385
One of the books concerned was copied out in 1897, and the other somewhen during the Kuang Hsü reign (1874-1908), but the original date of composition is probably significantly earlier the copies were in collections of exemplars, and were, therefore, by definition taken from some earlier writer. The words Shing Ping, 昇平, “Rises in Peace”, in the last sentence may suggest the Shing Ping She, 約, the formal name of the Ta Kwu Ling Luk Yeuk: if so, the document presumably dates from about 1850, when that inter-village alliance was set up.
Associated with this document is another, an exemplar of a notification by a village that it had apprehended a robber and had punished him themselves on his confession, rather than send him to the Magistrate for interrogation. I attach a copy and translation of this document, also, since it would seem that the notification was posted on the village walls as a warning to other robbers that the Yeuk was in existence, and active.
It will be seen that the document constituting the Yeuk stresses very fully the mutual defence aspect of the Yeuk, but does not mention the communal religious aspect which was also of importance in the Yeuk as it developed. It will also be noted that, in both documents, it seems that, to the writer, “Yeuk”(約, "Village Mutual Defence Alliance"), and“Heung”(鄉, “Rural District”), had the same meaning, and that that meaning was more or less the same as 'Tsung” (衆, “Community'').
The first document is written in a very formal style, in phrases mostly of six or four characters, with phrases of five or seven or three characters only in the part of the document supposedly recording direct speech, or where particular emphasis was wanted. In the transcription, punctuation has been added.
合約捉贼
從來崇正黜邪, 朝廷既明賞罰, 除凶剪暴, 鄉黨亦設章程。蓋世道之盛也, 治休隆, 禮讓行乎草野。而世風之下也, 僥偶刻薄,盜竊遍及鄉里。賊風自熾, 擾攘何如, 鳳擊心傷, 何堪忍比。緬想自我^約, 安居百有餘年, 出入相友, 守望相助。王道平平,門絕盜路之跡, 民懷皐皐, 巷無犬吠之聲。何至於今時, 食可慨矣。嘆世風之不古。人心懷變, 竊盜多端。日則或登山牽牛, 夕則或刮穿牆。甚則將來明失夜却, 種種情弊, 難以勝箕。如非種之不鋤, 安知後專, 禍歸胡底乎。於是我約人等, 齊集會議,協同心, 立貼長紅, 並設練丁, 以禦盜寇, 以肅規條。倘或有
-
385
One of the books concerned was copied out in 1897, and the other somewhen during the Kuang Hsü reign (1874-1908), but the original date of composition is probably significantly earlier the copies were in collections of exemplars, and were, therefore, by definition taken from some earlier writer. The words Shing Ping,昇平,“Rises in Peace”, in the last sentence may suggest the Shing Ping She, AF, the formal name of the Ta Kwu Ling Luk Yeuk: if so, the document presumably dates from about 1850, when that inter-village alliance was set up.
Associated with this document is another, an exemplar of a notification by a village that it had apprehended a robber and had punished him themselves on his confession, rather than send him to the Magistrate for interrogation. I attach a copy and translation of this document, also, since it would seem that the notification was posted on the village walls as a warning to other robbers that the Yeuk was in existence, and active.
It will be seen that the document constituting the Yeuk stresses very fully the mutual defence aspect of the Yeuk, but does not mention the communal religious aspect which was also of importance in the Yeuk as it developed. It will also be noted that, in both documents, it seems that, to the writer, “Yeuk”(约, Village Mutual Defence Alliance''), and“Heung”(鄉,“Rural District''), had the same meaning, and that that meaning was more or less the same as 'Tsung” ( 衆,
“Community'').
The first document is written in a very formal style, in phrases mostly of six or four characters, with phrases of five or seven or three characters only in the part of the document supposedly recording direct speech, or where particular emphasis was wanted. In the transcription, punctuation has been added.
合約捉贼
從來崇正黜邪,朝廷既明賞罰,除凶剪暴,鄉黨亦設章程。蓋世 道之盛也,治休隆,禮讓行乎草野。而世風之下也,僥偶刻薄, 盜竊遍及鄉里。賊風自熾,擾攘何如,冯擊心傷,何堪忍比。緬 想自我^約,安居百有餘年,出入相友,守望相助。王道平平, 門絕盜路之跡,民懷皐皐,巷無犬吠之聲。何至於今時,食可慨 矣。嘆世風之不古。人心懷變,竊盜多端。日則或登山牽牛,夕 則或刮穿牆。甚則將來明失夜却,種種情弊,難以勝箕。如非 種之不鋤,安知後專,禍歸胡底乎。於是我約人等,齊集會議, 協同心,立貼長紅,並設練丁,以禦盜寇,以肅規條。倘或有
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.