Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/627

608 Wang Hsi-chih; but he soon formed a school of his own, and gained such reputation that envoys were sent from Korea to obtain specimens of his style. See Ou-yang T'ung.   Ou-yang T'ung 歐陽通. 7th cent. A.D. Son of Ou-yang Hsün, and like his father a great calligraphist, the two being spoken of as the Elder and Younger Ou-yang. In 677 he was a Court official, when the death of his mother caused his retirement. Summoned to return before the mourning period had expired, he appeared barefoot, refused to speak except on public business, and went back at night to sleep on a clod by his mother's coffin. He kept this up for four years, never once changing his clothes. He subsequently became implicated in the plot to make Wu Ch'êng-ssŭ Heir Apparent, and was put to death. Latterly he had grown very particular about his writing materials, and would use only brushes of wild cat's or hare's hair, mounted in holders of ivory or rhinoceros' horn.  P.

 Pa-ssŭ-pa 巴思巴. Died A.D. 1279. Bashpa, a Tibetan priest, who became the confidential adviser of Kublai Khan during his career of conquest in China. In A.D. 1260 he was appointed State Preceptor and the recognised head of the Buddhist Church. He constructed an alphabet for the Mongol language, and was rewarded for his services with the title of 大寶法王Great Prince of the Holy Law of Buddha.   Pan Chao 班昭 (T. 惠姬). 1st cent. A.D. Sister to Pan Ku. She married an official named 曹壽 Ts'ao Shou (T. 世叔) but was left a widow in early life, and henceforth devoted her energies to literature and to the education of her son. A deep student of history, upon her brother's death she was found competent to continue and complete the great historical work in which she 