Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/255

236  Fu I 傅奕. A.D. 554-639. An official of the Sui dynasty, who became Historiographer under the first Emperor of the T'ang dynasty. He presented a memorial asking that the Buddhist religion might be abolished; and when Hsiao Yü questioned him on the subject, he said, "You were not born in a hollow mulberry-tree; yet you respect a religion which does not recognise the tie between father and son!" He urged that at any rate priests and nuns should be compelled to marry and bring up families, and not escape from contributing their share to the revenue, adding that Hsiao Yü by defending their doctrines showed himself no better than they were. At this Hsiao Yü held up his hands, and declared that hell was made for such men as Fu I. The result was that severe restrictions were placed for a short time upon the teachers of Buddhism. The Emperor T'ai Tsung once got hold of a Tartar priest who could "charm people into unconsciousness, and then charm them back to life again," and spoke of his powers to Fu I. The latter said confidently, "He will not be able to charm me;" and when put to the test, the priest completely failed. He was the originator of epitaphs, and wrote his own, as follows: —

Fu I loved the green hills and the white clouds. Alas! he died of drink.

  Fu-k'ang-an 福康安 (T. 瑤林). Died A.D. 1796. A Manchu, who distinguished himself in the second Chin-ch'uan war of 1771—76, in the Nepaulese war of 1791—92, and in the war of 1794—96 against the Kueichou aborigines, besides putting down rebellions in Kansuh and Formosa. He was never defeated, and won his soldiers' hearts by large gifts from his immense private fortune, a lavishness of which the Emperor strongly disapproved. Ennobled as Prince and canonised as 文襄, and included in both the Temple of Worthies and the Temple of Patriots.