釋氏稽古略 1.322

1.322

春秋　魯史也。孔子作春秋。始魯隱公元年。平王四十九年也。孔子以平王為東周之始王。隱公讓國之賢君。始起此者。蓋寓褒貶賞罰。以正一王之法（劉恕外紀）。

The Spring and Autumn: The history of Lu. Confucius composed the Spring and Autumn, beginning from the first year of Duke Yin of Lu, which was the forty-ninth year of King Ping. Confucius regarded King Ping as the first king of Eastern Zhou and Duke Yin as a worthy ruler who yielded his state. He began with this so as to lodge praise and blame, rewards and punishments, to establish the law of a unified ruler (from Liu Shu's Waiji).