And as to the “Announcement” itself, a most strange and interesting document, it recites the cautions which had been addressed by preceding monarchs to the great officers of state, pointing out that “for sacrifices spirits should be employed.” But it proceeds to say, in quaint and forcible terms, that “our people have been greatly disorganised and lost their virtue, which can be traced to their indulgence in spirits.” “Yea, the ruin of states great and small” is invariably traced to the same cause, the use of spirits. “King Wan,” it says, “admonished and instructed the young and all who were charged with office and employment that they should not ordinarily use spirits” but only on occasion of sacrifices, “and then that virtue should preside, so that there might be no drunkenness.” The edict goes on to show how a long line of ancestors had practised self-denial, “from T’ang the successful to the Emperor Yih,” setting an excellent example to their ministers and servants, they not daring to indulge in drunkenness; but that “the last successor of those kings was addicted to drink,” so that (to put it in the phraseology of the Flowery Land of old), “No charges came from him brightly before the people, and he was reverently and unchangingly bent on doing and cherishing what provoked resentment. He gave himself up completely to spirits; and though the extinction of the dynasty of Yin was imminent, this gave him no concern, and he wrought not that any sacrifices of fragrant virtue might ascend to heaven. The rank odour of the people’s resentments, and the drunkenness of his herds of creatures, went loudly up on high, so that Heaven sent down ruin on Yin, and showed no love for Yin, because of such excesses. There is not any cruel oppression of Heaven; people themselves accelerate their guilt and its punishment.” We have only space for the concluding mandate of the “Announcement,” which runs as follows: “If you are told that there are companies who drink together, do not fail to apprehend them all and send them to Chow, where I will put them to death. As to the ministers and officers of Yin, who have been led to it and been addicted to drink, it is not necessary to put them to death; let them be taught for a time. If they keep these lessons, I will give them bright distinction. If you disregard my lessons then, I, the one man, will show you no pity. As you cannot cleanse your way, you shall be classed with those who are to be put to death. The king says, “O Fung, give constant heed to my admonitions. If you do not manage right, your officers and the people will continue lost in drink.”