Page 166 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

KANG-HE.
336

a in the decoration, the effect being very
prominent part
pleasing.
"
King Chow of the Shang dynasty was a bad, unprincipled
man, and oppressed his subjects. Wing Woo, a former minister
of his, raised troops to fight against him, and was met by two
'
brothers, who remonstrated with him, saying, A minister
'
should not raise troops to fight against a king ; but Woo,
to deliver the from their
wishing people oppression, persisted
in his purpose, and deposed Chow. Afterwards the two brothers
above mentioned were ashamed to eat the bread of King Woo,
and died of starvation on the Sieng Yong mountain. The
the two brothers with
picture represents remonstrating King
Woo."
Chow Sin was the last of the Shang, or Yin dynasty, and
seems to have been deposed by Wu, the founder of the Chow
dynasty, 1122 B.C. At p. 169, Mayers gives the names of the
two brothers referred to, Peh I. and Shuh Ts'i, and
says they
"
flourished, according to legendary history, toward the close of
"
the twelfth century B.C., in the small state of Ku Chuh (form-
"
ing part of modern Chih-li), of which their father was prince.
The prince desired to make the younger brother, Shuh Ts'i,
his successor ; but the latter refused to deprive the firstborn of
his heritage, and on his father's death fled from the princi-
after to induce his brother to
pality, vainly endeavouring
the he would not run counter
accept heirship. Peh I., declaring
to his father's will, also withdrew ; and, leaving the throne to
a third brother, retired with Shuh Ts'i to a life of
obscurity.
The brothers emerged from their retreat in their old age to
seek an with the chief of the West
abiding-place Ch'ang, ; but,
on reaching his domain, they found that his death had taken
place, and that his son, having overthrown the dynasty of Yin,
was proclaimed emperor. Deeply grieved, and refusing to
change their allegiance, they declared they would not support
their life on the ' of Chow,' and
grain retiring into the recesses
of Mount Show subsisted for a time
Yong, they by gathering
wild seeds. Both Confucius and Mencius extolled their stead-
fast purity of mind."
No. 579. Dish. Diameter, 14 inches; height, 2^ inches.
Mark, fungus in two blue circles. The diaper band is marked
off by one Indian-ink line at edge, and double ditto inside.