Memorial Declining the Office of Administrator of the Examinations讓知貢擧表
云云。國之取士。意必在於得賢。朝豈無人。臣獨專於操柄。自知大過。期以牢辭。伏念臣爰自童年。獨攻經術。業誠勤矣勞矣。志尙茫然懜然。雖然。人負多可則施必旁通。士拘一端則用亦偏係。以小臣唯事于學。而當世誤認其能。一鼓虛聲。便擡善價。故每歷朝廷之任。未嘗離翰墨之司。此已素餐。不堪深懼。況宗伯揀能之寄。是士林越分之榮。大抵雖已至於巍官。不幸違其宿望。遠則學如王度，國儉者。猶未得一經斯地。近則才若升旦，良鏡者。亦不過再掌其權。顧惟何人。常領玆選。矧衰耗日加而月益。卽心靈朝取而夕忘。雖欲自強。得無大濫。伏望云云。廓揮英斷。曲徇微誠。追收綸出之言。更命鏡明之鑑。使蘭蕭莫混。朱紫易分。然後國不失賢。臣亦知免。云云。
And so forth. When the state chooses its scholars, its intent must lie in gaining worthy men. How should the court be without men, that Your servant alone should take sole charge of holding the handle? Knowing of myself that this greatly exceeds me, I have resolved firmly to decline.
Prostrate I consider that from a young age Your servant studied the classics alone. His labor was indeed diligent and toilsome, but his understanding is distant and dim. Now when a man is able in many things, what he brings forth will surely reach everywhere; and when a scholar is bound to one thing, his usefulness too is partial and blocked.
This small servant made learning his only business, and the present age has mistaken that for ability: at one hollow sounding of his name it set a fine price upon him. Thus whenever he has passed through a charge at court he has never left the offices that hold brush and ink. For this alone he eats bread he has not earned, and he cannot bear his deep dread.
How much more is the charge of the jongbaek (宗伯) in sifting men of talent a glory beyond a scholar's measure. Indeed there are those who, having already reached high office, were unfortunate and long thwarted in what they had hoped for: far back, men whose learning was as that of Wangdo (王度) or Gukgeom (國儉) still did not pass through this seat once; nearer at hand, men whose talent was as that of Seungdan (升旦) or Yanggyeong (良鏡) held the authority no more than twice. Looking back, what manner of man is Your servant, that he should always be charged with this choosing?
Still more, his decay and wearing grow by the day and by the month, and his mind forgets by evening what it gained in the morning. Though he would exert himself, will there not be great impropriety?
Prostrate I beg, and so forth. Make a great decision, and follow in its detail this small sincerity. Withdraw the command You have sent down, and command again one who is bright as a mirror. Let the orchid not be mixed with the mugwort, and let the true and the false be easily parted; then the state will not lose its worthy men, and Your servant too will escape blame. And so forth.
Interlinear notes 2
丙申年
This was the byeongsin year.
中謝。
Here the jungsa (中謝), that is, the words of thanks, is inserted.