The Seventh Old Preface (1730) (Text)

The Seventh Old Preface (1730)

Dongyang County is located in the upper reaches of the Zhe River in mountainous surroundings, with clear water and rapid currents. Its customs are pure and simple; the people are generally substantial and straightforward; they are content where they are and hesitate to move. The great surnames reside with the whole lineage; usually they number in the thousands but the largest ones in the ten thousands. Each lineage has its own genealogy so that the branches and segments are clearly verifiable.

The Lu family of Yaxi is indeed the most prominent of them. From the Song Dynasty to the present, it has continued for over twenty generations; its members have passed the civil service examinations without interruption for a long time and without decline. Those whose names are recorded in the histories for literary and political accomplishment, for loyalty and integrity, are countless.

In the year jiachen (1724), I was appointed to this place.  When I looked over the subjects recorded in the county gazetteers and the biographies of the important people, I became aware that forbears of the Lu were repeatedly recorded. Once I had contacts with its lineage members I found them to be dignified and refined people who regulated themselves through ritual and my admiration increased for the far-reaching benefits from their ancestors. Their residence is located in the eastern suburbs of the county seat, about three li^[1] from city wall. Houses connect to one another on each side, and the criss-crossing alleys extend over several li. The gateways marking their officials status maintain the plan of time when the mansion the residence was first built. Every time I passed through the neighborhood, I would linger on. It is apparent that everyone here has maintained their occupations and is content with their livelihood: the scholars who esteem the Classic of Poetry and The Book of Documents, the farmers who tend to the fields, and even the craftsmen, merchants, and medical practitioners. Within the lineage older and younger, noble and humble, all are harmonious and orderly and each fills his own role. Can they not be said to be maintaining ritual?

I have lamented that among old families and ancient clans the rich have become accustomed to luxury whereas the poor are indolent. They despise ritual and overstep their roles; they freely push around others and insult them. One after another they will fall into decline. But with the Lu family, we can be sure that the descendants will to keep to the standards set by their ancestors without decline.

It is the magistrate’s responsibility to transform the populace and perfect customs. Just when I was thinking of how to honor the worthiness of the Lu so that the people in the county would know they should take them as a model, it happened that the lineage, having just finished recompiling the genealogy, asked me for a preface. Thus I have written down what I admire about the Lu family so that the descendants if they recall the greatness of the ancestors’ accomplishments and virtues and maintain them, will continue their threads and invigorate their enterprise. If other lineages know they should imitate them we may look forward to the transformation of society, first to goodness and then to perfection.^[2] The record of generations records and the history of editions are noted in the prefaces by Minister of Justice Yu from Chouchuan and Minister of Rites Dong from Huating and do not need repeating.

On an auspicious day in the eighth month of the gengxu eighth year of Yongzheng reign period (1730),

respectably written by the Magistrate of Dongyang County, honored with the rank of Gentleman of Literature, Pang Xi of Zhengcheng

[1] One li is equivalent to 1/3 of a mile.

[2] Literally “to Lu, to the Way.” The Analects quotes Confucius saying that the one of the most powerful states of his time could, with a single transformation, attain the condition of Confucius’ home state of Lu, and but that with a single transformation Lu could attain the Way, the ideal.