Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/341

Rh gability of the Grand Canal (see under ). In the course of his six tours to South China (in the years 1684, 1689, 1699, 1703, 1705, and 1707) he took pains personally to inspect conservancy projects and so spurred the officials in charge to more efficient and conscientious labors. Although he did not vigorously enforce the laws governing corrupt officials, he frequently singled out for promotion those who were reported as incorrupt (see under and ). It is true that during his reign high officials often organized themselves into factions, but he was usually able to check their activities through reports of the censors (see under ).

A hortatory edict issued by Hsüan-yeh in 1670 laid down sixteen moral maxims, each concisely written in seven characters. These maxims were amplified by Liang Yen-nien 梁延年, magistrate of Fan-ch'ang, Anhwei (1673–81), with citations from history to illustrate the sixteen points. This annotated text, entitled 聖諭像解 Shêng-yü hsiang-chieh, in 20 chüan, printed in 1681, is a good example of the printing art of the period. In 1724 Emperor Shih-tsung had the expositions further amplified for the use of officials in exhorting the people. This text, entitled 聖諭廣訓 Shêng-yü kuang-hsün, was printed in 1724. Later a Salt Commissioner of Shensi, Wang Yu-p'u 王又樸, paraphrased it in the colloquial style, enlivening it with homely illustrations and proverbs. This colloquial rendering, entitled Shêng-yü kuang-hsün chih-chieh (直解), gained wide circulation through compulsory public reading on the first and fifteenth of each moon. There are several English renderings of this work—a partial one by Sir George Staunton (1781–1859) in 1812, a complete one by William Milne (米憐, 1785–1822) in 1817, and others.

The K'ang-hsi period is noted for advancement in learning to which Hsüan-yeh made significant contributions. Desirous of lessening the opposition of recalcitrant Chinese scholars to the new régime, he solicited their help in the compilation of the Ming-shih (see under and ). In order to obtain capable sclholars for this project he summoned many to compete in a special examination known as the po-hsüeh hung-tz'ŭ (see under ). He selected learned men and good calligraphers to be his personal secretaries, their office being known as the Nan shu-fang or Imperial Study (see under ). Many famous works on literature and art were compiled by his order, among them the: P'ei-wên chai shu-hua p'u (see under ); K'ang-hsi tzŭ-tien (see under ); P'ei-wên yün-fu (see under ); Yüan-chien lei-han (see under ); and Ch'üan T'ang shih (see under ). As a sponsor of the Sung school of philosophy and ethics he saw to the publication of the Chu-tzŭ ch'üan-shu (see under ).

Hsüan-yeh patronized the arts. In the palaces in Peking the hall known as Ju-i kuan 如意館, in the court called Ch'i-hsiang kung 啟祥宮 (the present T'ai-chi tien 太極殿), was set aside as a studio and repair shop where the Emperor gathered the painters, mechanics, and architects who were in his service. European missionaries worked in the Ju-i kuan, painting, engraving, or repairing clocks and other mechanical devices which they and others had brought from Europe as gifts to the Emperor. One of the Chinese court painters, Chiao Ping-chên 焦秉貞, employed in the Imperial Board of Astronomy, studied Western perspective under the Europeans who served in that Board. Chiao was the artist who executed the forty-six paintings in the 1696 edition of the 耕織圖 Kêng-chih-t'u, or "Pictures on Tilling and Weaving". His pupil, Lêng Mei 冷枚, excelled in the painting of human figures. Among other painters in Hsüan-yeh's court may be mentioned and T'ang-tai (see under ) who both excelled in landscape. Hsüan-yeh encouraged fine printing (see under ) and the manufacture of porcelain (see under ).

The Emperor took notice of scientific matters and himself became interested in mathematics during the controversy (1668–69) concerning Chinese and Western calendrical methods (see under ). Finding that his high officials were ignorant of the subject, he determined to learn something of it for himself. The Jesuit missionaries, having proved their calculations to be correct, were placed in charge of the Imperial Board of Astronomy and were asked to teach the Emperor Western sciences. In the last decade of his reign Hsüan-yeh arranged for a group of young Chinese and Manchus to be tutored by the Jesuits. This group brought together works on mathematics, the calendar and music—works which are known collectively as the Lü-li yüan-yüan (see under ).

Meanwhile the missionaries were often summoned to act as interpreters or advisers on rela- 329