Preface to the Lives of the Eight Dogs, Collection IV

It is a dog’s nature to stand guard at night, just as it is a dog’s nature to know and honor its master. As the proverb says, if the thief Zhi’s dog barks at the Emperor Yao, ’tis no fault of the dog’s. Even so will a retainer in chaotic times perform well his duties with no thought for private matters. The three wise men of Yin were not loyal to the Duke of the West, but the Zhou did not count this a crime.¹ Therefore did Confucius say: though a lord be not a lord, yet a minister must not fail to be a minister; though a father be not a father, yet a son must not fail to be a son.² Perhaps he was speaking of Bi Gan, Ji Zi, and their colleague. When considered in that light, a dog is no different in its natural acuity than a man. Alas, when one devours his lord’s stipend, causes his father and mother to grieve, becomes violent with his wife, allows enmity to arise between himself and his brother, distances himself from the venerable and welcomes innovation, and runs howling after his own advantage, then there is of course a great distinction to be drawn. But when there are wise ministers in a country, there will be no sycophantic underlings, just as when there is a good dog in a house, there will be no covetous visitors. Therein one shall be protected effortlessly on all sides, and all in the neighborhood shall sleep well on fluffed pillows. It is for this reason that I make the Lives of the Eight Dogs, to enlighten the ignorant: it is in this that it finds its meaning. Some Books of this work have already been bruited about in the world, and at this time I have completed compiling it up through the IVth Collection. Upon the occasion of its publication, the bookseller Sanseidō came to me repeatedly and demanded of me that I make a preface. As I have included a preface in each compilation, I cannot refuse now, and so I therefore add a few lines, thereby protecting myself from his further assaults.

Written on the fourth day of the tenth month, in the winter of the third year of Bunsei³ (metal-tiger), in the western chapel of Opus Hall, where the camellias bloom.

Kyokutei the Bookworm Historian⁴
at Iinodai

This preface is written in kanbun, with minimal glosses. The preface title is followed by a seal reading Gendō, one of Bakin’s alternate pennames. See Bakin’s preface to Volume III, note 5.

1. The three wise men of Yin were Ji Zi, Bi Gan, and Wei Zi, three advisors to the wicked last king of Yin (also known as the Shang Dynasty) who remonstrated against his misdeeds. Bi Gan was killed, Ji Zi was imprisoned, and Wei Zi withdrew from court. Subsequently Yin fell and was replaced by the Zhou dynasty, founded by Wu, the son of the former Duke of the West under the Yin. Ji Zi became an advisor to Wu, while Wei Zi was pardoned and given territory.

2. From Kong Anguo’s foreword to the ancient text version of Xiaojing (J. Kōkyō), commonly known as the Classic of Filial Piety.

3. 1820.

4. Tanshi, another of Bakin’s alternate pennames.
 The seals present two of Bakin’s names. The one on the left consists of “Toku” (Bakin’s personal name) in seal script paired with the Daoist hexagram named for the same character. The one on the right is “Bakin” in seal script.