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understand the causes of these errors, and to demon- strate to them the rehabiUty of the principles on which they themselves based their corrections. To do this they had to establish at the Board of Mathematics a complete course in astronomy, and they had to begin by compihng in Chinese a whole series of text-books comprising not only astronomy properly so-called but also even the most elementary foundations of the science, such as arithmetic, geometry, and other parts of mathematics. In 1634 they had composed as many as one hundred and thirty-seven of these works, of which they printed a hundred. The foreign re- formers were not without opposition from supersti- tious behevers of the traditional methods and espe- cially from the envious. These became particularly violent on the death of Paul Siu (1633, when he was Colao or prime minister). Happily, Emperor Ts'ung- cheng, who judged very intelligently of the methods in dispute by the results of the pretliction of celestial phenomena, continued to support the fathers in the kindest manner. In 1638 Father Schall lost his deserving fellow-worker, Father Hho, but by that time the reform had already been accomplished in principle; it had become law and needed only to be put into execution.

All the provinces of China were soon informed of the important commission of reforming the calendar which had been entrusted to the missionaries. The news created a great sensation which benefited the whole mi.ssion. The honour paid to the missionaries of Peking redounded to the credit of al! their brethren; miny mandarins felt it necessary to offer public con- gratulations to those working within their territory. Everywhere the preaching of the Gosjiel was allowed unprecedented liberty. Father Schall i)rofit('d by this, interrupting from time to time his .sci(>iitific labours for the apostolate, not only in Peking but also in the neighbouring province's. Thus he founded a new Christian congregation at Ho-Kieii, capital of one of the prefectures of Ciii-li. However, his zeal was es- pecially exercised at the court itself. Christianity, which hitherto had won but few souls in the imperial palace, now took an important i)lace there through the conversion of ten eunuchs, among whom were the sovereign's most qualified servants. This cluss had always been most opposed to the preaching of the mi.ssionaries. This happy ])rogress of evangelization was disturbed and for a time stopped by the invasion of the Tatars and the revolution which, by o\erthrow- ing the throne of the Ming dynasty, brought about the accession of the Manchu dynasty of the T'sings, which still reigns. In the provinces laid waste by the insurrection prior to the foreign conquest several missionaries were massacred liy the rebel leaflers. At Peking Father Schall assisted th(> last of the Ming in his useless resistance by casting cannon for him. Nevertheless the Tatiirs regarded him favourably. Shun-chi, the first of the Ts'ings to reign at Peking, was only eight or eleven years old wli(>n he was pro- claimed emi)eror (1643). The regent who governed in his name for six years confirmed all SehalFs power re- garding the calendar. The yf)ung emperor was still kinder to the missionary; not only did he summon him to familiar interviews in his palace, but, in spite of the most sacred rules of Chinese etiquette, he used unex- pectedly to visit him in his house, remaining in his modest room a long time and questioning him on all kinds of subjects.

The imperial favour became a source of serious embarrassment to Father Schall and his fellow- workers. Prior to Shun-chi the "new rules" estab- lished by the Jesuits for the making of the Chinese calendar became compulsory for the official astron- omers, but the correctors themselves had no authority to insure application of them. Shun-chi wished to alter this, impelled no doubt by his affection for Father Schall, but also because he had recognized the

inefficiency of the native direction of the Board of Mathematics. He therefore appointed Father Scliall president of this Board, at the same time conferring on him high rank as a mandarin to correspond with this important office. The missionary thought he might accept the office, which was more onerous than honourable; the success of the reform, which was theoretically accomplished, required it. But the rank of mandarin accorded ill with religious humilitj\ Schall did all in his power to avoid it; from 1634, when it was conferred on him for the first time, until 1657, he made five appeals to the emperor or to the Supreme Tribunal of Rites, to be relieved of it. In his ex- planations to his brethren in the mission (16 Dec, 1648) he declared that he had refused it eight times, that he had pleaded on his knees before the Tribunal of Rites to be delivered from it, and that he only finally accepted it at the command of his regular superior and renouncing most of the advantages whether honorarj' or financial which were connected with the rank. Nevertheless this acceptance, not- withstanding the reservations made, was the occasion of other conscientious scruples concerning which the sentiments of the Jesuits in China were divided for several ycvirs. h'irst of all, was not every rank of mandarin as exercised by a missionary a violation of the canon law which forbade priests to hold civil offices? A more serious question arose regarding the con- tents of the Chinese calendar. The latter, as it was drawn up by the Board of Mathematics and sub- sequently spread throughout the emiMre, gave not only astronomical information of a purely scientific nature, but the Chinese^ likewise souglit and found there indications conccTning lucky and unlucky days, that is tho.se which should be chosen or avoided for certain actions, and muc^h superstition was mixed with this part. Wh(>n the calendar was seen to con- tain the same things after Father Schall became president, uneasiness was f(>lt among the missionaries. Everybody did not know how the publication was made. No one supposed that Father Schall had the slightest share in the superstitions; they were in fact the exclusive work of a section of the Board of Mathe- matics which worked independently of Father Scliall. Furthermore, the definitive and official publication of the calendar was not within the fath(>r's province. That was r(>.served to the Li-pou (Bureau of Kites), to which Father Schall merely transmitted his astro- nomical calculations. Besides, FathcT Schall's data were expressly ilistinguished in the calendar itself by the words, "according to the new rule". Neverthe- less, even when they w(>re aware of these exj)lanations, which Father Schall hastened to give, several learned and zealous missionaries considered that his respon- sibifity was too greatly involved and, consequently, since his office did not permit him to suppress the superstitions of the calendar, he was bound in con- science to resign. Five theologians of the Boman College to whom the question was submitted with in- complete information decided in this sense on 3 Aug., 16oo. However, fresh explanations given by leather Schall and the approval of other very competent mis- sionaries eventually placed the case in a different light, and a new and better informed commission at Rome concluded (31 Jan., 1664) that there was no valid reason for Father Schall's resignation of the presidency of the Board of Mathematics. The preamble of the decision repeated and adopted the arguments of Father Verbiest: "Tht father president of the board", it stated, "does not concur positively in the insertion of the superstitious matters which have been noted in the calendar; he does not concur therein, either himself, ff)r he does not sign these jidditions or set his seal to them, nor through his pupils (in the Board of Mathematics), forthelatteronly make the insertion, without the father taking any share therein. With regard to the distribution of the