keeping Ch‘ien’s text, renders it by “a butt for the world's folly.”

^{page 89 note 3} This forms the twelfth of the “Elegies,” called , the fifth of those appended to the collection of the Lî Sâo.

^{page 91 note 1} Book IV. piece v.

^{page 91 note 2} Compare Ps. lix. 6, 7.