Written after a Painting of Duke Sima Wen (司馬溫公) Breaking the Water Jar書司馬溫公擊甕圖後
古之論者。有謂司馬溫公自爲兒擊甕時。已有活人手段。此誠的論也。君實果歷相四朝。奮發謀議。興利除害。安國家濟蒼生。可謂宋之社稷臣也。此非刻勵習熟而爲之。其漸已見於乳臭中。固受之天者。或曰。君實能鍛成其才。適會居位輔政。有以濟蒼生耳。凡善惡與習而遷。兒時事不足爲的驗也。予曰。非也。昔孔子爲兒時。嘗陳俎豆爲戲。果興文敎。爲萬世師。然此聖人之事。不可以常品論之。若以常品觀之。予少時怯乘馬。馬有駸駸其足者。面蒼然無生色。甚戰也。至今尙爾畏騎駿足。凡奉使乘傳。必擇駑者而後馭之。又生二歲時。常喜執書冊。以手指點其字而若將讀之。父母曰。此兒當業文者也。今果以進士出身。備小儒之數。由此觀之。君實之擊甕。天性也。其安國家濟蒼生。固亦受之天者。非熟習而爲之者審矣。何謂兒時事不足爲驗耶。非特此也。凡善惡勇怯。仁與不仁。孝與不孝。皆於兒時。可略見也。何獨司馬也耶。
Among those who discussed matters of old there was one who said: 「Duke Sima Wen (司馬溫公), from the time when as a child he broke the water jar, already had in him the means of saving men's lives.」 This is truly a sure discussion. Junshi (君實) did indeed serve as chief minister under four reigns, rousing himself to plan and to deliberate, raising up what was profitable and doing away with what was harmful, so that he set the state at peace and rescued the people; he may be called a minister who bore upon him the altars of Song. This did not come of carving and of strenuous practice: its omen showed already in his milk-smelling childhood, so that he had it truly as a gift from Heaven.
Someone said: 「Junshi only trained and perfected his talent, and happening to meet the chance of rising to office and aiding the government, he rescued the people. Now good and evil shift according to habit, and what a man did as a child is not enough to be taken for a sure proof.」
I said: 「Not so. Of old Confucius, when a child, used to set out the sacrificial vessels in play, and he did in the end raise up the teaching of letters and become the master of ten thousand ages. But this is the matter of a sage, and cannot be discussed by ordinary measure. Taking the ordinary measure: when I was small I was afraid of riding, and when a horse moved its feet quickly my face went pale and lifeless and I shook violently. Even now it is so, and I dread riding a good horse. Whenever I bear a commission and must ride the post-horses, I always pick out a dull one before I will drive. Again, at two years old I was always fond of taking hold of books, pointing with my hand at the characters as though I were about to read them, so that my father and mother said, 「This child is one who should make letters his calling.」 And now I have in truth come forth as a presented scholar (進士) and am counted among the number of petty literati. Judging from this, Junshi's breaking of the water jar was his Heaven-given nature. That he set the state at peace and rescued the people was truly also a gift from Heaven and plainly did not come of habit. How can it be said that what a man did as a child is not enough to be taken for proof?」
And it is not this alone. Good and evil, bravery and cowardice, worth and unworthiness, filial piety and the want of it — all of these may be roughly seen in childhood. How should it be Master Sima only?