Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/70

Rh misogynist, who slept in his clothes so as to be ready to rise at the first streak of dawn. Canonised as 文貞, and included by in the Temple of Worthies.   Chang Yüan-chên 張元禎 (T. 延祥). Died A.D. ?1506. A native of Kiangsi, who wrote verses at five years of age. greatly admired him, and chose his name. Graduating as chin ahih in 1460, he remonstrated in vain on the prevailing abuses of the Government, and soon had to retire on account of a dispute over the biography of the Emperor. After twenty years spent in studying philosophy, he was charged in 1488 with the preparation of the biography of the Emperor ; and though he protested against the new Emperor's heterodoxy, avarice, love of amusement and of favourites, he was treated with great consideration, and placed on the Commission to revise the 通鑒纂要 Compendium of History. The Emperor on his accession appointed him Vice President of the Board of Civil Office, and entrusted him with the preparation of Decrees and patents. His long retirement had made him old-fashioned; he did not get on with the younger generation, and was obliged to retire. In 1621 he was canonised as 文裕.   Chang Yüeh 張說 (T. 道濟 and 說之). A.D. 667-730. A statesman and poet of the T'ang dynasty. He was born at Lo-yang in Shansi, his mother having dreamt that a jade swallow flew into her lap and that she became pregnant. In youth, his father conceived a dislike to him, and made him do menial work; but Chang Yüeh took every opportunity of improving his mind, and in 689 passed first as a 孝廉方正 "deserving scholar recommended for preferment." Soon afterwards, he obtained an appointment at the Court of the Empress, to whom he did not prove acceptable. For refusing to bear false witness against 魏元忠 Wei Yüan-chung, he was banished in 703 to 