三教平心論 2.12

2.12

唐人黃璞論歐陽詹謂。其以一倡婦一慟而死。而譏其不孝。愈作歐陽詹哀辭乃稱。其事父母盡孝仁於妻子。夫譽其所可毀。則其言之矯誣也甚矣。作諫臣論。譏陽城非有道之士。及城守道州。而愈送太學生何堅還道州。又賢城所治。為有道之士。比之黃霸治頴州。夫前毀而後可以譽。則予言之反覆亦甚矣。

The Tang writer Huang Pu, discussing Ouyang Zhan, criticized him for being unfilial because he died of grief over a singing courtesan. But Yu, composing a dirge for Ouyang Zhan, praised him as serving his parents with utmost filial piety and being humane to his wife and children. Now to praise what is deserving of condemnation shows that his words were exceedingly deceitful. In his 'Treatise on Remonstrance Officials', he mocked Yang Cheng as not being a man of the Way. Yet when Cheng governed Daozhou, Yu, seeing off the imperial academy student He Jian on his return to Daozhou, again praised Cheng's administration as that of a man of the Way, comparing it to Huang Ba governing Yingzhou. Now, to condemn previously and then praise afterward shows that his words were also exceedingly inconsistent.