Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/487

468 died. He was a fine scholar, and an untiring opponent of eunuch influence.

  Li T'iao-yüan 李調元 (T. 雨村 H. 墨莊). A native of 綿 Mien-chou in Ssŭch'uan, who graduated as chin shih in 1763 and was distinguished as a poet and a bibliophile. He selected and published the 朝鮮四家詩 Poems of the Four Schools of Korea and edited the 函海 encyclopædia, which is chiefly an expansion of the work of Yang Shên.

  Li T'ieh-kuai 李鐵拐. One of the Eight Immortals of Taoism ,represented as a beggar leaning on an iron staff, for the following reason. Summoned by Lao Tzŭ to a conference on high, his anima mounted to heaven, leaving the body, with the umbra still present, in the charge of a disciple. The latter, however, was called away to his mother's deathbed, and when the anima returned, the umbra had passed as usual into the earth and dissolution had set in. The anima therefore took refuge in the body of a lame beggar who had just expired, that is, whose anima had just gone up to heaven, but whose umbra had not yet gone down to earth.

  Li T'ien 李畋. A man of the Sung dynasty, who fired a cracker at a dangerous demon, named 山臊 Shan Sao, and put him to flight. From this is said to date the custom of cracker-firing in China.

  Li T'ien-fu 李天馥 (T. 湘北 H. 容齋). A.D. 1634-1699. A native of Ho-fei in Anhui, of precocious talent, who graduated as chin shih in 1657 and devoted himself to study in the Han-lin College. After being President of several Boards, he was chosen at the end of 1692 to be a Grand Secretary, but was obliged immediately to go into mourning for his mother. However the Emperor K'ang Hsi thought so highly of him that he kept his office open for him during his three years' retirement. Author of a collections of poems and essays entitled 容齋集.