Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/215

Rh Ch'ên Po-t'ao 陳伯陶, 勝朝粵東遺民錄 Shêng-ch'ao Yüeh-tung i-min lu 1/25b.]

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 CH'ÜAN Tsu-wang 全祖望, Jan. 29, 1705–1755, Aug. 9, historian, was a native of Yin-hsien (Ningpo), Chekiang. His great-grandfather, Ch'üan Ta-ch'êng 全大程, was a loyalist to the Ming cause who in 1645 joined the Court of to resist the Manchus. When, in 1649, Ch'üan Ta-ch'êng was sought by the Ch'ing authorities he fled to the mountains, abandoning his property in Ningpo, including a collection of books. Later, however, when Ch'üan Tsu-wang's grandfather, Ch'üan Wu-ch'i 全吾騏, re-established the family in Ningpo he assembled another library, mostly by transcription. Ch'üan Tsu-wang's father, Ch'üan Shu 全書, added to the collection by the same method. In his childhood Ch'üan Tsu-wang learned much from his father about the history of the late Ming period and about the sufferings and the heroism of the Ming loyalists—a subject that engrossed him throughout his life.

In 1720, when he was only sixteen sui, Ch'üan Tsu-wang went to Hangchow to compete in the provincial examination. Though he failed he attracted notice as a writer of prose, chiefly owing to the praise of. In 1722 he again went to Hangchow where he met, , , and Chao Yü (see under ), all of whom became his life-long friends. In 1729 he became a senior licentiate, and a year later went to Peking to study in the Imperial Academy. On his way north he stopped at Yangchow and there met the opulent patron of scholars,. In Peking he made the acquaintance of an older contemporary,. He left Peking in 1731 for Tsinan, Shantung, to assist in the office of the provincial commissioner of education, but later in the same year went to Ningpo to visit his parents. In 1732 he returned to Peking and then became a chü-jên. His reputation as a scholar now became wide-spread, especially through the influence of who was his host in Peking for three years (1733–36). Ch'üan and Li had many interests in common, in particular the teachings of the Sung philosopher, Lu Chiu-yüan (see under ). Furthermore they both sensed the importance of the manuscript encyclopedia, Yung-lo ta-tien, as a reservoir of rare and 'lost' books (see under, , and ). In the meantime Ch'üan was recommended as qualified to compete in the second special examination known as po-hsüeh hung-tz'ŭ (see under and ), which took place in 1736. Before the examination he interviewed the candidates and recorded their names and biographical data in a work, entitled 公車徵士錄 Kung-chü chêng-shih lu. It was printed some twenty years ago in the collectanea, Yen-hua tung-t'ang hsiao-p'in (see under ).

In the spring of 1736, before the po-hsüeh hung-tz'ŭ examination took place, Ch'üan passed the regular examinations for the chin-shih degree and was selected a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy. About the same time, however, a new ruling was made which rendered it impossible for members of the Hanlin Academy to take the po-hsüeh hung-tz'ŭ examination. The ruling was suggested to the emperor by the powerful Grand Secretary,, to whom Ch'üan is said not to have paid full respect as a teacher. At the same time Ch'üan's close friendship with Li Fu and with Fang Pao did not enhance his popularity with high officials who were provoked at the outspokenness of those two scholars. At any rate, he was effectively barred from the examination, and in the following year (1737) when the Hanlin bachelors were graded for posts he was disqualified for a place in the Academy and was recommended for one as magistrate. Thus disgraced, he left Peking and officialdom in November 1737, never to return.

On his way home in 1737 Ch'üan again stopped at the residence of Ma Yüeh-kuan in Yangchow, and returned there at least six times in subsequent years. It had become a practice for rich salt merchants at Yangchow to befriend needy scholars. The Ma family was especially famous for its hospitality and had among its guests many learned men and poets. Ch'üan was one of them, for from 1737 to 1748 he was unemployed and had to depend on writing and on patronage for a living. Almost annually he paid visits to the homes of his wealthy friends, perhaps to write articles for them, but mainly to solicit help. In 1748 he was for a few months engaged as head of the Academy known as Chi-shan Shu-yüan 蕺山書院 at Shaohsing, Chekiang—a school which derived its name from the hao of. Although Ch'üan was loved and respected by the students, he did not 203