Book XIII 763idea. When he cast the bell successfully in his first attempt, the king was so
pleased that he awarded such a prize to him.The king ordered Kwŏn Kŭn, academician of the Office of Royal Decrees
and State Records, to compose the inscription on the bell, and the inscrip-
tion began as follows:
“Only three years after the Chosŏn received the Mandate of Heaven, the
king established the nation’s capital on the north side of the Han River and
started constructing the royal palace the following year. In the summer of
that year, the king ordered the office concerned to cast a large bell. When
the bell was finished, a pavilion was built on the main street in the city
center to hang the bell, and the purpose of having such a bell is to inscribe
our achievements on it and pass on the greatness to posterity.
“Since antiquity, when one who took over the land rendered great ser-
vices to the state and made outstanding achievements for the people, they
were always inscribed on the bells or cauldrons. Therefore, the beautiful
sound of his fame and achievement rang out loudly and sonorously, moving
the hearts of the people for generations. Furthermore, the bells placed in the
middle of the capital or big cities, being rung early in the morning and late
at night, strictly told the people the time to get up or go to bed, and the use
of the bell was indeed great.
“[This writer] respectfully believes that the virtue and fame of Our
Majesty grew day by day since the days prior to his enthronement until no
one could stop the Mandate of Heaven for him and the growing expecta-
tions of the people. Numerous men of virtue came to his aid and supported
him, dedicating all their efforts and resources, and as a result, he took over
the nation in a day, replacing the Wang clan of Koryŏ. Working from early
in the morning until late at night, he established all the institutions and the
social order that would serve as the foundation for thousands of years of
peace for his descendants. So it can be said that the greatness of his services
and contributions are already established. Hence, the details of his achieve-
ments need to be inscribed and passed on to posterity.
“The Book of Changes also says, ‘The great virtue of all under heaven is
called life, and the great treasure of sages is called status (wei). How can
they keep their status? It is benevolence (ren).’ What it means is that the
sages are able to keep their status because they take the life- fostering virtue
of all under heaven as their own and keep on expanding it.
“Though Heaven and man are different, they are one in their minds. On
the day when His Majesty ascended the throne, the soldiers did not stain