Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/331

312 gourd produced a sound which was pleasing to his senses, to escape from which contamination he threw the gourd away.

Hsü-yüan-mêng  (T.   and   ). A.D. 1650-1736. A Mauchu, who graduated as chin ahih in 1673. For many years he suffered from the enmity of the rival Ministers 1^ ^ Ming-chu and ^ ^ @ So-o-t'u, who in revenge for his refusal to pay court to either, caused him to be imprisoned and tortured on various false charges. In 1687, for nothing more than bad archery practice, the Emperor E*ang Hsi ordered him to be severely beaten and his parents to be banished to the Amoor. Next day however this harsh sentence was revoked. In the following year he became implicated, through Ming-chu, in an intrigue, and nearly died in prison. At last in 1693, after Ming-chu's fall, he gradually rose until in 1718 he was chosen as the Emperor's confidential adviser. Five years later he was degraded for a mistranslation, but rose once more high to ofiBce. On his deathbed he was visited by the eldest Prince, and finally received a public funeral. Canonised as ^ ^, and included in the Temple of Worthies.

Hsü Yüan-wên (T. ^M- H- ±51)- A.D. 1634—1691. A native of Eiaogsu, who graduated first at the chin shili examination of 1659, and was at once admitted to the society and confidence of the Emperor Shun Ghih| being also entrusted with the editing of his Majesty's literary notes, under the title of ^ ^ 0^. At the accession of the Emperor E^ang Hsi he was unjustly degraded on a question of accounts, and only in 1665 was his character vindicated. After serving in various literary posts, he aided in revising the Canon of Filial Piety and was placed on the Commission for preparing the History of the Ming Dynasty. He thus secured that the last three Ming Princes, |j@ Fu, ^ T*ang, and ijj^ Euei, and their followers, should be recorded as brave men and not as rebels. Promoted in 1680 to be President